Do you have a set of clothes just for casting?

[Trey45]

Do any of you have a set of clothes you wear just to cast in? Maybe one pair of jeans that you wear when you cast, or a certain pair of boots you wear just to cast. How about aprons or chaps, does anyone use them here?

I have one pair of boots I wear every time I cast, and one pair of jeans I wear to cast in.

[nvbirdman]

I have a boolit casting long sleeve shirt.

[Typecaster]

Yes. They're not my lucky clothes; I just figured I'd be nice to my wife and not get silver spatters on everything.

Richard

[tomf52]

Tux with tails and top hat!

[JSnover]

Long sleeve flannel shirt, welders gloves, jeans and an old pair of work shoes. An apron when I'm making ingots.

[WILCO]

Brown bath robe, fuzzy slippers and a cigar............:kidding:

[sargenv]

I use some nice heavy long sleeved cotton coveralls and usually wear my old leather sneakers. So far no issues though it can get a bit warm on some of our warmer days.

Updated to add that I use some of Osh's leather gloves.. Welding gloves did not seem to give me the tactile sense I needed, and in most cases did not shield me from my cast iron pot when smelting.. though what I will do is put on my leather gloves and then some hi temp gloves on top of them. Works ok for pouring the end of the pot.

[Calamity Jake]

Anything but shorts and flip flops or sandels

[mold maker]

Leather apron, splattered old leather boots, long sleeve canvas shirt, cotton hat with 2" brim, heavy welders gloves and safety goggles.
I'm too old to take chances, and make mistakes just because I'm getting clumsy.
I cast sitting, and casting table has a lip on the front.
When water cooling there is a wire hoop with a cut off jean pant leg that delivers the boolits to the bucket without a splash.
You young folks that are full of wiz and veniger, take notice. If your lucky, you'll get old some day too. It comes up like a thief and steals your eyesight and stamina.
Take advantage of an old man's advice. Be comfortable, (seated) and not hunched over, while spending hours at casting. Don't wait till your back says you have to.

[Three44s]

What I am wearing at the time .......... with fairly heavy gloves added.

....... and if that's a short sleeved shirt ....... a long sleeve goes over it.

Boots and long pants are standard equipment around here at all times.

Three 44s

[Snapping Twig]

Yes. I saved an old flannel shirt and crummy pants plus some shoes that weren't quite toasted yet.

I use OSH goatskin gloves, very tactile and wear like iron and under $20.

Safety glasses of course.

[thx997303]

Leather Apron, Welding gloves, leather boots, long pants.

[Bret4207]

A thong. I like to pretend I'm Zeus.

[Trey45]

A thong. I like to pretend I'm Zeus.

I thought Ken was the only one with a cast boolits thong? BTW, rool 16 does NOT apply here!

[Lead Fred]

Shop coat, welders gloves, resperator, goggles.

Some times I forget to dawn my boots, when a drop of molten lead bypasses the bench and head for my toes, I soon remember.

[1Shirt]

Would really like to see a posting of Bret playing Zeus! Would make an interesting forum poster!
1Shirt!:coffee:

[alamogunr]

Same as for cleaning up WW. Canvas overalls, denim shirt, welding gloves and my old safety shoes. I also wear safety glasses. I'll have to replace these soon. They were paid for by my employer but since I retired 3 years ago, my eyes have changed enough that they need to be updated.

I noticed that several mentioned flannel shirts. The welder that made up my smelting pot advised me not to wear flannel, but to wear denim. He said flannel just grabs and hangs on to weld splatter and molten metal then burns thru. I decided not to test his advice.

John
W.TN

[mtnman31]

Heavy cotton shop coat, jeans, safety glasses, and welder's gloves.

Like alamogunr mentioned, flannel seems to hold onto any drips and splatters that find their way onto the material. I used to use a heavy flannel shirt and traded it for the shop coat because of the way the lead stuck to it. I don't use a respirator and my girlfriend really gives me a hard time about it. I don't think it is necessary when casting - although smelting is a different story.

[MT Gianni]

I noticed that several mentioned flannel shirts. The welder that made up my smelting pot advised me not to wear flannel, but to wear denim. He said flannel just grabs and hangs on to weld splatter and molten metal then burns thru. I decided not to test his advice.

John
W.TN

Soft cotton like flannel will latch onto weld spatter and hot lead. Since the sparks are hotter than lead melt they can start a fire. If you are weldiing and smell fire check your bib knees. Don't ask how I know this. Hard cottons like denim or kakhi will shed sparks and spatter especially if starched. hard starched clothes generally just bounce sparks off them.

I cast with the same gloves and jacket if cool but don't care which pants I cast in. I use hard leather boots never suede or nylon fabric.

[stubshaft]

Denim bib-overall with long sleeve denim shirt and welding gloves. Have met the tinsel fairy already..

[Bret4207]

In all seriousness, I cast in the same clothes I wear every day- cheap jeans (I can get Dickies seconds for $9-11.00), a tee shirt or sweatshirt, hat and I wear boots everyday anyway. I don't wear gloves, respirators, aprons or even glasses usually. Been doing it that way for 30 + years. While I can see the glasses, some of the other gear is over kill FOR ME. I'm not advocating that everyone else follow my thinking at all, I just don't think we're dealing with nitro here. I also don't cast sitting down which is just asking for trouble IMO and I know enough to stand upwind when cooking down raw material.

I'll stand by for the flames now.

[Wayne Smith]

I wear glasses all the time except when I'm sleeping - and now doing close work!. Sneakers, socs, jeans, hard but light cotton shirt and welding gloves most of the time. I've had lead splatter bounce off the shirt, stick to the jeans, land on my hand amd bounce off... . Tinsel fairy has landed a couple of times, no major injury. Most of my burns are not from my lead.

[montana_charlie]

In all seriousness, I cast in the same clothes I wear every day-
I'll stand by for the flames now.
I am the same way.
The clothes I put on each morning are supposed to be adequate for whatever job is needed during the day. So, that means jeans and a workshirt, and leather boots. (I haven't worn a short-sleeved shirt in 30 years.)
My (uninsulated deer or elkskin) gloves are always on my hands or stuffed in my back pocket, and I'll wear a denim jacket when it's cool.

Only my headgear changes. Sometimes a ballcap, and other times a hat...straw or felt depends on the season.

I won't sit down to mess with molten metal, so there are no lead spatters on any of my clothes or boots.
I'm not a stationary target for casting mishaps, and I don't play one on TV.

CM

[Bill*]

Scuba diving gear, football helmet, and stilts :veryconfu

[Gerry N.]

Denim bib overalls, denim long sleeve shirt, leather work shoes, glasses. I haven't found gloves to be necessary since I got a splatter down the cuff several years ago. I do my casting in the garage with the rollup door and windows at the other end open. When I'm smelting, I add a full face shield because I too, have been visited by the tinsel fairey. The little b*tch.

Gerry N.

[Ed Barrett]

Long sleeve cotton shirt, printers apron, safety glasses. leather gloves.

[pumpguy]

A thong. I like to pretend I'm Zeus.

I think I just threw up a little bit in my mouth.

[Idaho Sharpshooter]

casting is like frying bacon. If you do so in the nude, you tend to be much more careful!

Rich

[Patrick L]

I don't have dedicated casting clothes, but whatever clothes I do wear go STRAIGHT into the washer when I'm done, and I head for the shower.

Typically I wear jeans, shoes or boots, and leather gloves. I do wear a t shirt in the warmer months, I realize I might catch a small splatter but its rare.

[Crash_Corrigan]

I have a favorite pair of denim overalls. They are probably 17 years old. They are the brown carpenters variety and have faded out to a dull tan over the years. Double knees and thigh layers and they fit loose and comfortable.

For boots I have a old leather pair of Wellingtons that I wear inside the cuffs of the pants. I wear a leather shop apron which I bought last year from some internet outfit, CHeaper than dirt?. A felt western hat and my arm length focus reading glasses complete the outfit along with a long sleeved denim shirt and leather gloves. Not the kind with the big cuffs, the kind you wear working around a farm with the neato cord thingie on the back and the little plastic ball etc.

I also never sit down when casting. I want to be on my feet and mobile at all times when dealing with 40 pounds of molten metal on two levels. I also keep Sgt. Rambo {my dog} locked in the bedroom with a juicy bone when playing with lead.

I will not abide visitors when casting and the only distraction I allow would be a good selection of music on my computer speakers from Pandoras Box.com. It's free and I can select what I want to hear. Johnny Cash, Patsy Cline, Earl Scruggs, Creedence Clearwater Revival and the old stuff from the early 50's and 60's when I was growing up.

I am a trogdolite and I know what I like.

[Cherokee]

Jeans, LS shirt, leather gloves, shoes, glasses, but not a special outfit

[Dale53]

I wear a dedicated casting "uniform" . The criteria is PROTECTION and keeping lead splatters and lead dust on just ONE set of clothing.

You don't need leather. I have found "layers" give plenty of protection. One important note - use only cotton. Synthetics will melt when struck by lead splatters and the result on your skin is akin to napalm.

I wear a cap (army fatigue cap with bill), a long sleeved flannel shirt in winter and a "button up to the neck" long sleeved light weight one in summer. I wear a pair of bib overalls. My boots cover my ankles (and the bibs legs cover the tops). I wear a long shop apron (layers) over everything. Last, but DEFINITELY not least, I wear welding gloves that come well up my arms. After "break in" the gloves work very well and I am NOT troubled by them in the least.

I wear glasses - a face shield would probably be preferable.

A double layer of cotton clothing does not transfer heat to the body. A single layer, can. I have been casting and smelting for well over fifty years, have been visited by the tinsel fairy a couple of times and my burns have been minimal. I hope to keep it that way.

I do NOT take chances and try to keep my wits about me at all times when working with molten metal. Just use common sense and try to eliminate the "traps" that might take you unaware.

Dale53

[Trey45]

I'd like to thank everyone who answered. My hopes are that new casters will read this thread and dress appropriately for the job at hand. I have a large burn scar on the top of my left foot due to my own shortfalls in dressing right for the job. A painfull lesson, but a lesson well learned. One can take every safety precaution there is, but if you're not dressed correctly for the job at hand, all those precautions are for naught. Thanks again to everyone who answered this, even the ones who dress in swim fins and stilts :)

[Wireman134]

Clothes! You don't need no stinking clothes for casting...:redneck:

[Longrange]

Leather welding sleeves with bib over a short sleeve shirt, older but good condition jeans, steel toe boots, face shield, cant see anything with out my glasses so that’s a given. When making ingots heavy leather welding gloves, when making boolits tig gloves for better feel.

:cbpour: