Can I do it 'till my foot goes numb?

[armoredman]

Getcher mind outa da gutter.:-P When I posted about casting last time, I mentioned that I have to cast sitting Indian style in my garage, bending forward to trip the lever on my Lee production pot. Yes, it's ventilated. :) I also mentioned that it's amazing how much feeling can be lost in the legs from sitting that way...
Today I decided I needed more of my .310 150gr Lee babies for my rifle, so I plopped down, and started dribbling away. I am finicky, wavy lines, wrinkles, teeny visible cavities, non perfect bases, flashing, all back into the pot. So, I went until my foot fell asleep, and turned it all off. Total time, 45 minutes, from warm up to shut down, including letting the lead melt into the pot and fluxing.
I got 47 good boolits. I hear groans, "All the effort and only 47 boolits?" Yep, it's a hobby, and if I can run out and cast some without killing my legs/back, it's still a fun hobby. Still need a casting bench, but this will do for now.
Thanks for getting me into this hobby those few years ago, now shooting/reloading/casting, three hobbies in one!:grin:

[chris in va]

Mine is on a 2' tall old table I had sitting around. I just sit in a chair and cast for a couple hours. Try visiting the thrift stores.

[Bass Ackward]

I had the wife go to Wally and get a large plastic ball from the toy section. This can be filled so that it .... a .... is the correct height I need it to be. And then in the future it can be pumped up to counter any weight increases.

The ball allows the freedom of motion that a chair does not. It will roll slightly and it conforms to fit any bottom. In fact, it is great for at the computer too while it provides the old central core some exercise too.

[imashooter2]

Explain why you "have to" cast in such an awkward manner?

[armoredman]

Easy...no bench/seat right now. Saving money to move. Hasn't been any yard sales close by, yet. I insst the bench be VERY sturdy, I have no intentions of having a lapful of molten lead, that would be....baaaaaad.
Bass, that's an interesting idea...

[imashooter2]

Exactly how sturdy do you think a temporary bench has to be to hold 25 pounds of lead and pot? You're beating your body up for no reason. Your quality will go up with a more ergonomic setup too.

[Blammer]

if you have two saw horses, and a 2x8 plank, that will make a nice bench, it's what I use.

[imashooter2]

Or a quarter sheet of 1/2 plywood on the same. Heck, drop a drywall screw through the plywood into the horses if you are a belt and suspenders kind of guy.

[Tom-ADC]

Why not pick up a Black & Decker workmate, they come in several price ranges are strong and easy to store.

[runfiverun]

man it's spring start looking at those trash piles.
i use an old cabinet door on an old stool for a moveable bench.
a discarded desk works nicely too.

[wills]

Easy...no bench/seat right now. Saving money to move. Hasn't been any yard sales close by, yet. I insst the bench be VERY sturdy, I have no intentions of having a lapful of molten lead, that would be....baaaaaad.
Bass, that's an interesting idea...

Somebody steal the tailgate off your pickup?

[armoredman]

Somebody steal the tailgate off your pickup?

Umm, I drive a Kia Spectra....


I might see if I can scrounge some lumber somewhere, used up the last scraps I had making my last target stand. I used to scrounge from the construction sites, but the bubble burst pretty much dried that up araound here.

Yes, when it comes to safety, I am paranoid, should seen my grandfathers lifetime carpenter hands, missing parts of both thumbs, peices of fingers, gah. In addition to gloves, goggles, etc., I also wear kevlar arm guards and an apron across my legs and feet to catch splatter.

[jhrosier]

I found an abandoned wooden sewing machine cabinet at the curb on trash day.
It is just big enough and plenty sturdy.
You could probably get an old sewing machine in a cabinet for the hauling.

Jack

[mold maker]

I cast seated, but not on the floor. At 68 I couldn't get up off the floor after 45 min, without medics.
Find yourself a couple metal 5 gal buckets.
I'd rather peal it off my apron, than have it run under my donkey.

[DLCTEX]

An old solid core door makes a sturdy bench top. Ask any remodlers to save you one. A few 2 X 4s will make the frame and legs. Use 3" drywall screws and you can take it apart for moving.

[ghh3rd]

I would feel much safer if I were in a position that allowed me to jump away from pouring lead, should the worse case scenario happen. Sitting that way in front of lead would make me feel like I were on a motorcycle wearing a seatbelt.

You gotta figure out a better way, or the lead may not be the only thing gettin hot :-)

[lwknight]

Its common to see those cheapo desks ar garage sales dirt cheap and sometimes on the curb for trash. A good cheap chair is easy to find on the cheap too.
Don't worry about moving it. Just leave it.

[geargnasher]

(hint) Preheat that mould by closing it up and dunking at least 1/4 of it in the melt and holding it there until the lead no sticky to it no more when you pull it out. Wait 30 seconds for the heat to even out through the blocks, then cast away! Within a half-dozen pours you should be casting lightly frosted beauties with sharp fillout and no wrinkles, assuming the mould cavities were PERFECTLY CLEAN to start out. Perfectly clean means scrubbed with brake cleaner and a toothbrush several times and dried BEFORE getting it hot.

Gear

[AZ-Stew]

You must be young. In that position, both my legs would be numb from the hip to the big toe before the lead got liquid.

Regards,

Stew

[a.squibload]

I had the wife go to Wally and get a large plastic ball from the toy section...

If you get a medium splash on that ball you're gonna scare the heck out of the neighbors (POW!).:razz:

Those exercise balls make good chairs, I've seen 'em in a lot of offices, wife has one only uses it to sit on, oh well.
About the same only the one in the toy department costs less.

[warf73]

You must be young. In that position, both my legs would be numb from the hip to the big toe before the lead got liquid.

Regards,

Stew


What I was thinking also.
Save your body and get ya a bench.

[armoredman]

Actually, the thread was meant to show that I can run out and cast for a short time, and still enjoy it, not to highlight that I have no bench. I will get one eventually, thanks. Young? 43, is that young around here?
Thanks for the replies.

[A J]

Same age as my kids.....

[imashooter2]

It's good that you enjoy yourself.

Wouldn't you have even more fun if your foot didn't go numb and you had more keepers?

[armoredman]

Yeah, and when I get a bench I'll post pics. :)

[BABore]

Track down a residential or commercial electrical contractor. Ask them for a couple of their wooden wire reels when they empty them. Makes a good table for nothing. Screw down a 1/2 x 24 x 24 handy panel from Menards for $5 if you want a bigger top.

[mroliver77]

I cannot cast for long as back, neck knee, etc pain tears me up. I have my pot up higher and have to stand to pour. I use discarded dresser on top of the shop microwave. actually a very solid setup. I preheat mold and then go at it for 10 - 15 min until discomfort lets me know its time to move. I park mold on top of pot and go load or lube or something else in the shop for 10 - 15 min. I will then go back to a hot mold and go at it some more. I also have computer and recliner in barn. I mostly cast in the cold months so the pot running is heating the work area while it is sitting idle. I would never set on the floor and have Mr Happy exposed to such danger!
I mostly use six cav molds if I can as I get many more boolits in a short while. On better days I will get out the single and double rifle molds and have at it. Like was said, preheat in the melt or on a hotplate and you should get keepers very fast.
Your point is well taken. Even 40-50 boolits at a setting is enough for a mornings plinking.
Jay

[wills]

Umm, I drive a Kia Spectra....



There's your problem: bad karma

[mroliver77]

There's your problem: bad karma

A haw, haw, haw, haw, a haw.
A haw, haw, haw !!!!!

Jay

[82nd airborne]

a tuff box works as a great bench for me, when im done all the equipment goes right back inside the box...

[HangFireW8]

Somebody steal the tailgate off your pickup?


Umm, I drive a Kia Spectra....

Before everyone piles on, I have to say, give the man a break, let's not pick on armoredman. There may be a 100 good reasons why he doesn't have a pickup truck at the moment. Maybe he just got out, had a visit from the repo man, had a bad poker hand... I'm sure it's not his fault and he'll correct this situation as soon as he can... don't pick on a man until you've walked a mile in his shoes!

-HF :redneck:

[azjohn]

Find some used pallets and get creative. Igot a bunch free from the Ace hardware next to work. Used them for pathways in my garden.

[a.squibload]

... don't pick on a man until you've walked a mile in his shoes!

-HF :redneck:

Yeah, by then you have a mile lead on him, and he's barefoot...

[Suo Gan]

Home Depot or any lumberyard will cut your lumber to size. Off the top of my head, 2, 8' 4x4's, 5, 2x4's and a sheet of 1/2" OSB doubled up would make a cheap, durable bench for less than $25 bucks. Bring it home on top of your car, screw it together, then unscrew it and move it to your future home. Lots of us have forgotten what it means to be poor, heck I was so poor at one time I couldn't even afford dirt, had to eat bark! Glad to see you are casting in the midst of it though.

[XWrench3]

the cure is called "ergonamics". i have real back problems. just standing or walking can and does make my leg go numb / jabbing pain. anyway, i set up my casting station so i am looking right at the mold when i cast. i can cast that way for about 3-4 hours. then, even with that set up, my back starts killing me. you have to get a table set up, and get a stool or chair to sit on. get it set up so you are looking at the bottom of the pot. you can stand up every so often to check the lead level, stir the pot, etc. there are very few activities of any type i can do for any length of time. try it, you'll like it!

[armoredman]

Resurrecting the dead here - we had to move, bank issues, now in a smaller house, lots cheaper, and still have my garage....though it shrank so small my Kia will not fit in it. I'm not kidding - made for a Yugo, I guess. But, one thing that had to happen is that some furniture got put into the garage/storeroom, and one item is a well made, sturdy and wide end table. The wife did NOT go ballistic when I suggested using it for a casting table...she is that happy to be out of the other situation.
I will put cardboard over the surface, wood over that, pot on top, and bring a table chair out to cast away! I brought the lead with me, too....that crate was heavy. I'll see how this works. The garage is on the west side, heats up last in the morning, too. In AZ, that's important.

[nelsonted1]

What you need to do is get your brother in law with the pickup and run down a portable restroom. Haul it home, lay it on its side, drop the door down, set your chair down on the door with bricks underneath the chair legs to level it. You have a good bench. Plus if you are careful to save the blue in the tank you could dip out a pail full and have it ready in case you drop a hot one on the sh--t-r wall! I have experience in this kind geniousity.

TED

[nelsonted1]

Plus it's free. Don't forget to pull off the stickers with names and phone numbers attached-they aren't neccesary.

[geargnasher]

Glad things are going better for you and your wife.

Get a couple of those "El Cheapo" steel spring clamps (like big clothspins) at Home Depot to keep the plywood/cardboard layer in place on the end table, or perhaps a pair of wood clamps, keeps things from sliding like a deck of cards if you bump it. You might consider drilling a couple of holes in your pot base and screwing it to the plywood.

Gear

[armoredman]

Thanks, Gear, good suggestion.
Um, ix-nay on the olen-stay oilet-tay. Can't STAND those things....

[a.squibload]

Thanks, Gear, good suggestion.
Um, ix-nay on the olen-stay oilet-tay. Can't STAND those things....

Agree, besides there's a safety issue. Risk of explosion. Methane gas!

[armoredman]

So many jokes, all well below board standards. Biting lip.

Off to get the wood today, and we'll see how this goes.

[Springfield]

Sounds like a job for one of those folding work tables from Black and Decker. And I was 43 11 years ago. Was still a real Armoredman myself then.

[armoredman]

I took the name from 8.5 years in armored trucks. :)

Waiting to get everything unpacked and settled in before getting started, very soon, all out of 9mm and 7.62x39mm boolits.

[uscra112]

Any bench with a pot of molten lead on it should be solid enough that you cannot upset it by tripping on a leg or lurching against it while off-balance. Maybe it's because I've become so clumsy in my old age, (vertigo), but that's my nickel's worth.

[armoredman]

This puppy isn't going anywhere, I can stand on it in total confidence, and I have exceeded my listed drivers license weight some time ago...oops. I decided that this table will not be used in a room again, and will not do the complicated and possible sliding multiple layer thing, will simply have material in front of the pot to catch splash. If it gets on the table, oh well.

If all goes well, we'll fire it up tomorrow morning....

[armoredman]

Well, now THAT went well! For the first time, I ran the pot out of metal, had to reload it. I also got picky about my boolits. Only got 121 in an hour, but I'm happy...and my legs are VERY happy.:D:castmine:[smilie=w:

Temps are rising, and it's suposed to get about 107 or higher, so I quit when the garage began warming up. Door was open, fan blowing past me out to the street.
Time for tea - took my coffee pot to work after staff broke the last one. :coffee:

Hmm, I might have to do this again tomorrow morning....:D

[Byron Cromwell]

Why not just get a galvaized steel trash can and turn it upside down? The lip around the bttom will keep stuff from rolling off and it is flameproof, which several of the above suggestiions are not. An uncomfortable sitting poistiion can be unsafe as well as uncomfortable, and standing next to the pot allows you to move out of the way of danger swiftly if the need arises.

[Freightman]

My winch had better be overhead as my wife is 5' tall and I am6'2"and as heavy as tall 235#and old. She could hook it on my belt and spend the next hour getting my legs straight.
All the benches in my shop have came from the alley look there.

[armoredman]

Pictures speak a thousand words. :) Obviously this is cooled down, no chair, the towels would be rolled out, the one on the right is the drop towel, the one in front a splash guard for my legs.

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b13/armoredman/casting%20stuff/023.jpg

Then the results of a quick casting session, all drying off in thier coats of Hornady One Shot for sizing. The fan goes up on some stuff in front of the bench, blowing back over me towards the partially open garage door.

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b13/armoredman/casting%20stuff/024.jpg

See the casting bench does double duty, with a spare cat carrier underneath. :)

[HORNET]

Why would you need to carry a spare cat? You expecting problems with the primary cat?:kidding:

[armoredman]

Why would you need to carry a spare cat? You expecting problems with the primary cat?:kidding:

Some people have a backup gun, I carry a backup cat, throw the little claw monster at the bad guy when I run outa ammo...:holysheep

I have FIVE of the furry little beggars....love 'em all, and the two dogs.;-)

[jsizemore]

Why would you need to carry a spare cat? You expecting problems with the primary cat?:kidding:

He probably needs the backup cat when he tries to AC his boolits on the primary cat. more:kidding:...Like I'm the only one that thought this;-)

I use one of those plastic 2 1/2' x 6' tables with the folding metal legs you get from WallyWorld, home center,etc. I use a couple pieces of 2" x 10" to set my pot and tools on. I know folks are going to say it's too flimsy or unstable. Well, I use the same table to set my 12" Dewalt compound miter saw (70lbs) and up to a 12'-2x10. Never acted like it would give way and it is the fastest set of sawhorses I've ever used. Cheaper then one of those miter saw slideing sawhorse setups at 1/2 the cost. And it only takes up about 3" of wall space when leaned on the wall or in the bed of the pickup. Plastic top don't mess up the paint job when your carry tools in the house. The table and a folding chair solve my casting setup with no stress on the back or legs.