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View Full Version : My Vision Was Spared !



stainless1911
11-30-2010, 12:44 AM
I was melting down some range lead that I dug out of the berm, and came across this .45 that didn't float right, so, I got the vice grips and squeezed it. Bad Idea. I wasnt sure if it were plated, or solid, I figured I could fracture it, and reclaim the lead. POW! lead everywhere, hot lead to be exact. There was lead all over the work area, all over my clothes, my right arm, left hand, my neck, face, and all over my SAFETY GLASSES ! Not just on the side or whatever, but lead stuck to the lenses, directly in my line of sight. I'm not going to preach at you, but I do believe that God was looking out for me. While Im typing this, still quite sore in several places, I can see. I don't even need to know how much physical pain that I avoided by following advice, and that still small voice, but I can see.

WEAR YOUR SAFETY GLASSES !


WEAR YOUR SAFETY GLASSES !


WEAR YOUR SAFETY GLASSES !


WEAR YOUR SAFETY GLASSES !


WEAR YOUR SAFETY GLASSES !


WEAR YOUR SAFETY GLASSES !


WEAR YOUR SAFETY GLASSES !

thx997303
11-30-2010, 12:48 AM
Don't squeeze hot jacketed bullets with vice grips either......

geargnasher
11-30-2010, 12:48 AM
Yes, thank God. God is the researcher at 3M that invented polycarbonate. The Angels are the ones that figured out how to make impact-resistant safety glasses out of it. Of course there is one more, the one sitting on your shoulder reminding you to actually put them on your face. Glad you weren't seriously hurt. If you make Felix lube it's good for burns, so is Emmert's. Or just use aloe and lanolin.

Gear

geargnasher
11-30-2010, 12:50 AM
Hey J.! You finally made 1,000 there!!!!![smilie=p::drinks:

Gear

Three44s
11-30-2010, 12:53 AM
Good news that your bad news was not worse!!!

Bless God and those safety glasses!!


Three 44s

chris in va
11-30-2010, 02:15 AM
I won't do anything hazardous without some sort of protective eyewear. I may have astigmatism, but they still work.

btroj
11-30-2010, 08:26 AM
Never hurries to have another warning. It is too easy to get complacent and lazy. I can't imagine not wearing glasses when cast or smelting.

Glad you were not hurt.

oldhickory
11-30-2010, 08:51 AM
I've had a few pot explosions too, and while painful, the splatters of lead never landed anywhere that couldn't heal quickly leaving only a scar to mark the event. The worst happened just as I was reaching for my welding gloves and...sssst-POP! 2 Fingers got burned only, but lead spattered all over. The second was me being dumb, taking my gloves off after a casting session and reloading the pot with ingots, (have no idea where the moisture came from, but it was there) a slight burn to one finger, a ruined shirt and pants.

While I was lucky and neither spattered lead near my face, glasses are always on, just in case. Been thinking about wearing a full-face grinding shield.

Dave davidson
11-30-2010, 09:12 AM
I'm not casting yet but am reading every day to learn. This one is an important educational one for me. I just saw an ad from Harbor Freight for a 3 piece set including leather apron, welders arm sleeves and gloves. Generally I don't worry about stuff but think I'd better on this one.

oldhickory
11-30-2010, 09:57 AM
I'm not casting yet but am reading every day to learn. This one is an important educational one for me. I just saw an ad from Harbor Freight for a 3 piece set including leather apron, welders arm sleeves and gloves. Generally I don't worry about stuff but think I'd better on this one.

Looks like you're a good learner. You'll do fine. Oh and, welcome aboard!

casterofboolits
11-30-2010, 10:20 AM
Thank goodness for your safety glasses and that you are OK.

I consider safty glasses, long sleeved shirts, a cap and gloves with the long cuff to be the minimum safety equipment for casting. I also use a denim shop apron when smelting. All have saved me from burns on numerous occasions! all learned from painful experience over 35 years of casting.

HORNET
11-30-2010, 11:58 AM
Safety gear is important, especially for critical areas. The tinsel fairy gives hazardous hugs...

leadman
11-30-2010, 12:04 PM
Glad you were not seriously injured. I check range scrap for solid jackets and cut them before putting them in the pot. Thankfully I don't have to melt much range scrap.

cbunt1
11-30-2010, 03:04 PM
While I was lucky and neither spattered lead near my face, glasses are always on, just in case. Been thinking about wearing a full-face grinding shield.

That's the route I went. I find it much more comfortable than the glasses/goggles, especially when I'm foolish enough to cast in 100+ degree Texas summers...

cbunt1
11-30-2010, 03:05 PM
The tinsel fairy gives hazardous hugs...

And fast...the splatter seems to be flying before you even hear the "POP"...

Charlie Two Tracks
11-30-2010, 06:34 PM
Thanks for the reminders. I need to keep hearing that. It is hard to realize just how hot 700 deg. really is. Twice as hot as a casserole in the oven. It really is hard to realize just how nasty that molten lead is. Looks pretty just sitting there shinning.

Blammer
11-30-2010, 07:07 PM
that silvery flowing molten mass is the sirens call if there ever was one. Many a man has been alured to her sweet call and paid the price for lack of PPE. (Personal Protective Equipment)

Glad YOU are NOT one of them!

stainless1911
11-30-2010, 08:40 PM
I just figured it would be a good reminder for people. :)

Tom W.
11-30-2010, 09:25 PM
There are numerous scars on my arms from when I had some wet babbitt pop in the pot I used when I worked in the sawmill, I imagine it held about 600 pounds of very hot babbitt that I poured several times a day.Never had it pop in my face there, but a novice did when he put a few wet plates into the pot. It ruined his safety glasses, and singed his hair pretty good, too.

1Shirt
12-01-2010, 12:44 AM
Got a tinsel fairy burn on my left foot about 2 1/2" long and an inch wide. Ended up in the burn unit, but avoided plastic surg. Don't ask, it was just a stupid mistake and very much a wake up call to avoid complacency.
1Shirt!:coffee:

Recluse
12-01-2010, 01:51 AM
I just figured it would be a good reminder for people. :)

You're right. Doesn't matter how long any of us has been doing this, complacency is our worst enemy.

Reminders are always welcome and always appropriate.

VERY glad you weren't hurt.

:coffee:

Cadillo
12-02-2010, 08:36 PM
Last week I was melting some range scrap. There were no live rounds in the batch as I had picked up and sorted each piece by hand, and it had been in the garage for about a month, so I doubt there was any water present. There were however a number of jacketed slugs in the batch.

I was melting it down in an old cast iron Dutch oven and thankfully had put the lid in place. About six minutes into the heating up, there was a loud pop and the lid blew nearly off the pot, rattling as it settled back down a bit cockeyed. No harm, no foul, but a lesson learned. In the future any melting of range scrap will be done under the cast iron lid.