gloves or no gloves.

[frankenfab]

I always wear long welding gloves when smelting, but not when casting. I keep a pair of hemostats close by and feed my sprues back in to the pot while I let my mold cool down.

[Von Gruff]

I have never used gloves and never thought to use an apron although on reflection I have one in my workshop any may bring it to the casting shed because many of my shirts have splash marks on them. I have been known to ruin a good shirt because I only want to try something out and neglect to change into my older gear. I wear glasses so eyes are protected.
Will re-think my aproach to safety gear as I seem to be getting a bit less 'gung-ho' as I get older.

Timely poll and hope it gives others pause for thought as it has done for me.

Von Gruff.

[nwellons]

I'm new and have only cast 5 or 6 times. I have not found gloves that I like for casting but do use safety glasses that fit over my reading glasses.

For smelting, I use welding gloves and a face shield.

[plainsman456]

I use a pair of deer skin gloves.
All it takes is a small amount of lead to get you to wear some.
I have a scar on my left wrist that is a constant reminder.

[Three-Fifty-Seven]

I wear gloves while dealing with molten lead.

[handyman25]

I have had 2nd and 3rd dergree burns, it hurts, wear gloves.

[bearcove]

I'm a welder, I've burned up hundreds of pairs of gloves.

Hat, Glasses, long sleeves, usually a green welding shirt, jeans and, slip on boots.

The worst burn I've seen has been because of lace up boots. Guy was cutting and a BIG blob of slag landed on his boot right on top of the laces. Couldn't get the boot off cause the slag hardened on the boot. 10 years ago and he still limps. Slip on boots and metal just rolls off.

[Fire_stick]

Gloves for me.
And after reading bearcove's post I am replacing my lace-up steel toes with slip on steel toe boots!
I was really looking for an excuse...

[10 ga]

Safety, first thing before you hunt, smelt or cast! Gloves, glasses, headcover, slip on steel toe boots, long pants usually carhartt, and I use channel locks to handle the sprues back to the pot when casting. I use 3 pair of welders gloves, when one pair gets too hot set aside to cool and use another pair. I stop if someone comes up when I'm smelting or casting as distractions can be dangerous. 10 ga

[Longwood]

I'm a welder, I've burned up hundreds of pairs of gloves.

Hat, Glasses, long sleeves, usually a green welding shirt, jeans and, slip on boots.

The worst burn I've seen has been because of lace up boots. Guy was cutting and a BIG blob of slag landed on his boot right on top of the laces. Couldn't get the boot off cause the slag hardened on the boot. 10 years ago and he still limps. Slip on boots and metal just rolls off.

I used to be a welder also. The worst burn I ever saw was when a guy was using a burning table and a big blob of slag built up on one of the supports then dropped into the top of his boot. I saw the wound about a week later and there was about a 1/2" thick piece of flesh missing. I bet he always made sure his pants were over the tops of his boots after that.
Long pants, long sleeved shirt, reading glasses, low topped tennies but no gloves for me.
When I weld, I use one on my left hand only.

[dromia]

No gloves, I used to but as my arthritis gets worse I can't grip things with gloves on any longer.

There are always gloves to hand for when I do need to touch the mould etc.

Protection is good but now I must run the risk or only cast for a few minutes at a time. As it is I can barely manage 45 minutes sessions now, so I choose to make my hands vulnerable.

The rest of me is well covered and eye protection is always worn.

[Tracy]

No gloves. Eye protection, boots, natural fibers (jeans, cotton shirt) but no gloves or apron.
Gloves are clumsy. Also, I agree with some advice I read in a blacksmithing book to NOT wear gloves because they cause more burns than they prevent. The cuffs can catch hot slag (or lead) and hold it next to your skin, and with gloves you are tempted to pick up stuff that is no longer red (or never gets red, in casting) but can still burn you through your gloves. I can't imagine anything getting that hot from casting, but I have seen metal while blacksmithing that looks cool but will burn through leather gloves in an instant.
In bullet casting you can get away with that false sense of security. In blacksmithing, it will eventually catch up with you.

[Daywalker]

I do wear gloves. I open the spru plate with my hands as well. Now in my vid, I had not had on full PPE, however, when I am in full swing I do wear eye protection, boots and other protective clothing.

I have been in the mind set, if other parts of my body is worth wearing PPE, then why would I even think about skimping on something as important as my hands?? You will always need your hands as well as your other parts....IMO

[Johnw...ski]

No gloves, short sleeve shirt, shorts, flip flops. Smelting is another matter.

John

[Bret4207]

No gloves, no apron, no steel toed boots and very rarely do I remember to put on the safety glasses. That'll be fixed soon because I simply HAVE to start wearing glasses to see anything within a couple feet of me. Freakin' world has gone blurry!!! I've gotten a few small burns but nothing that even required ointment or anything. I get far worse when I'm welding or brazing. So I also don;t use my hand to open the sprue plate, the light rawhide mallet has been working very nicely with zero damage to my moulds since 1978.

FWIW- I cast standing. To me casting from a sitting position sounds like walking through a mine field. I can't imagine sitting and casting. I even tried a counter stool, can't do it.

[btroj]

I am like Bret. No gloves, cast standing. glasses always.
Sprue go into a pile next to the pot. They get added the next time I want to cast as 1 pot out of the RCBS is enough at one time for me.
I have gotten a few small burns on my hands from a dripping spout but nothing worse. I like to add cold lead to an almost empty cold pot and turn it on. I will then add more cold sprue with a spoon as the lead melts and room opens at the top of the pot for more.

[44 WCF]

I use a terry cloth heat resistant glove used in some types of welding, this very comfortable and yeat stay cools without hands sweating. I also use Kevlar sleeve on both arms for years and recently Tyvek thermal diposable sleeve. I also wear shop apron when I'm casting. I was taught these practices by a caster near Dead Wood South Dakota years ago. He worked at Homestake mining Company at Lead just few miles from Deadwood. This genlteman worked in some type of foundry or smelter at the mill. Hand and arm protection is just same a eye protection, you need to wear it only those times when molten metal is going to come in contact with your skin. So if you can figure out those times when you need, don't waste your time with glasses or gloves when you don't,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

[firefly1957]

I am a slow learner sometimes I do not put gloves on at beginning but always have them on by end of casting session. Also some times were cotton gloves it reduces heat to hands but are not proper for task.

[Doby45]

I use a single glove on my right hand for manipulating the sprue plate. I wear whatever I am wearing at the time.

[ReloaderFred]

In my shop gloves, eye protection and long sleeves are mandatory (I'm the whole crew). I cast for appoximately 7 hours yesterday and I can't imagine being around molten lead for that long without gloves.

I cast sitting down, using a Magma Master Caster for most of my casting. If I need a bullet that I don't have a mold for the Master Caster, then I'll use one of my other bottom pour pots, also sitting down.

After casting for the past 42 years, I've got a healthy of respect for molten metal. Years ago, there were still lead splatters on the ceiling of the garage when I sold the house I lived in at the time. You never know when it's going to happen, but when it does, it's best to have planned for it. Better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it.....

Hope this helps.

Fred