Sore throat from casting?

[Muddydogs]

The last 3 days I have been fighting a sore throat and wonder if it’s from casting. The kids have been sick so it could very well be from them but it just seems that it is worse after I cast and I have been casting after work for the same 3 days. Does anyone else get this? I have a vent pipe with a heater booster fan sucking air off the top of the pot, I know it sucks as I can see the smoke off my stir stick getting sucked up the pipe when I pull it out of the pot. The reason I ask is I don’t feel bad I just have this raw sore throat.

[Triggernosis]

You're not drinking it are you?

[Moonie]

What are you fluxing with?

[BRobertson]

Exactly!!
Probably from breathing the fluxing smoke

I use a fan to keep the smoke out of my face

Bob

[newton]

I have wondered this myself sometimes. My throat is not so much sore, but it seems my lymph nodes swell up. I need to go get my levels checked I think.

[Muddydogs]

I flux the casting pot with a wood stick. When smelting I flux very heavy and figure that the ingots are about as clean as they can be so when I cast indoors I just stir the pot with wood and call it good. My slugs come out just as they should.

[RG1911]

A couple weeks ago, I smelted down a couple hundred pounds of COWW over a 2-day period. I also switched to sawdust for fluxing, which generated much more smoke than the beeswax I normally used. Even with the garage doors open, there wasn't sufficient air flow to quickly dissipate the smoke. I was sick for almost three days, and wouldn't be surprised if the smoke carried some lead.

Lesson learned. I now have a heavy-duty respirator.

Richard

[popper]

I flux with wood shavings, never noticed nearly as much smoke as when using wax. Sure you didn't use plywood or MDF sawdust? What is your pot temp?

[fredj338]

I wear a dust mask when casting, just for the flux smoke. You don't need to be breathing smoke of any kind.

[Iron Mike Golf]

Did you do any wheel weight smelting, too?

[RG1911]

I flux with wood shavings, never noticed nearly as much smoke as when using wax. Sure you didn't use plywood or MDF sawdust? What is your pot temp?

It actually is wood shavings that come packaged to be used for guinea pigs, hamsters, etc. Pot temp hovers around 700F, give or take some. I try to keep it closer to 650F, but don't always succeed.

Richard

[countryroads]

You're not drinking it are you?

Triggernosis, that's TFF!

[Alan in Vermont]

You're getting so excited over all them shiny new boolits that you're hyperventilating and that is drying your throat out.

[MtGun44]

Smoke is bad to breathe. Good ventilation is important for fluxing, a lot less important
for the mythical "lead vapors" which essentially do not exist at normal casting temps.

Bill

[runfiverun]

you have to have lead bubbling and boiling for the "fumes" to form up.

when i am smelting down dirty ww's i can taste the arsenic from them.
but the second go-round is nothing but dry heat.
and yes i do re-melt my ww ingots a second time,i just big batched 1600 lbs over the weekend.
and done another 200 lbs of soft lead yesterday.

i'd say you have a touch of inversion gungfoo going on.

[KYCaster]

You'll find some NASTY stuff in a bucket of WW. Oil, paint, plastic, rubber, adhesive, tobacco, brake fluid, snow melting chemicals and on and on and on.......

Lead should be the least of your concerns, but it's good to know your lead level, just to have something to compare future tests to.

Good ventilation and a respirator are essential....and not a particulate filter. A vapor filter is what you need...and change the filter element frequently.

Jerry

[opos]

Don't know if it might have any bearing here but treated wood that might be ground into chips or shavings can be really hard on a person's lungs...we had a neighbor that took an old fence down and they ground the wood into shavings and used for something in a fire environment (not sure what it was..may have been chips to act as kindling or to make smoke in a smoker...again, not sure)...just know there were several really sick folks as a result of it.

[detox]

There is a saying and it is very true in the medical field "You are worrying yourself sick". Never diagnose yourself...see a doctor to ease your mind.

[Fluxed]

I'd move outside for melting lead and make sure to position myself so that I don't breath anything coming off the pot.

[Muddydogs]

Well I cast last night and the throat feels better today so I must just be fighting something I picked up from the snot nosed grandkids. I realized last night that my throat gets dry while casting I'm sure from all the heat off the pot and the hot plate so I kept a bottle of water handy to keep things lubricated.