Casting several days in a row, health concern?

[psychbiker]

I have the summers off (word in education) and aside from procastinating on a small artificual grass and trench project, I've got the garage clean and enough done that I can cast again, been about 2 years

I broke in a new Arsenal 200gr 40sw mold. Thing was dropping perfect .403 after the 2nd fill, unreal. I have a couple other NOE molds and I want to get going on and could certainly cast an hour a 2 a day this entire week. My question is the health factor in that. Is that too much too close together?

I cast in the garage with a box fan and garage door up half way blowing out. I wear a 3m respirator and face shield and gloves. I was thinking about setting up in the backyard and casting until the sun gets too hot BUT it's a small 15x30 backyard shared with my dogs. Even I make sure no lead falls on the ground, I'm not sure how safe that is to cast near them.

I'd like to cast as much as possible before the school year starts because once it does I'm pretty swamped.

[tazman]

The setup you describe poses no health risks to you or anyone near you. Actually, you could do without the respirator since you have the fan blowing away from you.
That should easily provide enough air movement to protect you.
Cast all you want to.

[Wheelguns 1961]

You’re good as long as you don’t die from heat stroke!

[Winger Ed.]

You're good, just be sure to stay out of the air flow coming off of the pot.
The big issue is handling lead bare handed, or breathing the fumes.

I used to know a guy that worked at the old Dallas Lead Plant.
He told me the Lead won't start making vapors come off until it hits about 1200 F.

But, there's usually all sorts of other evil spirits in with it that are at least as harmful as the Lead itself.

[kevin c]

Wear gloves and a cover garment so you have minimal exposed skin. Don't eat, drink or smoke while casting. Don't touch your face. Stay out of any smoke coming off the pot (I've been advised by professionals knowledgable in lead toxicity that, while it's true that pure molten lead at the temps we work with it does not vaporize significantly, smoke from the stuff that burns in or on top of it is made of particulates that can carry microscopic amounts of the solid metal into the air to deposit on any surface, including the insides of our lungs as we inhale), or wear a respirator. Wash up well afterwards. Be aware that your clothes and foot wear can carry lead into another place and can get into you there even though you're not anywhere near the casting area.

All those things reduce your risk of lead contamination and lead incorporation into your body. The more you do the less risk, but there definitely is more hassle, inconvenience and discomfort. It's hard to say where the point of diminishing returns lies, as that depends on what the individual wants safety wise, what they can tolerate in terms of precautions, and how the lead may actually affect them or their household.

Lead toxicity effects are most obvious and concerning (because they can by long lasting or permanent) in children. In adults they can be more subtle and can vary from person to person, though generally the higher lead levels are associated with stronger symptoms. Officially there is no level of lead in the body that is considered safe, but my brief review of the literature didn't describe what effects could be expected or measured at the low end.

My nonexpert comment on the situation you describe is that, done in widely separated or closely spaced sessions, if the total hours casting and the conditions were the same, your exposure is the same either way. It's true that lead levels can fall if there is no exposure for an extended period, so that periodic exposure with intervals between in which the lead levels drop may have lower levels than a lot of persistent exposure with no breaks, but there isn't an easy formula that says how much for how long and how long breaks should be, because each situation varies in the amount and duration of exposure, what and how well precautions are taken against it, how much the individual will take in with the exposure, how it affects them and how fast they can clear what they take in.

What can be said is that if you can take the related anecdotes I've read here at face value, the proper precautions can keep levels normal even for lead foundry workers.

For me, if I take the precautions described above, I am personally comfortable with processing lead scrap in the range of tons per year, casting 20-30K boolits per year, usually in marathon sessions of ten thousand a batch over one or two weeks, and getting annual lead levels that, while not zero, are not rising. I attribute my occasional absentmindedness to the insidious effects of age, not to my hobby. It is my opinion that for just about all of us on this forum, including me, the most common lead injury is a burn, not poisoning.

You, of course, should consider carefully whatever advice and information offered here and from whatever other reliable source you deem necessary, and decide what is right for you.

[cwlongshot]

I wish I could...
Heat here has been bumping double digits and its simply too oppressive.

I did cast for a short time Sat & Sun am from 05:00-07:30. Was good

CW

[lightman]

If you practice good personal hygiene I see no problem. Like the others said, no eating or drinking, don't rub your eyes, nose or bite your fingernails. Wash your hands before you go to the restroom. You'll be fine.

[mdi]

Your alloy shouldn't get hot enough to emit any toxic fumes, just the smoke from fluxing should be avoided. You don't need to cast in a wind tunnel and unless you do your deep breathing exercises with your face over your pot, you'll be OK. Use as many PPDs as you are comfortable with (I dislike gloves but some like welder's gauntlets. I don't wear a leather apron some do. I do wear shoes, jeans and often a long sleeve shirt, but it's been quite a while since I got any splashes), and some get in my way and cause more trouble than going without...

[wyofool]

Something I have done and many here have also done is "Get a blood test for lead". That will give you a base line then test again in a year. Then decide if you should be doing something different. My guess: you won't have a problem given your precautions.

[dwtim]

You described my set-up for the last 12 years. Before that, I cast on the back porch. I stopped doing it outside because of sunburn, bugs and rainstorms. Also the concrete floor is much easier to clean, and is fireproof. I prefer early Spring and late Fall, but I got sidetracked, so now I am making myself miserable in the 100-degree heat as punishment for sloth.

Health/safety? You probably already know these: Remember to wear cotton or other non-synthetics. Wear a hat to keep "tinsel" out of your hair. Wear full-protection googles. Wear thick non-synthetic gloves. Don't put your face over the pot, especially if you're sweaty. (Guess who got splattered in the face with molten lead from water in the pot?) Wear leather boots.

[bigdog454]

I'vebeen casting for over 55 years. Things I learned, cast on a cool day, don't melt large amounts of lead to cast bullets, don't wear loose shoes, a hot chunk of lead in a loose fitting boot wil ruin the day, cast in a area with air movement or a garage with a open door for circulation. I was tested for lead poison about a year ago, NO SIGNS of it. as others have stated, don't get lead too hot. when it gets too hot thats when you get lead fumes in the air.
BD

[RED BEAR]

You're good, just be sure to stay out of the air flow coming off of the pot.
The big issue is handling lead bare handed, or breathing the fumes.

I used to know a guy that worked at the old Dallas Lead Plant.
He told me the Lead won't start making vapors come off until it hits about 1200 F.

But, there's usually all sorts of other evil spirits in with it that are at least as harmful as the Lead itself.

The only fumes you get off a lead pot are from fluxing your right the lead just doesn't get hot enough.

[Geezer in NH]

Don't eat. Smoke, drink anything when casting. If very worried don't lick your fingers ever or pick your nose.

I am 67 casting for over 50+ years blood level is 3. No worries.

[georgerkahn]

Pretty much all I'd wish to remark has been aptly voiced by other posters. My "addition" is that my casting set-up sounds exactly the same as you have. In mine, a few years ago, I came across an el cheapo box fan -- the one which sits on floor, and is about 22" square; three speed. Wife found it in cellar, and brought it out with question vis garage sale OR garbage? For kicks, I turned it on, blowing out, about four feet in front of door opening -- YES -- outside. It makes a remarkable difference, most noticeable when fluxing. Kind of like a race car gets the suction of car ahead of it, I suspect the physics are similar. In any case, if you're really OCD (like me ) -- you may wish to try an outboard fan, ahead of your setup.
geo