Casting indoors?

[kmw1954]

Winter is coming of course and casting outside in the snow just doesn't appeal to me.

My reloading room is in an upstairs room with a double hung window that I could set up and use as an exhaust means. So my thinking is a bench in front of the window for the electric pot and building a powered vented hood to go over the pot. Is this possible? I can fit a plywood panel in the top opening of the window with either solid or flexible ducting with a fan to pull the air out.

Thought, ideas, suggestions?

[rbt5050]

as long as you have a good venting system. I would want to make sure all the fumes are going out the window.

[bmortell]

it probably try to do it like they do in chemistry with a vent hood, they do very toxic reactions indoors safely. basically make a rectangle box that's open on the front face enough that you can reach and see in, then the warmer toxic air rises in the box and get pulled out ventilation in the top.

idk if that's what you were describing but that could work ya. you would want it to be enclosed apart from where you reach in or I wouldn't trust it.

[bmortell]

also make sure the pot is fixed down, 10 pounds of liquid lead spilling in the house could be the end of the house

[dikman]

That should work fine. Assuming your ingots are clean (which is all you should use in a pot) then the only fumes you need to worry about are if you flux the pot.

[kmw1954]

What I am picturing is a pyramid shaped hood covering larger than the work surface with enough clearance over the top of the pot to be able to watch the pot and add material when needed and use a ladle. I imagine a fan would be needed to add enough draw to pull the fumes and smoke up into the hood where it can be exhausted to the exterior of the house.

Something along the lines and design of a small fireplace to contain the pot.

[Rcmaveric]

There are ways to cast safely indoors. You can cast in the fire place. I honestly haven't noticed much of any fumes coming drom a clean pot. So I just cast next tona cracked window. Fluxing is when the vent is needed. I steel the wifes smell good candles to prevent conflict when fluxing indoors. Borax works well as a fume and smoke free flux.

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

[Ickisrulz]

Airborne lead should not be a concern. Melted lead doesn't produce fumes until it's over 900 degrees Fahrenheit. Smoke produced by fluxing should be removed, of course.

I cast in a shed and have no problems getting rid of the fluxing smoke by opening a door for a couple minutes.

The big problem with lead is eating the stuff. Therefore, do not eat, drink or smoke in the casting area. Wash your hands after a session and change your clothes.

[dverna]

Get an old stove hood and modify it as needed. They have a small fan to vent. Make a panel you can put in the open window with a hole and piping for the vent pipe.

Good warning from bmortell about making sure the pot cannot overturn and spill hot lead. I would still have a decent sized fire extinguisher handy. It will not do much on the lead but addresses stuff that starts burring. Maybe have a 5 gallon pail of water to pour on lead if it gets away from you.

[Bazoo]

Here is my setup, except I don't have the riser now and use a lee magnum melter instead of the 10 pound bottom dripper.

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/show...ion-in-my-shop

[HeavyMetal]

The guys have all mentioned good points but one: your going to have an "open" window in snowy cold winter, it will get real cold in that room so you might want a secondary heater just for that room. Central heat will be OK for the rest of the house but making the casting room comfortable might get the rest of the home sweltering hot which might get SWAMBO on your back, something to be avoided at all times!

Unless your single then all ben are off.

HM

[SSGOldfart]

Here is my setup, except I don't have the riser now and use a lee magnum melter instead of the 10 pound bottom dripper.

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/show...ion-in-my-shop

Wow we think alike. I cast in my den for 20 years,before somebody told me I should have a fan set-up,so out came a box window fan. After Retiring I built a shop for loading and moved my casting into the garage/ I still enjoy casting on my deck when the weather is nice. So yes casting inside is okay in my book.

[MOA]

My summer casting location. Inside.





My winter location. Outside.

[Bazoo]

I did forget to mention, I have a wood stove for heat.

[Ickisrulz]

My summer casting location. Inside.





My winter location. Outside.

I wouldn't recommend casting in an area where food is prepared.

[kmw1954]

Thanks for the responses. I tried using Paint to draw a visual picture of what I'm thinking but scrapped it as my drawing skills leave much to be desired!

Understand the spill threat and a metal catch pan is planed for under the pot. What I envision is a three sided enclosure with a hood that has a power, fan vented duct. The window can be opened from the top as can the storm window and then fitted with an insulated wood panel and then sealed. The upstairs is zone heated and mostly turned off or way down during the winter and the room I use has a door to close it off and yes I do keep an oil filled radiator heater in there that warms the room quickly. It is actually more efficient than trying to keep the whole upstairs heated.

The smoke from fluxing is my biggest concern.

[Bazoo]

Keep in mind flux bursts into flames, my fan has soot from flux flames. Just my box fan on medium is enough draft. I was unsure if it would sufficient and had thought about making a hood out of cardboard and using an exhaust fan I have. The box fan gets used elsewhere in the shop when I'm not casting.

[kmw1954]

Believe I will give this more thought and work on dimensions as right now I'm still looking at electric furnaces, whether a bottom pour or a ladle pot will alter measurements.

[Tom W.]

When I lived in Eufaula I had a dedicated room for my computer and my handloading. When I wanted to cast I put a box fan in the window similar to what Bazoo did, but I cast on my loading bench and the window was a few feet to my left. The fan still drew the smell and any smoke and stuff outside. My current shed has a portable floor model a/c that draws out the hot air and cools the building
( but not so well in the last two months! ) and if I need to I'll open the window behind the pot.

[georgerkahn]

For several years I cast indoors, under a kitchen range hood vented through the wall, supplemented by a floor box fan, with me between box fan and range hood. I experienced no problems. (Had we not "remodeled", with my "disgusting habits" (including the smelly pot) being delegated to garage... I'd probably still be using it. The range hood was a garage-sale Sears', with its only "problem" being its color -- avocado -- which the lady from whence it came no longer cared for.
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