Badly Burned!!!

[mold maker]

And don't those singed hairs smell delicious???
I guess we've all made those mistakes that seem stupid in hindsight. I've made enough myself, but thank goodness, in almost every case, safety gear has saved my bacon. I do however have a short thumb, as a reminder of how close, is too close, to a saw blade.
Handling 700 degree lead without proper gear, is as dumb as, throwing your life preserver on the dock, before whitewater rafting. Sooner or later it will catch up with even you.

[omgb]

I hate the smell of burning flesh. I once had to clean up a tractor trailer full of cattle that crashed and was engulfed in gasoline from the farm truck it hit (had a huge storage tank on the back) Cattle were balling, burnt flesh was coming off in strips, the Highway Patrol was shooting burnt cattle left and right and the burnt blood, wound seepage and crud on the ground was awful. There was a greasy smoke that was sweet and stuck to clothes, glasses, everyting. I couldn't eat meet for several weeks. I hope I never experience anything like that again.

[dragonrider]

I have had my share of small insignificant burns caused by lead splatter nothing like what has been described in this thread, BUT I did once , no twice, get burned by boiling water. Worked in a yarn dyeing shop for a few years back 40 some odd years ago. It was a very wet place hence the boot of choice was rubber and open topped slip on. When one is dyeing yarn many times one needs boiling water and we boiled water in steel buckets by useing a steam hose, simply insert the hose into the water and open the valve to allow steam into the water, in a minute or two you have boilng water. One day while not paying attention I was getting some water up to boil and too much steam caused the boiling water to erupt out of the bucket and into my right boot, filled it right up. I jumped around, kicked off the boot and yanked off my sock and with it most of the skin on my foot. And while I was at the hospital getting fixed up my wife started labor for child number two that I did not find out about until I returned to the shop to get my car and go home. Pre cell phone days of course. The date was Friday, December 13, 1968. Almost a year later I did the same thing to my left foot.

[tacofrank]

I got careless and instead of easing an ingot in the pot with tongs I used my un-gloved fingers. I bumped the pot with my hand and the burn caused me the drop the ingot. Molten lead splashed on the back of my hand. Luckily I was water dropping my bullets and had a big bucket of cold water. Seems like I learn a lot of things the hard way.

[Longwood]

I don't recall the exact scenario but I will tell what I do remember.
I was re smelting some ingots that I had gotten from a friend, and from the first four new ingots, I took one with my tongs and sat it on the table in front of my smelting pot.
As I was working and doing things, I inadvertently picked up the hot ingot with a bare hand.
It did not take me long to inspect it and put it back down.
I was smelting so I did not have any water close so I lost a big callous and a couple of layers of new skin from my thumb and a couple of finger tips.

I am an old retired welder that knows better,,,, but,,,

[crabo]

I am an old retired welder that knows better,,,, but,,,

That's how I usually get burned welding. I pick something up where it is still hot.

[melter68]

Well across the pond here in england, we get burned too, i never learn.
will wear gloves from now on.

Funny thing is when the lead hits you, you always find a few choice words

[cal50]

After getting toasted in a motorcycle accident (exhaust pipe and bike laying on arm like branding iron) and going through skin grafts and the joy with it avoiding burns is something you can never emphasize enough. The broken bones did not even come close pain wise to being burned bad.

Always wear gloves and glasses and avoid distraction like other people, pets or kids.

[doctorggg]

I have only been casting since January 2012. Reading this whole thread has made me realize how careless and lucky I have been. Thanks to all who shared. It may save me a major burn someday.
Today I picked up a still somewhat hot lead thermometer by the stem after removing my gloves. I put it down rather quickly. Seeing the magnitude of lead burns has scared me. I will wear more protective gear from now on. Thanks again for all who shared and helped this newbie. Greg

[Lance Boyle]

If anyone gets burned by lead, get the burn under cold water FAST and keep pouring cold water on it for at least 1/2 hour. You might not even get a blister, only a scar.

I did this last night. I was in the house cooking though, I put a SS frying pan in a 500 degree oven to melt/brown the cheese on my chicken parm. I got the pan out with a pot holder and plated the cutlet. A couple inch chunk of my cutlet broke off in the pan when I plated. Not thinking I grabbed the spatula and grabbed the pan to get that last little bit of deliciousness but this time I neglected to get the pot holder when I grabbed the SS handle. My left hand has a red line across the palm and some very mild blisters on my ring and middle finger. I am suprised at how little damage I got the next morning.

I attribute this to plunging my hand in the sink within 2/3 seconds in a tupperware container that was filled with cold water. I ran about 15-20 minutes of cold water over the burns. I think that helped significantly. I had no raised blister last night, only got that after I took a shower this morning.

[sparky45]

I go straight for the ice, and keep the burn packed until the "burn" sensation goes down. Really helps.

[Dale53]

Lance is absolutely right. The cooking continues after the heat is removed. Running cold water on it, will definitely reduce the secondary cooking effect...

Dale53

[zidave]

I have not had molten lead touch my skin yet but I did burn myself pretty good.
It was my very first time attempting to melt range scrap for ingots and I had just stirred the pot some with my spoon and I heard someone yell so I took my attention off the spoon and the pot and somehow the spoon touched to my forearm. At the time it touched I thought just the tip of the spoon touched me and it wouldn't be that bad but I looked at it again a few hours later and it turns out the bottom of the spoon touched me. Burnt pretty good for a few hours then I had to get ready for work and got a hot shower. I let warm water run over it and it hurt like crazy but I gradually turned the temperature up until there was no more pain.
From then on it did not burn anymore.

Not sure why the warm and hot water made it not burn anymore but I'm not complaining.


This was probably 8 hours after it happened.

PS Don't mind the junk in my car

[mold maker]

It's proof that even a second of inattention can really hurt you. Glad it wasn't any worse. It has happened to all of us, or will in the future. That's where long selves and gloves come into play. And don't forget long jeans and closed top shoes. It doesn't matter where, it hurts.

[Smoke4320]

burn .. thats not a burn .. its a lesion learned
and a somewhat permenent reminder too

[sparkz]

Sean and I keep a Drinking bottle squirt type like 20oz near our boolit operation and if we did have issues squirt the spot to cool off fast ,, I am an industrial Electrician and I use to specialize in Heat treating furnace controls so learned if it dont need to be touched dont touch it,, But the water bottle does work and is easy to keep,, might add that tool to your operation



Patrick & Sean

[woodchuckc]

I have been making fishing sinkers for quite a few years and have just started my foray into casting boolits, so this topic has been very beneficial to remind me of the proper safety precautions. I have not had any incidents with molten lead in the past but this has been a good reminder of what to do and not do.

I have had my share of burns in the past - sometime I may relay the time I ended up in the burn unit at the hospital for a few days with facial and shoulder burns from a dumb incident with a can of black powder or when my bare calf got wedged between the front tire and exhaust pipe of one of the old 3-wheelers after a particularly spectacular stupid "watch this!" stunt in my youth.

[Psypher]

I'm glad someone shared such a story. I managed to grab a cooling puck of lead from the wrong end of the cooling line, with a bare hand. My wife has asked why I shut down my machine to add the loose lead from the top of my mold or bad fills. The OP's example is exactly why I take that step. I'd rather spend the money on another furnace than medical bills any day.

Thankfully, she's authorized me to install an overhead vent for my furnace to go out into the shed.

[Moonman]

Keep flushing a burn with COLD WATER for at least 1/2 hour.
The burn WILL CONTINUE TO BURN DEEPER FOR 48 HOURS.
This is what you're trying to slow down and stop.

Safety Glasses are a MUST, I wear a FULL FACE SHIELD also.

Cotton Clothing and NO SHORT SLEEVES, Dew Rag over ears too, Hat, Welder's Gloves,

and Welder's Leather Apron.

For those with LACE UP BOOTS, cover with your pants leg, AND NO SYNTHETIC LACES,

in an emergency the laces could MELT and leave you in a terrible fix.

If you think the above is too much trouble or sissified PLEASE JUST PURCHASE

your projectiles from a reputable caster, or GO VISIT A BURN CENTER ONCE and have a look around.

You may just hear the screams from someone in the water tank having dead skin brushed off and removed.

Better safe than sorry.

MOONMAN

[SSGOldfart]

Just in case you missed this excellent advice the first time. Large burns like this are serious business.

I'll just say the same as everyone has pointed out above what you need to do I live with just one hand trust me have it looked at,you don't want to lose a hand due to this burn. Take care