Loading bench pics

[Chunky Monkey]

Here's what i came up with. It's certainly not a professional installation and i did this in like 25 minutes, but it works. I hung it with nail in romex straps and big tie wraps. I am going to have to insulate the window and i gotta wire the fan to a switch yet. I wasn't sure if the fan would have enough power with that much duct in front of it, but it turns out it does. When i'm done casting i just put the duct on top of the light so its out of the way.

Very nice ~ can I ask where got the fan and how much it ran you? Looking for something similar.

[cja245]

Very nice ~ can I ask where got the fan and how much it ran you? Looking for something similar.

Its an 8 inch in line fan from Menards. I believe it was $36. They sell smaller ones, but i picked the 8 inch because it had a much higher CFM rating. Its in the ducting aisle. All the fittings and duct that I used were in the same aisle. I believe Home Depot and Lowes have the same fans.

Good luck. It was actually a pretty easy project.

[WilliamDahl]

Its an 8 inch in line fan from Menards. I believe it was $36. They sell smaller ones, but i picked the 8 inch because it had a much higher CFM rating. Its in the ducting aisle. All the fittings and duct that I used were in the same aisle. I believe Home Depot and Lowes have the same fans.

Good luck. It was actually a pretty easy project.

I've seen home chemists use the inline fan and ducting to create their own fume hoods.

NO, I'm not talking about illegal drug manufacturers... There are some people for whom Chemistry is a hobby, not just an occupation.

As far as I'm concerned, if you are going to be doing a lot of casting indoors, you really should consider building yourself a fume hood.

[Chunky Monkey]

Its an 8 inch in line fan from Menards. I believe it was $36. They sell smaller ones, but i picked the 8 inch because it had a much higher CFM rating. Its in the ducting aisle. All the fittings and duct that I used were in the same aisle. I believe Home Depot and Lowes have the same fans.

Good luck. It was actually a pretty easy project.

Thanks ~ what is the CFM rating on yours? Sorry to be a pain. I currently have fairly decent set up but looking to improve on it.

[mold maker]

It's not the cfm that matters, it's collecting all the fumes as close to the source as possible. That fan set up certainly does that.

[WilliamDahl]

It's not the cfm that matters, it's collecting all the fumes as close to the source as possible. That fan set up certainly does that.

A casting pot like that should not be producing any lead fumes. It might be producing some fumes from whatever you are using for flux, but not from the lead itself. That type of casting pot is not going to be getting the temperature of the lead anywhere close to the boiling point of lead, so no lead vapors are going to be produced.

Now, *smelting* definitely needs good ventilation since there is a lot of oil and junk that needs to burn off that was on the wheel weights or whatever you are using as your raw "ore". Considering the flare ups and fire hazard, I prefer to do my smelting outside without anything even remotely flammable above or anywhere near me.

[Catshooter]

Nope, never mind, I don't think I want to post that after all. So it's gone.


Cat

[bulet shotter]

OK,you guys made my day. I thought that I had a cluttered reloading bench,BUT I see that there are a lot of guys out there with some cleaning issues. I use to think that I was messy but there are some. Well anyway,I take some time every week just to clean my reloading bench.Just take an hour and a trash bag and you will not believe how clean you can get it. Jerry

[mxjunky78]

Here's my little nook. Been reloading for about 2yrs.

[WilliamDahl]

OK,you guys made my day. I thought that I had a cluttered reloading bench,BUT I see that there are a lot of guys out there with some cleaning issues. I use to think that I was messy but there are some. Well anyway,I take some time every week just to clean my reloading bench.Just take an hour and a trash bag and you will not believe how clean you can get it.

"A clean desk is the sign of an empty mind"

[Vinne]

MX, I see you drink lots of coffee like I do...The cans make for great storage!!!

[WilliamDahl]

MX, I see you drink lots of coffee like I do...The cans make for great storage!!!

Yeah, but it's too bad that they don't put *good* coffee in those types of containers...

[mxjunky78]

Not so much all the coffee I drink. I get them from my pops and neighbors. They work great.

[max it]

HI, my blood lead level reached 20 a few months ago. i stopped smelting and casting then. next drs. visit should give me he results of recent bll tests. if it is near normal of 10 max i will cast more. if not wait another 6 mos. a real pain. but NOT so bad as the pain of chelatin therapy, or worse. after reading all the gun forums on lead i am taking seriously all recommendations to ventilation. you all should do same.
and
keep your powder dry,
max

[WilliamDahl]

HI, my blood lead level reached 20 a few months ago. i stopped smelting and casting then. next drs. visit should give me he results of recent bll tests. if it is near normal of 10 max i will cast more. if not wait another 6 mos. a real pain. but NOT so bad as the pain of chelatin therapy, or worse. after reading all the gun forums on lead i am taking seriously all recommendations to ventilation. you all should do same.

I have to wonder what you are doing differently than the people who cast for years and never get an elevated lead level in their blood...

[LAH]

I have to wonder what you are doing differently than the people who cast for years and never get an elevated lead level in their blood...

I wonder also. Been at it since '73 & hard at it over the last 12 years & I'm just under normal.

[geargnasher]

Gear likes! I don't see the redneck joke at all, improvisation and re-purposing is half of what bullet casters do by definition.

One point of interest: For ONCE, a reloading room project employing duct tape actually has the tape being used for it's intended purpose, which is pretty amazing in itself.

Gear

[geargnasher]

I have to wonder what you are doing differently than the people who cast for years and never get an elevated lead level in their blood...

Shooting at an indoor range, using Chinese ceramic dishes/coffee cups in the microwave, breathing vibratory case tumbler dust, or just being very sloppy with hand/mouth hygiene when handling reloading stuff seems to be the top causes outside of industrial contamination. Most people here that work with lead professionally (like at a battery plant) report low blood lead levels.

Gear

[max it]

I have to wonder what you are doing differently than the people who cast for years and never get an elevated lead level in their blood...

HI Will,
Casting schedule; 1, Moved in to garage when it got to hot in sun to cast outdoors. Opened bay door, and side door and ran large fan.
2, dropped face mask issue.
3, quit washing clothes and taking good face bath ( I do use D-Lead soap from Dillon's).
4, smelting outdoors with no face mask.
5, no gloves or mask while loading cast boolits.
6, getting older, taking all sorts of meds (does this count? )
7, shooting a lot at indoor range (they say, their vent system is the one OSHA points to as done correctly.) And not washing face, beard, hands enough.
8, p.s. most casters and shooters never get tested, and since we are mostly unique sub-set anyway who knows if we got this way from lead )

Six month check up end of month, stay tuned.

[geargnasher]

I'd bet the farm it's the range based on what so many here have said from experience, I don't care what they say OSHA thinks about them. Lead doesn't just jump onto your face from the reloading or casting bench unless you stick your fingers in your mouth, take off pen caps with your teeth, re-contaminate your hands after washing up via doorknobs/coffee cup handles, keyboards etc., or huff sweeping dust around the casting/loading/case tumbling area. It doesn't take more than a few minutes of breathing air contaminated with lead primer residue to raise blood lead levels.

Gear