Tinsel fairy got me!! I'm OK

[Patrick L]

It's always us experienced guys, we think we know it all.

Decided to spend some of the isolation casting. I sometimes use old cast boolits that I'm NOT going to load and shoot to flux the pot. The lube serves as a little flux and you reclaim the lead. I've been doing it for years.

Anyhow, I dropped one in the pot (Lee 20# bottom pour) and started to stir when POOF the fumes ignited. I often light the fumes, but I've never had one just go spontaneously. Well, it startled me and I jerked, pulling a spoon of alloy out. It splashed all over, including a few spots on my pants. Fortunately I was able to pull the fabric away fast, and most of it was on vertical surfaces, so I was OK. I do have 1 patch about the size of a half dollar right on the top of my left thigh, and a tiny one inside the right thigh.

So be alert! You really can be taken by surprise and you really don't know it all, regardless of years spent casting.


Here's what the fairy left me


Be careful!

[slim1836]

Sorry to hear, glad you were ok.

It's not a question of if, but when. BE PREPARED.

sLIM

[brass410]

nasty little surprises remind us of our ability to become complacent, hoping molten tattoos were not to deep and will heal up fast for ya, you cant be too carefull with the the molten wonder of velocity.

[WILCO]

Glad you're okay!

[cupajoe]

Seems Murphy is always in the shadows just waiting!!

[Winger Ed.]

Glad you're OK.

Last time it happened to me, my safety glasses looked like Beaufort T. Justice's sunglasses.
I got my jacket into the trash before the wife asked me questions I didn't want to answer.
The 3" scar on top of my hand is fading right in with all the welding splatter burns.

And I decorated the ceiling in the shop.

[bikerbeans]

I always put lubed and PC boolits in a cold pot, turn it on and stay away until it is up to temp. Found out the hard way with a HB Minie ball that had lube in the cavity.

BB

[nun2kute]

good thing nothing went down your boot/shoe. I got a nice cherry size scar on the arch of my left foot from torch splatter. don't want to know what lead will do.

[lightman]

Glad you were not injured more seriously. I'm another that does like you, melting lubed bullets. But I slip them in with a spoon and have a BBQ lighter ready in the other hand. Stay on top of those burns and watch for infections.

[Valley-Shooter]

I always put lubed and PC boolits in a cold pot, turn it on and stay away until it is up to temp. Found out the hard way with a HB Minie ball that had lube in the cavity.

BB

I always save the lubed boolits for fluxing. I'm on high alert when I'm fluxing.

Sent from my Pixel 4 XL using Tapatalk

[Scorpius]

It's always us experienced guys, we think we know it all.

Decided to spend some of the isolation casting. I sometimes use old cast boolits that I'm NOT going to load and shoot to flux the pot. The lube serves as a little flux and you reclaim the lead. I've been doing it for years.

Anyhow, I dropped one in the pot (Lee 20# bottom pour) and started to stir when POOF the fumes ignited. I often light the fumes, but I've never had one just go spontaneously. Well, it startled me and I jerked, pulling a spoon of alloy out. It splashed all over, including a few spots on my pants. Fortunately I was able to pull the fabric away fast, and most of it was on vertical surfaces, so I was OK. I do have 1 patch about the size of a half dollar right on the top of my left thigh, and a tiny one inside the right thigh.

So be alert! You really can be taken by surprise and you really don't know it all, regardless of years spent casting.

Same darn thing to me. Flamed up startled me and now I have a nice silver dollar sized scar on my foot to remind me. 1. No flip flops (yea really dumb I know) 2. Expect flare up and don’t be jumpy when fluxing or just don’t stir for a good few minutes.
Hurt like the dickens

[Martin Luber]

Here's one, had a batch of backstop load in a large pot. As I was fluxing it, l got a hard whack and felt a thump through the bench. Lead heaved up and went back down. Someone threw a Live 22 in the backstop. Now I don't shovel it in by bulk.

[44Blam]

Here's one, had a batch of backstop load in a large pot. As I was fluxing it, l got a hard whack and felt a thump through the bench. Lead heaved up and went back down. Someone threw a Live 22 in the backstop. Now I don't shovel it in by bulk.

I shoot a couple matches / month in an indoor range. Unless I'm shooting revolver, I stick around to get my brass back. There is almost always 5-10 live rounds of various calibers left over... If they are factory and a caliber I can use, I keep 'em... But I imagine that the occasional round gets swept up into the backstop.

[2A-Jay]

Neve had a Tinsel Fairy yet. I have only been smelting lead for about 4 years, and casting Bullets for about 2. I had never heard or been warned about the Tinsel Fairy until I joined Cast Boolits. But I Have worn a Full length Leather Apron and Full Face Mask and leather glovessince I started Smelting. Still I hope to Never Meet the Tinsel Fairy.

[Thin Man]

Years ago I had a narrow bench in a small, crowded room where I loaded ammo. Among my "finds" was a single round of .357 Magnum loaded ammo that I displayed on a shelf above the bench. It was odd from having a large primer pocket. Came the day I was casting and somehow that loaded round dropped into the furnace. The Tinsel Fairy, along with her sisters and cousins, came for a visit. Since then we have moved and I have more room on a larger work bench. You can be sure there is no loaded ammo anywhere near the furnace.

[brass410]

Years ago I had a narrow bench in a small, crowded room where I loaded ammo. Among my "finds" was a single round of .357 Magnum loaded ammo that I displayed on a shelf above the bench. It was odd from having a large primer pocket. Came the day I was casting and somehow that loaded round dropped into the furnace. The Tinsel Fairy, along with her sisters and cousins, came for a visit. Since then we have moved and I have more room on a larger work bench. You can be sure there is no loaded ammo anywhere near the furnace.

I bet that was quite a homecoming for the fairy

[gwpercle]

Neve had a Tinsel Fairy yet. I have only been smelting lead for about 4 years, and casting Bullets for about 2. I had never heard or been warned about the Tinsel Fairy until I joined Cast Boolits. But I Have worn a Full length Leather Apron and Full Face Mask and leather glovessince I started Smelting. Still I hope to Never Meet the Tinsel Fairy.

Before your time there used to be held an annual Blindfolded Naked Casting Contest . It was open to new casting members . The one who could cast the most boolits in 5 minutes won the grand prize ... A Cast Boolits T-Shirt and An Aloe Vera Plant ...
Lots of fun to watch ... not sure why they don't have them any longer

Could be the new guys are smarter than us and they wear the protective gear like you do ...
I never even thought about wearing gloves until a few years ago ... use the safety gear and spread the word , it can save you a few burns .
Gary

[Patrick L]

I thought I'd show you this. Its my vented exhaust casting cabinet. I posted it years ago under the"Reloading Bench Pictures" thread. I just put it here now to show you the front shield



It might be hard to see, but the front of the cabinet has a plexiglass "garage door" that puts a clear barrier between my face and the pot. Pots actually, since I later added a second "feeder pot" above the main casting pot



But obviously not foolproof, hence my original post! The splash came out low, out the open 6-7 inches I have the door set at to get my hands in, and that's how I got my thigh.

[elmacgyver0]

It's always us experienced guys, we think we know it all.

Decided to spend some of the isolation casting. I sometimes use old cast boolits that I'm NOT going to load and shoot to flux the pot. The lube serves as a little flux and you reclaim the lead. I've been doing it for years.

Anyhow, I dropped one in the pot (Lee 20# bottom pour) and started to stir when POOF the fumes ignited. I often light the fumes, but I've never had one just go spontaneously. Well, it startled me and I jerked, pulling a spoon of alloy out. It splashed all over, including a few spots on my pants. Fortunately I was able to pull the fabric away fast, and most of it was on vertical surfaces, so I was OK. I do have 1 patch about the size of a half dollar right on the top of my left thigh, and a tiny one inside the right thigh.

So be alert! You really can be taken by surprise and you really don't know it all, regardless of years spent casting.

Don't cha just hate it when that happens?

[Teddy (punchie)]

Be glad that you didn't get burned too bad. Don't need a trip at this time to hospital. Be safe.