10% chance or rain...to smelt or not to smelt?

[theTastyCat]

Hey all - it's nice and cool here in Tennessee, and before we know it it'll be hotter than Daisy Duke, so I'd like to do some smelting today. However, there's a 10% chance of rain - is this sheer suicide? It seems like a raindrop could invite the Tinsel Hag...anybody got any experience?

Thanks a lot.

[leadman]

I have smelted in the rain. The pot is not a problem, the rain boils off if it is not heavy. You do have to keep the water out of your ingot molds.
I have cast iron molds and if they were just just damp, no pooled water I would slowly pour in a little hot lead to boil off the water.

It is better to keep the ingot molds out of the rain.

[Muddy Creek Sam]

Pot lids are a Must.

Sam :D

[plainsman456]

Around here if the weather guy said that I would go ahead and smelt.
The only thing they get right here is the damm wind and the blowing dirt.

[GrumpyFinn]

I don't think we ever get 10% chance, more like 40-60 down here. I would never get to smelt if I would listen to weather guys.

I think in Florida they're just re-runs from previous years anyway, until we get a hurricane.

[44fanatic]

Im real iffy if it comes to rain. To big of a hassel to keep the WW's and molds dry. Ive packed it up before as the rain hit, put the lid on the pot and left it in the rain to cool off.

[*Paladin*]

I smelt just outside of the garage. The fryer and pot outside and ingot molds inside, so they don't get wet. It's worked for me so far. I keep a lid on the pot, but it is a bit un-nerving hearing rain sizzle on the molten lead when I take the lid off!

[theTastyCat]

So if raindrops fall into a pot of molten lead, it don't go boom? That's seriously reassuring. I've been nervous as a crack baby whenever I see a cloud.

[gray wolf]

I have cast with a few snow lakes falling in my pot, not a problem.
Do I recommend it ? NO.
Thing about rain is you never know when that light rain may have one big drop in it, and if it does, I don't have to tell you where it's going to go.
Why take a chance ? I watch the sky, if it looks like rain I pack it up.
I have no place to get under cover when I smelt.
I got so frustrated the other day, sun was out, no wind and 45* I set up on the deck.
After I got about 50 bullets cast it started to snow like crazy.
Shut it down and put a big old pot on top of my casting set up.
Said a few choice words $%#@&%$#@ and chalked it up.

[Doby45]

You do understand that the water has to make it UNDER the lead for the tinsey fairy to show up? Just think of the physics here. A drop of rain first has to land on something hotter than a frying pan and then it has to actually get under the lead so that the lead can then vaporize it and cause it to expand at an explosive rate. I am just stating the physics of it, not advising either way.

[theTastyCat]

Yeah, I realize the water drop would have to get under the lead, but as the lead is so liquid (and seems to act a lot like water), I wasn't sure whether a drop would go beneath the surface of the lead or not. It's pretty clear when you pee that it's not just staying on the surface, but it's good news, if I'm reading the consensus correctly, that the drop would just turn to steam on contact and not go beneath the surface.

[Doby45]

Even though it "acts" like water in the sense it is in a liquid state, I assure you it is not water in how heavy it is. It is still metal and one of the heaviest ones to boot.

[Charlie Two Tracks]

If it would start raining, I would put the top on the pot and call it a day. That stinkin lead is HOT and will burn real bad, real quick. That's just me though.