Too young to cast?

[ItZaLLgooD]

What's too young to cast? When did you start casting? I didn't start until about 2 years ago and I am 35. My son is 12 and I think that he is old enough to give it a shot. My wife, I think worries a little.

Safety would be me my main concern. I would think that as long as all the safety conditions were met that it would be no more hazardous than running the weedwhacker or the lawnmower. Right?

[Fishman]

Depends on maturity level. Some 35 year olds shouldn't handle butter knives. My son is 9 and very mature for his age. I recently let him sort bullets and sprues for me for the first time. Very safe and he got to watch how things work. He also burned his arm on a sprue that was hidden in the towel. When I let him cast I intend to screw the bottom pour pot to a wood base so it can't tip over no matter what.

[DLCTEX]

My casting started with casting lead soldiers at age nine(1954). I got the set for Christmas and just read the instructions. When all the lead that came in the set was exhausted (small amount) I found pure lead to use and had fillout problems until my great grandfather advised to add some tin.

[kenjuudo]

The boy was fascinated by casting and would run roundball for hours if left to it. A burn here and there along the way but he survived. He was about ten when he started.

jim

[elk hunter]

You must think he is old enough. Thanks to a friends father I started reloading and casting at about age eight. As time went on, I also shot my first muzzle loader and Sharps rifle and bought my first 45-70, a square bolt model 1895 Marlin, all because of the same great guy. Though he has been gone for over fifty years I still remember him for how he treated a pesky kid that loved old guns.

[44fanatic]

Ive had my 14yr old granddaughter casting boolits. Biggest problem was she could not keep up the tempo so she had to whack the sprue plate. With time, she will get better.

10yr old granddaughter does some menial reloading tasks with little or no supervision...
Sizing and seating GC's, punching boolits out of the pan lube, etc. I have not had her reload yet as her attention to detail is not there yet.

My 5yr old grandson has reloaded, with direct supervision, and has tumble lubed and sized boolits.

Biggest thing to consider is maturitly level and dexterity.

[dudley2112]

i think i started reloading at about 14 or 15, i'm 19 now and just cast my first batch yesterday, mind you i didnt have any adults with experience to show me the ropes, just allot of reading and youtube videos, with a responsible and experienced adult to show them the ropes theres no reason someone couldn't even younger.

[mdi]

If the boy can concentrate on one subject for about 1/2 hour I would think he can cast bullets. As long as he can pay attention he can be safe. I wouldn't go for any marathon casting sessions with him as youngsters can quickly get bored and lose intrest in what they're doing. I started young too; at 58 yrs :lol:

[richhodg66]

My dad was and is one of the most avid bullet casters I know of, so I did it here and there even as a pretty young kid, but never for very long at a stretch. Even now, I don't have the ability he does to sit and do it all day long.

I say go for it, just make sure he has gloves on and eye protection.

[tuckerdog]

I cast my first time at age 11 under close supervision as long as you are right there and he pays close attn should be a good time especially when he shoots the boolits he cast for the first time

[geargnasher]

That's up to you, Dad! If you think he's ready, give him some instruction, some example with more detailed explanation, and let him try it. I'd say that the MOST important thing before turning the pot on is have a really good conversation about safety. Lead can be poisonous, expecially to children (the younger the worse it is), and the younger the child is the more likely they are to ingest it. If the little girl who's sizing boolits grabs a hot one by accident and burns her finger, what's the first thing she's going to do? Stick it in her mouth, right? How much lead oxide had rubbed off all the boolits she was handling and onto her fingers before she did that? How much did she swallow? Little scenarios like that worry me, but it's important to be realistic about the potential dangers, and not un-necessarily obsessive about them. I liked to chew on split-shot when fishing as a young boy, and I turned out just fine!

Gear

[Triggerhappy]

Ditto geargnasher. Make darn sure that kids wash their hands after handling or being around lead. Lead is very toxic and causes neurological and neuro development problems, especially in kids. Make sure they treat lead like the poison it is. Lead is cumulative and very hard to get rid of in the human body.

TH

[tommygirlMT]

I was around 11 when my Dad got me started --- Mom thought that was way too young and there was a confruntation --- a rather sharp one --- when she found out

I turned out okay --- just saying you might want to talk to the other half first rather then letting her find out later after the fact --- unless of course your attached to an anti b*tch in which case go ahead and tick her off for all I care (some raised eyebrow questions of course on your choice of attachments)

[ItZaLLgooD]

We are going to give it a try this weekend. Wish us luck!

[303Guy]

I have 9 year old great nephew I would like to get into casting but worry that and accident could be serious so I'll probably do the casting and let him do the patching and priming part. I'll let him load the rounds under my direct supervision. So, while I agree that 9 years old is old enough and these youngsters can be good at things (I'm sure I did things like that at a young age - I know I was melting Aluminum at a very young age - I am hisitant to risk injury to him).

[Lizard333]

My oldest son just turned 5 today and he already helps. He will sort bullets that I have cast, as I routinely cast two different calibers at the same time. Sure I get the occasional oops, when he sorts them wrong, but it is still quality time all the same. About a week ago I had an incident were he picked up a boolit that missed the bucket, and he burned one of his fingers. He new better but he couldn't help himself. Heck, I have even done that. A popsicle and a bandaid, and he was good as new.

I got started when I was five picking up brass at the local range. 25 years later, and I now have my own personal brass picker. So what if I show him what a piece of 223 brass looks like and he grabs everything including 308 and 30-06 because they "looked" the same. Priceless.

At the range a couple of weeks ago a guy had his two daughters there and I had to thank him. He is doing his part to pass on the tradition and I'm glad to hear that you are doing the same.

[303Guy]

So I introduced the 9 year old great-nephew to casting and patching and so on. He loved it! Especially the casting part. I emphasized the lead poisoning aspect and the need to wash hands. He's into it. The hot part of molten lead worries me though.

[XWrench3]

basicly, imo, it boils down to how well and how long he can pay attention to one thing. my 9 year old could not pay attention long enough to tie his own shooes without doing it a couple of times. it is not that he does not know how, he just gets distracted by EVERYTHING under the sun, and has to start over.it is extreemly irritating when i ask him to do one simple task, and he has to come back and askk 3 times what he was supposed to do.he will be 10 before hunting season, but there is no way he would be safe out in the woods. i would love to have him come hunting with me, but he could not pay attention long enough.

[Lloyd Smale]

i started loading at 14. my dad was a hunter but not a shooter and had no interst so i taught myself. I think the right kid could make blasting bullets at about age 12. Get a couple years under his belt casting and im sure hed do as well as dad.

[lylejb]

My son started helping at 10.

I made sure he understood a few basic warnings:

1: everthing's HOT, be careful

2: wash your hands

3: PAY ATTENTION, nothing is more important than the task in front of you.

He was fine, and everything went well.

After about 20 minutes, he wanted to take a break. That was fine. We had fun.

[imashooter2]

I started assisting my father at age five or so. I was not allowed near the lead pot at that point, tasks all involved cold lead (sorting and such). I probably poured my first around age ten. I was not allowed to cast by myself, unsupervised, until 14.

[jmsj]

Lots of good information here !!
I have asked this before but I think it was better answered here. My 11 year old daughter and 7 year old son have been wanting to help me cast. They both have been helping me reload since they were much younger but the worry of having them around while casting has stopped me letting them be around when casting.
I still think that I will keep them away while smelting WW's and other scrap lead.
Thanks, jmsj

[Rick N Bama]

My son could have started at 9 or 10 if I had been casting at that time, but I have a 10YO Grandson I won't let within 20' of the casting pot. He's just not mature enough, in my opinion, to handle the task.

Rick

[noylj]

I cast my first toy soldiers at 7 (and wish I still had the molds and the men).
Cast my first boolits at 24.
Kids are getting sicker and fatter because they are being cocooned to death.

[GREENCOUNTYPETE]

all kids are different , at 12 i was working with power tools regular enough table saws an all manner of wood working tools 13-14 driving , buying guns , and working with acids and chlorine , 15-16 running chainsaws , welding and working construction


i would put the danger of casting some where between working a soldering iron and a cutting torch probably fairly even with a table saw but heat vs cutting danger.

explain what and why you do what you do wear eye protection long sleeves gloves long pants and real shoes and have at it

[MBTcustom]

I started casting lead when I was 12, and my dad would let me use the shotshell reloader unsupervised that same year, I was a very obedient student though. I was not allowed to reload cartridges unsupervised until I was 17. I miss those days! I was home schooled, and we lived out in the country, so I walked around with a BP .44 revolver on my hip all the time. I had just enough time on lunch break to shoot 20 rounds out back, and clean my pistol. I felt like the luckiest kid on the planet to have that much freedom and to this day I cant really argue with that. Dad always said that he would give me as much rope as he could throw at me.....I mean he trusted me to hang myself....oh well, sumthin like that!!!

[mroliver77]

My older daughter grew up in the shop and my younger is also. They have been using tools since able to. I teach safety and responsibility. They both took to loading early on. I had them sorting, sizing etc at 4 - 5 years old. I try to take it at their speed and ability. My youngest loves to shoot handgun. She is not as interested in casting as her sister was but does help me. My goal is for her to cast and load her own rounds from start to finish including picking the alloy and working up loads.

As always, safety first. I keep hand cleaners, rags, water, first aid kits etc handy and teach their use.
J

[W.R.Buchanan]

I was 11 years old when our next door neighbor gave me a ladel made from a piece of brazing rod, and a Bronze pipe cap.

I already had a propane torch so I started "playing" with lead at that point.

I usually just poured the molten stuff out on the concrete slab that was our back porch. Started using tire weights early on. It was all the lead I could find.

My parents were both bankers and had no idea what I was doing. I got burned a few times but never badly.

This progressed to Bullet casting when I was 23 and just out of the AF. Been doing it off and on since. Had a 30 year layoff once! Much better equipped now.

I think if the kid has his head screwed on he can do this, with supervision at first and then on his own if he knows and understands the dangers and how to avoid them.

It's up to the parent to decide if the kid has the brains to not hurt himself. I don't see age being the determining factor. Maturity seems more important

Since I don't have kids I am an authority on the subject, but I have never been a fan of over-protective parents.

You have to let kids find their way as much as possible, and as long as it doesn't kill them first.

I have a 52 year old roommate and he is as close as I have gotten to having a son, as He rented from us on and off for nearly 20 years.

I'm teaching him to be a machinist on his days off. I think machine work is much more dangerous than casting Boolits.

My parents weren't overly protective, I turned out fine,,,,, I think? :holysheep

Randy

[fredj338]

Follow all the cleanliness proceedures & he should be fine, but keep in mind that lead poisining is diff for children than adults. I would probably say no, but that is me being a cautious parent. Shooting fine, reloading fine, casting, maybe.

[shooterg]

Me, first casting round balls for a .36 Navy replica at about 13, used Pop's propane torch stuck in the opening of 2 stacked cinder blocks and Mom's small 6" cast iron skillet. Mom was not thrilled !
I'd say you're the judge of your child. I would keep sessions short and small pot of lead(small pot, small spill !). Safety glasses , long sleeves,gloves. Then shoot 'em ! Then cast some more and repeat...

[mroliver77]

One has to remember that reloading might just be more of a lead hazard than casting. Many are not mindfull of the dust created when cleaning and depriming brass. This has lead oxides that are much more readily absorbed than solid lead. Just a reminder!
Jay

[303Guy]

I think machine work is much more dangerous than casting Boolits.Hell yeah! Casting carelessness can burn you - sometimes seriously but machining can kill you or takes parts of your body off! I find it easier to get blasé about casting. I plan on teaching my great-nephew well and watching him like a hawk. He may not be mature enough at this stage but he's smart and does listen. He just loved the session with me this passed weekend. Casting and loading wasn't the only thing we did. He watched us move my lathe and loved learning something about how it works. He's going to be a great caster and paper patcher one day!

[GREENCOUNTYPETE]

yesterday I had my 7 year old sorting boolits , he may be pickier than i am or maybe we should have 3 piles bad , good enough for plinkers and the good ones

[94Doug]

My 14 year old did a project for High School this year on bullet lubes. This did involve casting of course. And shooting.

Doug

[jonk]

Dad had me help him cast when I was 4. Sinkers, we didn't shoot much then, just .22s. He let me do it on my own when I was about 9 or 10.

I'd say 12 is more than old enough if he's a good kid, particularly with an electric set up.

[Canuck Bob]

I have two girls ,7 and 9, and once I am casting full time they are getting involved. My youngest is the caster/reloader. she loves tools and anything daddies working on. Until this year no big deal but now I feel I'm short changing her by shooing her away just because she is little.

I plan top notch ventilation and safety guidelines well beyond my normal approach. It seems that being scrupulous about cleanliness and making sure they don't accidentally ingest ANY lead is the minimum. I'll restrict them from any contact with liquid lead and powder handling for a year or two but get them involved in sizing, prepping brass, gun cleaning, and such tasks first.

I'm a farm boy from the 50s and 60s. By 12 we were using chain saws, hunting alone, driving tractors and farm trucks, and doing mechanic work. That is still common on my family's farms that have survived. In our oilfied business we really like farm boys as new hires, they know how to work hard, have the confidence with thier hands to learn, smart enough to not get hurt, and are ready to feed themselves like men. I'm trying to let my kids grow like that within a city world.

[MtGun44]

Good lessons in paying attention for a youngster. EVERYTHING there will bite the
snot out of you (doesn't take long to inspect a fresh-dropped boolit, does it? :shock: ) if you fail
to pay attention.

Safety glasses are critical, all the other burns will heal up just fine. INSTANT feedback
on paying attention to what you touch!

WASH HANDS, no drinking or eating in the area or until you washed hands.

Other than that - good training.

Bill

[44 flattop]

I started at 12. But I had been a shooter for 5 years and had helped my dad with casting for a couple years at the point.

All depends on the child.

44

[45-70 Chevroner]

My first casting began when I was 9. My brothers and I started out casting our own fishing weights. We did it over a wood fire with an old cooking pot. We used a spoon to ladle the lead into a galvanized pipe plug with a piece of bailing wire for an eyelet and except for the color they looked like DOTS, the chewy gummy jelly candy. I think we did that until I was 19, at which time I went into the US Air Force. I didn't get into casting boolits until I was 28. I've been doing it ever sence then, I'm going to be 70 in August.

[dakotashooter2]

If you go back in time 60 years you'd be suprised how many toymakers targeted kids a young as 8 years old for casting setups for toy soldiers and the likes. I had a plactic injection settup at 8 years old and it only took a few burns before I learned my lessons.

[45-70 Chevroner]

dakotashooter: I do remember those days. I didn't have the money for the toy soldier casting thing so we did the next best thing. Tire weights to make sinkers out of. We thought that was real "cool" ( a modern day term ). We even made ingots and played like they were silver bars. and we would take turns robbing the bank and hall them off to some imaginary place. Kides today don't have an imagination, all they have are those @&* aufull video games.