Fireplace as an exhaust?

[Darto]

One thing I never did in the shooting hobby is casting.

Is a living room fireplace hearth a good place to place and use casting equipment, ours has no exhaust fan.

Is there anything needs be done before proceeding, or tips I should know?

Thanks.

[btroj]

I wouldn't cast in my living room. Not so much a fume issue as it is potential for lead splashes/spills, bits of lead getting on floor or carpet, and the general noisy, messy nature of casting.

Nope, I keep my casting in the garage, keeps me put of the dog house.

Marital harmony counts for much in life, I try not to mess with it.

[richhodg66]

Agreed. It could be done, most of the ventilation concerns come during fluxing and the rest is OK. I have a barn with a concrete floor where I do mine. I open the doors and a few of the big wiindows when I flux. It isn't heated or air conditioned so it can be a bear sometimes staying out there. It does make a mess though, lots of little lead spills on the floor around my casting area.

[Jack Stanley]

Were you intending to use a wood fire for melting the lead ? I'm thinking if you have a fire going there would be plenty enough draft to take any fumes out . As for casting itself , that could be done I think . It would sort of depend on your ability to not slosh lead all over the place . Some can do the job in a rather clean fashion and others ....... well just think of the old country song " Give me forty acres and I'll turn this rig around"

Something else to consider would be how comfortable will you be for the amount of time you want to make bullets .

Jack

[2ndAmendmentNut]

I am going to say, "no" a fireplace inside of ones house would be a poor choice of location for casting lead. I don't believe it would draft well enough, and you could potentially expose yourself and others to unsafe fumes from melting lead and whatever other trash is mixed in with your alloy. It is best to cast outside while wearing long sleeves and pants.

Also unless you have a very large fireplace I can't imagine how you could be comfortable casting all hunched over your hearth.

[2ndAmendmentNut]

By the way welcome to the forum!

[singleshot]

I am going to say, "no" a fireplace inside of ones house would be a poor choice of location for casting lead. I don't believe it would draft well enough, and you could potentially expose yourself and others to unsafe fumes from melting lead and whatever other trash is mixed in with your alloy. It is best to cast outside while wearing long sleeves and pants.

What?!?!? You mean to say my "wife beaters", boxers, and house shoes aren't appropriate attire? You tryin' to start some high-fallutin dress code for us simple folk?!? :kidding:

[2ndAmendmentNut]

One thing I never did in the shooting hobby is casting.

Be careful, that is what I thought when I first joined. Sense then I have cast for calibers from 22 to 45, paper patched, bought molds for calibers that I don't even have a rifle for, bought rifles that would be great to cast for, and now the latest is scrounging for 22 rimfire brass at the range because I have a set of swage dies on the way that turns 22lr brass into a .224 cal bullet.

[2ndAmendmentNut]

What?!?!? You mean to say my "wife beaters", boxers, and house shoes aren't appropriate attire? You tryin' to start some high-fallutin dress code for us simple folk?!? :kidding:

Just don't cast naked.

[paul h]

While not nearly as bad an idea as casting in the kitchen, the living room or really any room inside your domicile really isn't an appropriate location for casting bullets.

[David2011]

Darto,

Welcome to the forum. There's lots of good advice here. Casting is messy even when you thought you were being neat with it.

A galvanized steel drip pan from the WalMart auto department makes a great cover for your casting table. The lip keeps most of the metal contained and lead won't stick to the galvanized steel.

David

David

[guidogoose]

Darto,

Your question is one of those that could be done but probably shouldnt be done. If you plan on using wood, why not just do it outside? You could get a steel fire pit, dig a pit in your yard, build a campfire, or find a used charcoal grill to melt your lead with.

[Silver Hand]

I do not think casting in the house any ware is a good idea. Lead is hard on children if you can see it or not. My favorite question is always the same.
Have you ever seen a child that could not learn?

[Shiloh]

Your pot will never generate enough thermals to have draft up the flue.
Probaly have to run a fan to create a draft. Now that I mention it, that is not a bad idea.

I cast in the garage for the above mentioned reasons. There are splatters, smoke, dust and mess from casting.

Shiloh

[gundownunder]

I wouldn't do it in the house.
In very short order she would smack me over the head with a pot containing 20 pounds of molten lead, and shove a very hot mold where the sun don't shine.
It is very easy to set up a cheap casters bench out the back or in the shed.

[rmatchell]

Im thinking of making a small bench on wheels to help with this problem. Just roll it outside cast then roll back into the garage. I would have to stop buying dies and molds to afford it though.

[rmatchell]

Ok here is a question for the people who might know, say I set up an area indoors for casting how much air flow would be a good idea. Just wondering it would be nice to cast in the AC this time of the year.

[Jack Stanley]

Ok here is a question for the people who might know, say I set up an area indoors for casting how much air flow would be a good idea. Just wondering it would be nice to cast in the AC this time of the year.

I do that very thing , my setup in down in the dungeon and has a three hundred CFM fan ducted to the outside . It is hooked to a Rheostat so I can throttle it down when needed . I built a hood of sorts with wood and sheetrock that is lower than the fans collection point by a couple feet .

In use , I open a window elsewhere to help the fan a little and only cast with ingot inside . I don't use fluxes that are going to flame up a lot either ..... the whole area was inspected by my wifes cat a couple years ago and he didn't have a problem with it 8-)

Jack

[rmatchell]

Sounds good. It would be nice on those hot or very cold days to cast in 72 degrees.