Our Friend The Brown Jersey Glove

[mastercast.com]

Folks,

I have meant to add this to the forum for some time. It seems that every time I thought about it, I got busy, and forgot.

Some time back when dropping cast bullets on a cotton towell, (well, many years ago) I noticed that the towell might discoler, but it did not burn. It occured to me that the air between the fibers of the towell might be the insulating factor.

About five years ago, the light went on with regard to brown jersey gloves that I use to remove hot moulds from the commercial casting machines. The original purpose for the gloves was to prevent salts from my hands causing the molds to rust. It suddenly struck me that a 300 or 400 degree mold was not causing me any discomfort.

Sooooooooooo, move forward from that, and it occured to me that the jersey gloves were insulating the heat for the same reason. I buy them in bulk here for about $0.60 per pair of gloves.

I now use a jersey glove on my left hand when using the Magma Mastercaster to catch the bullets when I crack the mold open. You have more than enough time to examine the bases, sides, and nose of the bullets, while the sprue is cooling on the bullets you just cast, after you caught the bullets you are proofing.

The larger the bullet, the hotter the temperature, the less time you have.

With the really large bullets, drop them on a towell, make another pour, and roll the just cast bullets around on the towell with the jersey golved hand to examine them.

WORKS FOR ME!

Mike

[medic44]

When I was working as a firefighter they had a training video showing two types of fire resistive material for bunker gear. The test was to show which material was better. For a control material they used plain cotton cloth. It stood up better than either of the "fire resistive" materials. If you look a burn patients they will commonly have burns up to their cotton underwear.

[arkypete]

While casting I'll wear a cotton boony hat, eye glasses with safety goggles, a long sleeve cotton flannel shirt, even in the swampy summer, cotton blue jeans, high top leather boots, but I always wear leather welders gauntlets.
Sometime when suiting up I feel like a fire fighter getting ready to do battle with a fire.

Many years ago a friend, a V.N. disabled vet, wanted to cast. I set up a bench that he could get his wheel chair under, in my garage, clamped the pot to the table top, put two layers of cotton towels and an old leather butchers apron across his lap. He had a great time casting hollow points and hollow base bullets for his 45 revolver.
His back was to the wood stove so when we cast in the winter he was getting warmed front and back.
Jim

[EMC45]

So bare handed, t-shirt and flip flops aint good? Of course the required eye glasses.

[KYCaster]

Beware the WallyWorld/Lowe's veriety Jersey gloves....all of them I've seen lately are 60% polyester and have very little insulation value compared to 100% cotton. Hot lead will melt the polyester and stick, possibly causing severe burns.

The only place to find 100% cotton gloves locally is at welding supply stores. They are usually much cheaper than the department stores....60 to 80 cents versus $1.29 to 1.89.

Jerry

[NVcurmudgeon]

Beware the WallyWorld/Lowe's veriety Jersey gloves....all of them I've seen lately are 60% polyester and have very little insulation value compared to 100% cotton. Hot lead will melt the polyester and stick, possibly causing severe burns.

The only place to find 100% cotton gloves locally is at welding supply stores. They are usually much cheaper than the department stores....60 to 80 cents versus $1.29 to 1.89.

Jerry

Jerry, second the motion on polyester, I call it textile napalm!

[Typecaster]

Re: Hazardous polyester

My first full-time job after college was as a scientific glassblower in the early '70s...when polyester was new and hip. Remember leisure suits? Anyway, we were FORBIDDEN from wearing polyester at work after one of the guys dropped a hot piece of glassware on his lap. Instead of bouncing off, it melted his pants and STUCK where it hit.

I'm always happy when I can learn by watching others!

[44man]

I put in 42 years at United Airlines. Years ago I was a fueler and they got us new parkas. Nylon???? I would slide out of my truck full of 145 octane, kick open the ready room door and walk up to a friend and zap him with a 3" spark from my finger. I guess you know I kept myself grounded when fueling!
Yeah, that man made crap is scary around heat. Fuel too!

[Bret4207]

Re: Hazardous polyester

My first full-time job after college was as a scientific glassblower in the early '70s...when polyester was new and hip. Remember leisure suits?...

I always thought a nice robins egg blue Leisure Suit was kinda spiffy. Especially with 14 lbs of gold chains. DISCO, DISCO DUCK!!!!

[Jim]

A guy I was working with was soldering copper pipe with a plumber's torch. In a lapse of common sense, he lowered the lit torch down beside his leg. He was wearing sinthetic(sp?) work pants and the melted material stuck to his leg. They had to take him to ER to get it off. I wear good ol' American made 100% cotton jeans.

[MT Gianni]

I have been required to wear nomex or 100 % cotton at work for over 20 years. A starched cotton shirt will let sparks roll right off of it. I have never had it in flames or a flash thank God but test movies show the difference between the two measured in seconds before a flame harms you. Gianni

[NVcurmudgeon]

I always thought a nice robins egg blue Leisure Suit was kinda spiffy. Especially with 14 lbs of gold chains. DISCO, DISCO DUCK!!!!

Bret, I had a sky blue leisure suit with a dark blue shirt which had a collar wider than the coat collar. No gold chains, though. Nor did I dare wear high-heeled pimp shoes, as short as I am, so I just wore it with my regular cowboy boots. Another fad of those days was fondu pots. Once, when wearing a long-sleeved polyester western shirt, I made a sweeping conversational gesture and set my sleeve on fire. I beat the fire out quickly enough to avoid burning myself and had the shirt converted to short sleeves.

[KYCaster]

I wear good ol' American made 100% cotton jeans.


Can you still get those? I'd love to find jeans made in the good ol' USofA. I gave up on Levi's years ago when they announced they were outsourcing their production and donating to HCI. Now I have a hard time finding anything I like.

Jerry

[carpetman]

KYCaster---Carhartts are made in USA and I like them better than Levi or Wrangler. Our Levis closed here and moved out of country---guess they all did.

[KYCaster]

Thanks, C-man, I'll check 'em out.

Jerry

[NVcurmudgeon]

KYCaster---Carhartts are made in USA and I like them better than Levi or Wrangler. Our Levis closed here and moved out of country---guess they all did.

Yes, Levi's are now made by our gallant allies, the Chicoms and the Viet Cong. That, with Levi's long-time donating to anti-gun groups made this native Californian who had been wearing Levi's since 1940 very sad. Far as I know, Wranglers still come from North Carolina, but I will have to check out Carhartt's. Every Carhartt product I ever had was great, didn't know they made blue jeans.

[SharpsShooter]

Another +++vote for the Carhart jeans. Quality, American made product that is affordable. Heck they even come in odd number waist sizes and I like that deal.

SS