How to cast lead at 105F

[bangerjim]

OK.........it is actually 105F ambient outdoors! Here in the desert that is a balmy day in the summer. But we still "cast ahead!"

This is where I cast and powder coat...in front of my air conditioned shop. With the umbrella, the HUGE shade tree, an evaporative cooler (off to the right of the picture) cranking out 75-80 degree air, and nice cuuuumpfee rocker swing to park my keister in, I cast in comfort. The oven is cranking out a batch of about a hundred and fifty 45cal 200gn "cookies" for lunch.

Today it is about 105F and the humidity (get this!!!!!!) is 11%! Dewpoint in the low 30's. It is so dry you don't even perspire!

108638

This is our time of the year (summer) equal to you guys (winter) in the cold climates casting in your cold garages. Thing is, I really do not mind shoveling sunshine!

I can turn around 180 from that picture vantage point and hit the swimming pool if I get too hot.

When needed, I can just fold up the Workmate, pick up the oil drip pan (that is a god-send! saved lots of complaints of "silver sparkly things all over the tile" from the wife!), roll out the keg cooler and party on, dude!

banger

[dikman]

A very civilized setup you've got there - just a pity about the heat!

[brtelec]

I will take the dry heat over wet heat or cold any day.

[slim1836]

You bragging or complaining?:kidding:

Slim

[popper]

Thought about casting some tomorrow, 90F & finally got below 50% humidity. Guess I'll wait. Made a bunch ot 300BO brass today & had to go shower to cool off. Fan doesn't even help. She was surprised how much laundry I need done this week. Got the GKs till Thursday so no range time this week.

[Beagle333]

Looks like a nice operation! Hot, but nice. :cool:

I would take a pic of mine... but if the lens didn't fog up immediately from the steam rising off me and everything around me, you still couldn't see it through the clouds of mosquitoes practicing their aerial jousting with the deer flies.

[David2011]

Duh! Guess I need to move casting and smelting to the patio as well. I also have a portable evaporative cooler. You quickly forget how hot the surroundings are when the evaporative cooler is blowing on you- until you step out of its breeze. I sat on the patio and did nothing in the breeze of the cooler after finishing the yard work over the weekend.

David

[freebullet]

Need a machetee to cut the humidity here. I would fall asleep if I cast in the oasis you have. I suppose as long as you can block the sun and have airflow its nice there.

[ReloaderFred]

My solution was a little more permanent than that. I moved from where those temperatures were common in the summer, to where it was 67 degrees yesterday, which a very slight breeze, while I smelted the last 4 buckets of bullets screened out of the pistol berm at our range last summer. When it hits 70 degrees here, everyone complains about "the heat wave, and when will it end?".

Hope this helps.

Fred

[Mumblypeg]

All I got to say is.... you can't cast in 105 degrees.... lead won't melt at that low a temperature. ... lol.

[2wheelDuke]

I cast and smelt in hot & humid S. Florida. I'm a night owl due to my work schedule already, so I usually work at night to avoid the sun beating down on me.

[groundsclown]

I cast and smelt in hot & humid S. Florida.

I can vouch for smelting in the FL summer...flat out brutal. Heat index today was 99* along the coast here & we still got 6 or so weeks left before we peak, usual avg of 110+ mid aug.

Gimme dry heat any day. And yes to those that don't know, there IS a difference.

Nice setup, Jim.

[dikman]

You need an overhead fan under that umbrella :lol:.

[Wayne Smith]

And yes, you do still perspire, you just don't feel it because it dries as soon as it hits your skin. You still need to hydrate, drink plenty of water when in those conditions.

[bangerjim]

And yes, you do still perspire, you just don't feel it because it dries as soon as it hits your skin. You still need to hydrate, drink plenty of water when in those conditions.

What you don't see is the little fridge in the shop stocked full of Costco bottles of water, soda, electrolyte drinks, lite beer and other adult beverages! I many times drink over a gallon of water when out in the heat. Being in the desert for over 30 years, I know all about "not sweating!".....and the crusty clothes that follow. Lots of agua-wawa and electrolytes are most important.

Those that have never experienced this "dry heat" have a real treat...............someday!

banger

[bannor]

Me, I move once a year cause I hate both heat and cold and have no reason to suffer either one. :-)

[TenTea]

I feel a pressure...I think Mr. banger may be *rubbing it in* to those of us who don't live in the Great Southwest. [smilie=s:

My favorite climate zone (that I lived in for any significant time) is Oregon's Willamette Valley, but I do enjoy the desert immensely.

[Larry Gibson]

It's 105 over here today with 9% humidity. I get up at "oh dark thirty" (0300) when it is cool at 85 degrees. I open the big door (14' that faces north so it stays shaded) on the RV Garage, have all 4 ceiling fans and a large floor fan going and cast until it hits 100 degrees. I drink lots of water and sometimes think I sweat but it's hard to tell!

Larry Gibson

[mold maker]

Reading this thread makes me glad I never left NC. Summer temps (hot to me) are from 68-93 most all season. If it weren't for the humidity, by your standards, it would be plum nice.
Oh, and there is at least a thunder storm a week, or 4 or 5.
I've spent my whole life getting outside work done before 10 AM. See no reason to change now, besides I love to watch the sunrise.

[dragon813gt]

I will take lower temps w/ more humidity over "dry heat" any day. 105 is hot no matter the humidity. We might get a week of 95+ degrees w/ close to 100% humidity. The rest of the time it's in the mid to high eighties w/ humidity below 75%. Much better than any triple digit temps.

[bangerjim]

I will take lower temps w/ more humidity over "dry heat" any day. 105 is hot no matter the humidity. We might get a week of 95+ degrees w/ close to 100% humidity. The rest of the time it's in the mid to high eighties w/ humidity below 75%. Much better than any triple digit temps.

You would actually be surprised! Very dry and hot is much more tolerable than "almost sort of" hot and miserably humid! I grew up in Iowa and know what hot AND humid is! YUCK! And have been to Miami and Houston for business in the summer! OMG......THAT is hot and miserable.

We go by the dewpoint here in the desert more than the actual temp....just like you guys use the windchill factor in the winter. Right now it is 106 but with the "heat index" it feels like about 100. And that is NOT the 100 you humid area guys think of as 100! Humidity right now is 8%!!!!!

I have been out back all afternoon. Very comfortable in the shade and the evap helps! My clothes are NOT wet and soggy! Now back in the house where is it 75! Almost feels cold.

I lived in the midwest all my 1st 35 years and I will take this desert weather any day! Thank God you guys don't like it or EVERYBODY would be living here! In addition to all those darned illegals that are flooding our border right now.

banger

[trails4u]

I'm with Jim.....

I grew up in WV, went to school in TN, moved to AZ, and now live in the upstate of SC..... Without a doubt, Arizona weather is THE BEST! 300+ days of sunshine, and anything below 105 is pretty darn comfortable. I can't pick a basket of beans here at 0600 or 2100 without soaking a shirt.

[dragon813gt]

I've been there to visit. And that's all I plan on ever doing. You may like it but I will take humidity over triple digit temps. I can work on a roof when it's 95 and humid. You can't safely when it gets to those desert temps. Everyone is different and this country is diverse. I happen to like living where water is readily available as well.

[bangerjim]

I've been there to visit. And that's all I plan on ever doing. You may like it but I will take humidity over triple digit temps. I can work on a roof when it's 95 and humid. You can't safely when it gets to those desert temps. Everyone is different and this country is diverse. I happen to like living where water is readily available as well.

We live over an EXTREMELY large aquifer.....never any shortage of water here. In the 30+ years I have lived here, there has never been water rationing! Denver, yet. LA, yes. But not the PHX area. We also pump most of the reclaimed water from treatment plants (after it has be purified) back down into the earth to finish it and that keeps plenty of water available. Many cities around the country are now following what all the desert valley cities have done for decades. They are finding out THEY have water shortages, yet we in the desert have plenty of water. Go figure!

There are more 18 hole GREEN GRASS golf courses here than probably any other major metro area in the country!

Water...........plenty of it.

banger

[GP100man]

My neck of the woods it was 107 heat index , humidity was `bout 87% , get away from a strong fan & my shirt was wet !!

Like almost swimmin when ya walkin !!