Time to get a face shield

[Thumbcocker]

Yesterday I was multi tasking. Mrs. Thumbcocker and I were reorganizing the wood shed and putting wood away. I had come into 3 isotope cores so I thought I would have them melting while I did other things. After cutting and splitting some wood I went to check on the lead. It had melted so I was pouring it into various ingot molds. Corn shaped and cast iron muffin pans. I was very sweaty which turned out to be a good and bad thing.

As I was filling a muffin mold a drop of sweat fell off my face and into the lead. There was a liquid pop sound about like a short hollow point hitting a squirrels ribs, and about a pound of lead launched at my face. I got off very lucky. The left lens of my glasses caught the lead heading for my left eye, I got lead on my nose and other places on my face, two splotches on my left arm, and several on my jeans near some parts I would rather not get lead on.

My glasses will need a new lens, got a couple of blisters on my nose and face, a couple more blisters on my arm about 3" long, and a nice cluster of blister on my inner thigh. The scary part was peeling lead off the inside of my glasses lens. I really think that the fact that I was sweaty cut down on the damage because the lead did not stick to my skin as much as it could have. I was wearing long pants and gloves but short sleeves.

I have talked about getting a face shield for smelting and think it might be time to do so. I'm not looking for sympathy, I'm a big boy and still have to working eyeballs. Hopefully this incident can remind us all to be careful around molten metals and don't take this stuff for granted.

[NSB]

I once supervised a large tube mill manufacturing area for automotive radiators. I had 37 mills and each one had a 3000lb solder pot on the mill. I ran three shifts and had over a hundred mill operators working for me. If they were caught adding solder to the pot without wearing arm guards and face shields, they got time off without pay. Even with all the rules and regulations, some of them took short cuts when they thought no one was around to catch them. Over the five years I supervised the area, I had at least a dozen employees get burns severe enough to require a visit to the hospital and in a few cases skin grafts were required to repair the damage. Every single operator had scars on their arms from dropping solder into the pot without wearing arm guards. It's hard for me to fathom why anyone would do this when all the safety equipment you'd ever want was not only available, but mandatory. Seeing all the other "old timers" with scars on their arms and hands should have been enough to encourage new operators to wear the protective equipment. It wasn't. My point being......sooner or later you're going to get burned if you don't wear the arm guards, gloves, and face shields. The pain from molten solder on bare skin is hard to even describe to someone who hasn't seen it or felt it. It sticks when it hits and stays hot for a while. Glad you weren't burned worse than you were. Consider yourself lucky and a lesson learned.

[Hickok]

Thumbcocker, so glad to hear you are alright.

By posting you help remind us about unseen events and how to avoid them.

[mold maker]

At least a pair of safety goggles, and a long sleeve cotton shirt.
I had to replace a lens because of the fairy once. A tiny spatter, but right in the center, and it stuck into the plastic lens.
Make a habit of safety so you don't have to think about it.
And yes, contrary to accepted wisdom, a drop of water CAN cause a steam explosion. It just does so only on rare occasions, and circumstances, but it can happen. I can't explain it, but that doesn't make it impossible.

[w5pv]

I pray everyday for the safty and well being for our fellow casters.

[RKJ]

I've tried casting in short sleeves a couple of times and got subtlety reminded why that's not a good idea. It's became 2nd nature now to throw on my longsleeeved casting shirt before I start. I do need to get a face shield though, better safe than sorry. Glad you're ok!

[TXGunNut]

That clinches it for me, I should probably use a face shield with my Echo trimmer as well. Seems I get a welt on my face more often than not when I use that little machine. I had a minor tinsel fairy incident during my most recent smelting session and it's time to fire up the smelting pot again. Headed to town in a little while and I'll pick one up while I'm there.
Heal quickly, hope you have some baggy britches!

[Mike67]

Since I started casting again 3 years ago I have worn a face shield, long sleeve denim shirt, and soft leather gauntlets. Maybe overkill but the only drawback is I generally won't cast during hot summer days. On the other hand when reloading I'm really bad at wearing safety glasses gotta remind myself bad things can happen with primers too.

[leadman]

Glad you are ok. hang the bill for the new lense close to where you smelt to remind you of this incident.

[Col4570]

A friend was cutting Lead Pipe with an axe and melting it.Ufortunately one piece that was squashed at both ends had some water in it.When he turned up at the Range he looked as though he had a bad dose of Measles.Fortunately his Eyes escaped damage.If a small amount of Sweat will do the damage that Thumbcocker experienced it is a wake up call for me, as I tend to be a bit Blaze when Casting.Stay Safe.

[NavyVet1959]

I've only had one visit from the tinsel fairie (so far) and it was while smelting. I was pouring some molten lead into a steel ingot mold that had been sitting in the garage for a long time during hot weather, so you would *think* that it would be dry. Apparently the metal absorbed a bit of the humidity into the steel / rust and when the molten lead it it, it erupted.

[Cowboy_Dan]

I got a face shield before I melted my first batch of lead. Now about a year later, I still tend to find bits of "glitter" on the mask when I put it on. Makes me happy I use it every time I pick one off.

[Thumbcocker]

$17 at Rural King

[NavyVet1959]

$17 at Rural King

Currently $4 at Harbor Freight...

http://www.harborfreight.com/face-shield-with-flip-up-visor-96542.html

[Mk42gunner]

This reminds me that I need to get a new face shield and a new pair of safety glasses. Mine are several years old and pretty scratched up; hard to see through just makes it easier to make an excuse not to wear them when needed.

Robert

[TXGunNut]

Picked one up at Tractor Supply today.

[FISH4BUGS]

Thanks for the reminder. Since I only have one eye anyway, I should not even cast, much less smelt, without a face shield or safety glasses. I wear glasses and have tempered glass in it but I can't be too safe.

[MaryB]

I picked up a leather welding jacket years ago when I helped the town blacksmith fix stuff(I was gopher, hey hold this etc) and a good face mask. I was under a frame he was welding. I put my jacket on even though it was 95 degrees in the shop. He didn't bother. Big old hunk of slag flies off, bounces off my arm and goes down the top of his shirt which was some rayon thing... melted shirt stuck to skin and the smell of burning human flesh and he started swearing and dancing around. I finally got the hose on him and ran cold water for 30 minutes. He had a nice 3 inch long third degree burn on his chest, rayon stuck to his skin over a 5 inch area. I asked him if I was still nuts for putting my leathers on as he welded the part I was holding in place...

So I slip it on anytime I am smelting and casting. I would rather sweat than be burned! Hat, face mask, leather jacket that is long enough only my legs are exposed.

[DoubleAdobe]

I once supervised a large tube mill manufacturing area for automotive radiators. I had 37 mills and each one had a 3000lb solder pot on the mill. I ran three shifts and had over a hundred mill operators working for me. If they were caught adding solder to the pot without wearing arm guards and face shields, they got time off without pay. Even with all the rules and regulations, some of them took short cuts when they thought no one was around to catch them. Over the five years I supervised the area, I had at least a dozen employees get burns severe enough to require a visit to the hospital and in a few cases skin grafts were required to repair the damage. Every single operator had scars on their arms from dropping solder into the pot without wearing arm guards. It's hard for me to fathom why anyone would do this when all the safety equipment you'd ever want was not only available, but mandatory. Seeing all the other "old timers" with scars on their arms and hands should have been enough to encourage new operators to wear the protective equipment. It wasn't. My point being......sooner or later you're going to get burned if you don't wear the arm guards, gloves, and face shields. The pain from molten solder on bare skin is hard to even describe to someone who hasn't seen it or felt it. It sticks when it hits and stays hot for a while. Glad you weren't burned worse than you were. Consider yourself lucky and a lesson learned.
Man, be careful, I have had a detached retina in my left eye for about 4 years, so basically have one good eye left. I have had to learn to safety up on those kind of things, to include the full face shields and also wrap around goggles. Just have no spare eyes left, and honestly it just takes a second to put them on, I also bug my son and son-in-law to be careful as well.I know they get tired of me harping on 'em, but I will not let up. One eye is so much better than no eye.

[lightman]

Glad you were not burned more seriously and hope you heal quickly. I've been told that water on lead won't do that. I guess you are proof that it will. Thanks for sharing your story.

[montana_charlie]

As I was filling a muffin mold a drop of sweat fell off my face and into the lead.
You must have been directly over the muffin mould when that drop of sweat fell.
You can ask safety equipment to cover you during mishaps, but placing yourself in a dangerous position is the first 'safety item' you need to evaluate.

Like: Airbags are a great thing.
But, driving a car with no brakes should still be avoided.

[M-Tecs]

Proper PPE is always good. Water on top of lead just boils off. The tinsel fair doesn't come until you get water under the surface of the lead.

[TXGunNut]

Proper PPE is always good. Water on top of lead just boils off. The tinsel fair doesn't come until you get water under the surface of the lead.

I'm wondering if the cast iron muffin pan had a bit of rust, that's all it takes.

[Lance Boyle]

Boy, we should all use the proper safety gear but you folks with vision in one eye only should really go the extra mile. I'm guessing most of you think you're too old to learn braille. Please folks use some extra caution.

I'm not free from guilt here either. More than once I've gone out to the garage and fired up to just pour one or two tests in a new mold and some how skipped some or all of the safety gear. One dumb one was on one of these lest cast a couple in the new mold things and I was wearing those moccasin type boat shoes instead of my normal leather boots. I dropped a piece of sprue that bounched onto my foot above the leather shoe. Not a catastrophic burn but a hot foot none the less.

[mjwcaster]

I never owned a face shield until I started casting/smelting.

I should have had one years ago, and now I try to use it for everything, making soap (lye), grinding, etc.
I need to pick up a few more so I can have them lying around wherever, so I don't succumb to the lazies, the 'oh heck it will just take a second, I'm not going back in the house for the face shield'.

I also need to pick up new goggles and wear them, even with the safety shield, things can still get under them.

[TXGunNut]

Boy, we should all use the proper safety gear but you folks with vision in one eye only should really go the extra mile. I'm guessing most of you think you're too old to learn braille. Please folks use some extra caution.

I'm not free from guilt here either. More than once I've gone out to the garage and fired up to just pour one or two tests in a new mold and some how skipped some or all of the safety gear. One dumb one was on one of these lest cast a couple in the new mold things and I was wearing those moccasin type boat shoes instead of my normal leather boots. I dropped a piece of sprue that bounched onto my foot above the leather shoe. Not a catastrophic burn but a hot foot none the less.

I hear you, Lance. I tried a quickie casting session a week or so ago with no gloves. I was a bit out of practice and maybe a bit clumsy but after a few second-degree burns I shut it down for another day.

[Iowa Fox]

Currently $4 at Harbor Freight...

http://www.harborfreight.com/face-shield-with-flip-up-visor-96542.html

Don't forget your 20% and free gift coupon.

Harbor Freight is where I got mine when everything was mail order- free shipping on a $50 order back in those days.

[Russel Nash]

Water expands 1,600 times when going to steam.

Conversely when steam cools it tries to shrink to 1/1600th, and if in a vessel it creates a vacuum so powerful it will collapse the vessel.

Railroad tank car vacuum implosion: http://youtu.be/Zz95_VvTxZM

[brassrat]

So I do what I should have and buy a HF $2 face shield. Great price but you can't see thru it. I am looking for a tear off layer of plastic but there is none. Worst product ever and there have been a lot lately

[dougader]

Are there special gloves that will protect against molten lead "splashes" yet thin enough to allow good use of your hands/fingers? I have these thick leather work gloves but they kill any dexterity you posses in your digits. I use to have some gloves made from deer hide; those were sweet but are long gone now.

[NavyVet1959]

I prefer the gauntlet type welding gloves. I've burnt my hands often enough over the years that I want all the protection I can get.

One of the problems that I've seen on some gloves though is that even though the leather holds up to high temperatures, the thread might not. Of course, you don't notice this until you pick up something really hot and discover that the between your thumb and index finger has nothing to protect it. :(

[NavyVet1959]

So I do what I should have and buy a HF $2 face shield. Great price but you can't see thru it. I am looking for a tear off layer of plastic but there is none. Worst product ever and there have been a lot lately

Take it back and look at the others to see if maybe you get got one that wasn't any good.

[jmort]

Ove Gloves for me. Less protection than leather gloves , way more dexterity. Enough protection to make them a clear choice for me. Consumer Reports

The claim"Withstands extreme heat up to 540° F," says the package of the Ove Glove, a mitt designed to let you handle hot stuff. It also claims to be flame resistant and machine washable. It's made of Nomex and Kevlar and has silicone grips. Prices are $14 to $19 per glove.
The checkWe heated a cast-iron Dutch oven in a 540° F oven for 90 minutes, then removed it using Ove Gloves, regular oven mitts, or pot holders. We placed an Ove Glove over a gas range's flame. And we splashed one with several foods and then washed it.
Bottom lineThumbs-up. With all the mitts and pot holders, including the Ove Glove, we could hold the Dutch oven for 10 to 15 seconds, but the Ove Glove didn't get scorched, as one pot holder did, or start to melt, as a mitt did. Held over a flame, the Ove Glove scorched but didn't ignite until after a minute (a regular mitt ignited in 30 seconds). Few food stains remained after we washed it. Handling was easier with the Ove Glove than with regular mitts and pot holders. It costs about $6 more than a regular mitt but might be worth a try.

http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/magazine-archive/2010/july/shopping/ove-glove/overview/index.htm

[Daniel964]

When I first started smelting lead I was paranoid about being burnt. I wear long sleeve shirt leather gloves face shield and a hat. Don't know if I'm overly cautious or should be more cautious.


Yesterday I was multi tasking. Mrs. Thumbcocker and I were reorganizing the wood shed and putting wood away. I had come into 3 isotope cores so I thought I would have them melting while I did other things. After cutting and splitting some wood I went to check on the lead. It had melted so I was pouring it into various ingot molds. Corn shaped and cast iron muffin pans. I was very sweaty which turned out to be a good and bad thing.

As I was filling a muffin mold a drop of sweat fell off my face and into the lead. There was a liquid pop sound about like a short hollow point hitting a squirrels ribs, and about a pound of lead launched at my face. I got off very lucky. The left lens of my glasses caught the lead heading for my left eye, I got lead on my nose and other places on my face, two splotches on my left arm, and several on my jeans near some parts I would rather not get lead on.

My glasses will need a new lens, got a couple of blisters on my nose and face, a couple more blisters on my arm about 3" long, and a nice cluster of blister on my inner thigh. The scary part was peeling lead off the inside of my glasses lens. I really think that the fact that I was sweaty cut down on the damage because the lead did not stick to my skin as much as it could have. I was wearing long pants and gloves but short sleeves.

I have talked about getting a face shield for smelting and think it might be time to do so. I'm not looking for sympathy, I'm a big boy and still have to working eyeballs. Hopefully this incident can remind us all to be careful around molten metals and don't take this stuff for granted.

[NavyVet1959]

Having had globs of molten steel drop on me when I was just wearing a T-shirt, I would say that being cautious is good.

[rondog]

Pain+experience=incentive. Glad you came out of it OK!

[brassrat]

Take it back and look at the others to see if maybe you get got one that wasn't any good.



It turns out there is plastic peel off its just hidden very well. I used it today melting pewter down and like the protection

[NavyVet1959]

It turns out there is plastic peel off its just hidden very well. I used it today melting pewter down and like the protection

LMAO !!!

I guess you were a bit red faced when you found that after having publicly complained about the optical clarity of the shield. :)

[Iowa Fox]

For no more than these things cost a person needs to keep several by the things they use. Grinders, table saws, routers, planers, ect. I like them better than some of the goggles.

[MaryB]

Should have had mine on yesterday when I used the skillsaw to cut a small piece of plywood. My glasses are polycarbonate safety lenses but it kicked a piece of sawdust off the corner of my frame into my eye. Walking around today looking like I have pink eye!

[Rattlesnake Charlie]

Insects can cause molten lead to splatter also. I've gotten splatters from a wasp and even a fly.

[M-Tecs]

Water on top won't but any moisture under the surface that is trapped will get you a visit from the tinsel fairy.

[Rockydog]

Smelting and casting can certainly get you into eye trouble. As gun owners there is another challenge to eyes just as dangerous. It involves gun springs, stored energy in OSHA terms. A few years ago I was rebuilding a sxs shotgun. As I was compressing and inserting one of the mainsprings my screw driver slipped out of the designed compression notch and the spring launched out of the action. It struck my right eye so hard that I almost went to my knees by the work bench. The pain was intense as I went to the bathroom mirror. I was afraid to open my eye for fear that it was damaged. Luckily it was OK but I had a big mark on the outside of my eyelid. Evidently I blinked as the pieces flew. My eye and eyelid were still sore and red for days. PLEASE wear safety glasses or a face shield when disassembling or reassembling guns. I have several sets plastered around my various work stations now. RD