Who's Been Burned?

[308Jeff]

I'm asking this for a learning experience. Hidden dangers, mistakes, etc.

I'm a big (insert synonym for Liberal here) when it comes to getting burned. Even had a sunburn once that kept me in my hotel room for my entire Florida vacation. With that in mind, I have no idea why I'm venturing into messing with molten lead...

I try to take every precaution, and think ahead, but I'd really like to avoid doing something that's gonna get me hurt.

So for those of you who've gotten burned in this hobby/passion, I'd love to hear your stories as an education of what to be careful of, beyond what should be obvious to me.

[308Jeff]

Mods, if I have this in the wrong forum, please feel free to move it.

[10 ga]

Are you an EPA shill??

[maxreloader]

the EPA is a figment of the dimocrats imagination... they saved it to the cloud in case the POTUS hits the DELETE button LOL!

[brassrat]

Lol !

[obssd1958]

There are few times when casting, that I haven't at least been singed...
but then again, my wife says if I'm not bleeding, I must not have been doing anything!

Seriously, the thing I see more folks doing without thinking, that gets them burned - is picking up a boolit to see what a nice job they've done! (Take it from me, you only do that once per casting session!!!)

Don

[psweigle]

Keep any and all liquids away from the molten lead. It WILL explode. It didn't happen to me, but a very good friend of mine spilled a little drinking water into his pot. He is very lucky he had his glasses on. And as stated, don't pick up a really shiny and perfectly cast boolit until it is cooled off. I have done this. It hurts.

[rancher1913]

if you use proper PPE you should never get burned

[6bg6ga]

When one plays with lead you run the risk of getting burned. Lead can splatter. lead can have moisture in it. It can just happen. You do your best to be careful.

[retread]

I would say the top dangers are using the improper equipment when melting lead. Do not use aluminum or pot metal containers when melting lead. Use steel, cast iron or Stainless steel. The support for that vessel must be strong enough to support the weight of both the pot and lead even when real hot. Next in my thoughts is the infamous "Tinsel Fairy". She shows up with a bang when any water makes it under the surface in molten lead. It can be trapped moisture in lead being added to the melt or by stirring in fluxing sawdust that is not dry enough and maybe some others I do not know about. She visited me once (sawdust with moisture) and I don't want to invite her back. I was luicky and did not get hurt but a had little chucks of lead stuck to all the clothes I was wearing. Eye protection is a must. I wear welding gloves when casting open the sprue with my hand, not a mallet). In general you are safe it some common sense and careful attention is paid to what you are doing.

[country gent]

Several things to do are always wear heavy pants boots and shirt. Leather gloves welders gauntlet that come up to almost the elbow are best. A leather apron if there are concerns other than standard casting. Safety glasses or a face shield. Last is a simple billed hat. this protects almost all the exposed skin that's normally exposed. When casting always pre heat ingots before adding to the pot. Fill the pot to start then set the next batch on top to warm and dry any moisture condensation they may have picked up. Work in a comfortable position and not right on top of the pot, give yourself a little wiggle room. Last is have a clear route if something does go wrong you can get away.

[Springfield]

The baseball cap is an often overlooked safety item. Glasses keep splatters from hitting you in the eye if they are coming straight on, but the cap keeps out the ones that get lobbed at you and try and get behind the safety glasses. I get splatters on my arms once in a while, and yes it leaves a little burn that takes a week or so to go away. You can't brush off a lead splatter soon enough for it not to burn. This isn't water at 212, it is lead at 650. It makes a big difference.

[tomme boy]

Worst I had in a mishap melting lead was when I was processing range lead that I had. I friend of mine used to take a M2 50 cal belt fed to the local range to make everyone go oh and ah! Well he had all kinds of tracers and spotting rounds that he would mix in to shoot. Sometimes they would work and sometimes not.

Well I must have had one of the spotting rounds in the mix and it went off in a nice big blue flaming mountain of lead. About 80 lbs blew out of the pot.

After that, I sorted out all of the 50 cal rounds in the mix. Glad I was not near it when it went off!

[runfiverun]

I could tell you where I have been burned.
and I could say which ones hurt the most.
i'll just say if you fiddle with this stuff long enough your probably gonna get a scar.
whether it's a little line on your forearm, or something worse somewhere else is up to you.

[zubrato]

Well, I've definitely burned myself out of my own pure stupidity. Was smelting some plumbers lead, and got like 40+ ingots on the pavement. I'm tired and waiting for the rest of the pot to get up to temp, and took off one of my gloves, can't remember what for and moved a few cooled ingots onto the pile. Except one wasn't cool, in fact it was searing hot. Won't forget that one for a long time. Not too bad though, with some aloe Vera only blistered for about two days, and luckily t was my left hand though it was the pads of my fingertips. That part sucked.



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[Hickory]

A little off the subject of lead handling but still within the realm of safety, always have a fire extinguisher on hand. If it can burn you, it can catch things on fire.

[TexasGrunt]

There are few times when casting, that I haven't at least been singed...
but then again, my wife says if I'm not bleeding, I must not have been doing anything!

Seriously, the thing I see more folks doing without thinking, that gets them burned - is picking up a boolit to see what a nice job they've done! (Take it from me, you only do that once per casting session!!!)

Don

Last year I was in the garage casting some 1-2-3-4 ounce cannonball sinkers. My wife was leaving to go shopping and accidently triggered our house alarm. The alarm company calls my cell, problem is my cell doesn't receive a signal in the house.

So I was sitting there expecting a visit from the local sheriff. Sure enough, one shows up. He gets out and verifies I'm supposed to be there. Watches me cast for about a minute while asking questions. Before I could stop him he picks up a 4 ounce cannonball that I had just removed from the mold. He figured out it was hot pretty quick. It was all I could do to not laugh.

[Toymaker]

I'm with Country Gent on equipment, plus long sleeves. I wear all cotton fabric or leather. I stand or use a bar stool to park my butt on the edge.
Glad I do that - last summer I had a bird fly through the carport where I cast. Right over the pot. He ran a perfect bombing run. It hit dead center in the pot and lead flew everywhere. Smelled bad too. But because I was standing and not sitting I was long gone and nothing even got close. Many years of casting and that's never happened before. Never heard of it happening either. When you grew up I hope you had the motto "Be Prepared".

[Bent Ramrod]

Lead has a high density, which means a droplet, once set in motion, will fly a surprising distance. (This property is why we use lead for boolits).

Lead also has a high heat capacity. This means a droplet that flies through the cooling air and lands on your arm will still be hot enough to burn the spot it lands on, and still contain enough heat to burn your fingers when you try to pull it off.

Heavy leather gloves make me clumsier, so even though my hands are protected, I seem to splash and spill more, and worse, so the end result is still the same. My brother gave me a pair of those Action Pistol shooting gloves. I don't shoot Action Pistol, but they seem to be sensitive enough for good mould and dipper manipulation while still affording some protection.

I notice less splashing and flying particles using pots that are wide and relatively shallow, like my SAECOs, as opposed to my narrower, deeper Lee pot. The Lee is a good, reliable pot, but the extra vertical means more energy for the lead spilling back in, which means more energy in the droplets that come flying out as a result.

But, yeah, I get burned, fairly routinely. Mostly minor "pinpricks" and "bugbites" on hands and arms; more extensive when my fingers inadvertently contact the metal parts of handles, dippers and pot. "Life is Suffering, Casting is Suffering; Suffering is Suffering," to misquote Woody Allen. :???:

[Dan Cash]

I bought a couple hundred dollars of "tin" from a one time member here that was not. That smarted. Other than that, just the odd small spatter which is taken care of by gloves, long pants and sleeves. Boots are my daily wear so I don't think about them but a spill with low quarter shoes or sandals would be a painful disaster.

[lightman]

I've only had a few minor burns, "knock on wood". When I was much younger I was casting with a friend and he managed to turn the table over! The pot hit the ground and most of 10# of molten lead splashed on our feet and legs. Thanks to boots and jeans all we got out of the deal was a little redness, like a mild sunburn and a valuable lesson.

When smelting; Wear long pants worn outside of leather boots, a long sleeve shirt, long cuff gloves and safety glasses. A cap with a bill is a good idea. You can add a face shield and respirator if you feel the need. Never, Ever, add cold lead to a pot with molten lead. You can melt wet lead but you can't add wet or even damp lead to a pot. Also, watch for dampness on your spoons, dippers and ingot molds.

When casting; I usually wear less, but the long pants and long sleeve shirt and glasses are not optional!

Natural fibers should be your choice in clothing. Heavy cotton is good. Stay away from synthetic stuff. Make sure your casting table is stable and make sure that your smelting set-up and burner will support the weight. I keep an ice chest near by when I'm smelting, with some half melted ice and a clean towel. Just in case I have to cool down a burn quickly! I also have been known to sip on a beer while waiting on the lead to melt or while waiting on the ingot molds to cool down!

[308Jeff]

Thanks, all. I've been staying pretty well covered up. Long sleeves, welding glove, baseball cap, and glasses. Only been wearing leather shoes, but I have boots I'll start wearing.

Appreciate all the pointers.

[runfiverun]

good.
now I can tell you about casting in my socks, no shirt, and only wearing one glove.
but I did have some yellow tinted safety glasses on, so at least I looked cool.

[308Jeff]

so at least I looked cool.

at's all that really matters...

[ShooterAZ]

I've mildly burned a couple of times. When I first started casting I was using Franklin Arsenal fluxing powder. That stuff attracts moisture watch out! The spoon I using for skimming dross was covered with the stuff, and when I dipped it I got spattered with tiny bits of lead on my hand. I tossed that stuff long ago. The other time was when putting sprues back into the pot, one got away and splashed me a little. And yes, Iv'e picked up hot boolits...ouch. The biggest thing to be careful of is NEVER put anything cold into the pot, ingots, spoons, ladles etc. all need to be preheated and warm before you dip them in your melt. Just the tiniest bit of condensation can cause a visit from the tinsel fairy.

[gwpercle]

Except for a couple minor flecks of hot lead from me dropping sprues back into the pot bare handed and the time I touched a hot mould with my finger, if you wear gloves and use common sense you won't suffer any horrific burns. The common sense thing is THE big factor here.
If I didn't have enough sense to use sun screen when in the sun to the extent I was laid up for a week with a sunburn , I would just buy my boolits already cast.
I honestly have been burned more and worse while cooking in the kitchen , not casting boolits.
Keep a small aloe plant around , mine's on a window sill , get a burn, apply the juice from an aloe ....that stuff works wonders.
Be careful and watch what you do , it's not that dangerous.
Gary

[Bob in St. Louis]

I would think that a billed hat might be a bad idea if the bill actually diverts the lead coming up and at you, down into your eyes above the glasses?
What would have hit you in the forehead has now had a bank-shot into your eyes from above.
One of those times wearing a baseball hat backwards might be a good idea?
(Assuming it's a hat with an elastic band, not the type with the big open hole and plastic strap).

[reddog81]

My Lee pot like to drip at times which can lead to tiny drops hitting your arms or legs if not fully protected. A pile of bullets can stay hot for quite a while. I've had a couple small burns in the last 2 years but nothing too memorable. I think the worst was from a mold. I was holding the mold in one hand and reaching across the table with another and the mold touched my arm. That left a mark for a couple weeks.

[dverna]

I believe everyone who casts will eventually get a burn. It is great wake up call and I hope none are serious. I see photos of people casting with no PPE at all...not even a pair of glasses. That is stupid.

I have been lucky and not been badly burned ...yet. I use two welding gloves, an old pair of boots, old jeans but without holes, and long sleeved shirt. Eye protection is mandatory and I have purchased a face shield as well.

Had a near miss with water in a pot once. That was a pucker maker. I think R5R uses a 1/2 plate over his pot and I may do that when I get my Master Caster. My current method is ladle casting so a lid is not practical. It will not stop a pot from erupting but if the ingots are put there, they should lose any moisture before going into the pot.

There are two casters....those who have been burned....those who will be burned. PPE will reduce the risk and severity

Don Verna

[Beagle333]

It ain't "if"... it's "when" you get burned. Wear your protection and be happy later.


The stupid..... it burns!!!! (and so does lead when you do something stupid!) ;)

[peter72]

My 2c. If using a bottom pour make sure the pouring hole can be closed off. I welded up the hole due to inconsistencies with the ability to shut off the molten lead. That can make a mess.

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[TES]

You are more likely to get burned deep frying freedom fries.

[Silvercreek Farmer]

I remember my grandfather soldering a pipe in a tight spot when I was a kid. When he was done there were several splashes of solder on the back of his hand! Didn't seem to bother him too much!

[LAGS]

Back when I was 16 I got burned more working at Colonel Sanders for two and a half years. , then I have ever been burned in 40 years of casting or Smelting.

[308Jeff]

If I didn't have enough sense to use sun screen when in the sun to the extent I was laid up for a week with a sunburn , I would just buy my boolits already cast.



I hear ya, Gary. And I shouldn't have brought up Florida.

That was back in my operative days, and the details of that mission are still classified.

I can tell you that alcohol and a female were involved though.

[bob208]

having been a welder and blacksmith all of my life a little lead burn is nothing.

[308Jeff]

Thanks for sharing your experiences, all.

[runfiverun]

a containment lid is better PPE than anything else.
I do use 1/2" steel lids on my pots.
it helps the pot hold heat better and gives a place to pre-warm things.
it's also a great splash guard.

nothing worse than hearing violent burbling noises.
containing 90% of the bubble-ups to a small clean up area is a lot less frustrating than trying to apply burn ointment to the top of your head. [yes, yes]

[308Jeff]

Ive been wondering about lids. Thought maybe even screen style splash guard might be helpful.

[Virginia John]

Be prepared and be aware. Do not allow for any distractions, you have to constantly be paying strict attention to your task at hand.

[reddog81]

I use a lid on my Lee 20 pot. It helps the pot warm up faster and keep the heat in better. I guess it also keeps anything but from accidentally spilling in. I don't drink when casting and I do it inside my garage so I'm not sure what could end up in the pot but you never know...

My lid came with the $1 pot I bought at the thrift store to scoop lead out of my smelting pot. 40 lbs of melted lead in a cast iron pot isn't something I wanted to be lifting and pouring ingots.

[PS Paul]

From my experience, let me say this: don't cast in shorts and sandals! Especially if you've got a leaky bottom-pour spout. Funny how just a small splatter from a drip can cause real pain when it lands on the top of your foot. Ouchie.

[Bob in St. Louis]

Ive been wondering about lids. Thought maybe even screen style splash guard might be helpful.
Yes, like the "sneeze guards" at the buffet line. It redirects what you don't want, where you don't want it, to someplace that you'd rather it be.

[Bob in St. Louis]

....and now that I think about lids.... that's where you could place the next ingot "on deck", to preheat it before it goes in the pot.
Just an idea....

[kmrra]

Always beware when melting range lead , I had a live 22 round sneak into my batch one day and it went kaboom , wasn't no big deal but it will make you jump, Luckily I was standing away from the pot that day , so I didn't have any splatter get me , But the lesson I learned was to double check and double check , and If that fails I step away now every time I smelt scrap till I know it clear .

[bob208]

I had a .38 s&w get in my pot one time . I as out in the other room when it went pop. lead all over the bench. after that I am more carful and do move to the other side of the room.

[Yodogsandman]

Don't let the dog or cat around when casting or smelting. They don't know any better. My wife tried to put the dog on the chain once when I was smelting in the chains area, wow.

I blew up 2/3 of a #120 pot while smelting down range scrap one time. I dumped the last 1/4 of a 5 gal pail onto the top of about #80 of molten lead. It was the last pail and I was lulled into thinking it would be OK. Nope, had about a cup of water in the bottom. I was able to push the pail on top of the pot which diverted most of the blast from the tinsel fairy away from me. My brimmed, base ball type hat saved my eyes along with the glasses. The worse burns were to my uncovered arms (T-shirt) but, above the high cuffed welders gloves. just two spots about the size of a nickel. I had put my arms up in front of me. If you hear any sizzle or bubbling, quick, cover up and get out of there!

I had let my pant leg ride up while sitting to cast and had a boolit get into my boot....ye..ahh!

Wear your PPE and you'll escape most burns. I don't wear gloves when casting but, I still get a few splatter burns here and there.

[Spector]

I dropped a 325 grain boolit from the mold into my shoe once and was not in a position to move quickly because the pot was sort of between my legs. I did my best to kick my shoe off to release the boolit from the side of my foot, but no luck. Did not want to heal so I went to my my doc finally and she gave me Silvadene burn ointment to get it to heal. Longer pants would have prevented the mishap in the first place.

Mike

[longbow]

Well, class me in with those that have been burned and expect to be burned again. Not badly but spatters happen.

I have cast for over 40 years and used to cast with virtually no PPE which is not a good idea. Now I always wear safety glasses, long sleeves, long pants, closed shoes and some common sense. I do not wear gloves as I find them awkward to when handling moulds and ladle.

On the note of PPE, best to wear natural fibers like cotton or wool. Nylon, acrylic, polyester and the like will melt if lead spatters land on them and the molten synthetic will burn you. Wool is warm especially in summer but it is also very good for protecting you from molten metal. Leather is also good but most of us don't have leather jackets and pants or welder's aprons to wear for casting. Everyone has cotton and it is pretty good. Blue jeans and an old cotton sweatshirt or heavy cotton short are good insurance as are closed and substantial shoes. When someone posts that they got burned when casting in shorts and flip flops I start thinking about the Darwin awards... just don't be stupid like that.

I have had occasional spatters from dropping boolits/slugs back in the pot but no real burns from those and certainly no scars. However, one time I messed up and wound up hitting my ladle with something which flipped some molten lead out of the pot onto my right hand between first and second fingers and got a pretty good burn which did leave a scar. That was just plain clumsy but it is also why we wear PPE. But having said that, like Bent Ramrod, I find it easier to cast without gloves so do not wear gloves.

I am generally very careful about melting and handling molten lead and yes, water or any liquid like pop, beer, coffee or whatever can create a steam explosion if it gets in your lead so keep liquids away from liquid lead!

More importantly when you are melting ingots or wheelweights, do not put cold or wet ingots or hand fulls of cold or damp wheeweights into a pot partly full of molten lead! Damp ingots of wheelweights can cause a steam explosion and cold ingots or wheelweights can form condensation when exposed to the heat and so cause a steam explosion. This is something to be aware of and make sure you put cold or damp lead into an empty pot for melting or pre-heat the lead so it is dry and warm before putting it into a pot with any molten lead in it.

Also, while not a burn issue something you should be aware of is that while I do not subscribe to the fear of lead poisoning from breathing lead vapours (we do not run high enough temperatures to produce lead vapours when casting) we do produce dross which contains lead oxides so don't go tossing the dross around and making a dust cloud! Also, wash your hands before eating or drinking anything because you are handling lead and lead has lead oxides on it, get them on your hands then onto your slice of pizza, sandwich, cookies or whatever and you are not doing yourself any favours. I speak from experience here because I have worked in and around a lead refinery and am working in a lead refinery again surrounded by about a half dozen pots of over 200 tons each of molten lead. It is actually fairly hard to get leaded unless you are sloppy in your handling of lead and dross and not maintaining hygiene. Anyone who casts boolits occasionally and gets leaded is just plain sloppy but you do not want to get leaded so don't be sloppy!

Lecture over.

Cast, be careful, use some common sense and enjoy! Be happy!

Longbow

[fredj338]

Well there is getting burned & then getting burned. Wear gloves, a face shield if you are the nervous type, shoes are good, pants are good as are long sleeve shirts but I confess to only mandating safety glasses & a glove on my casting hand. Yes I have burned my fingers, but I have done that on the stove.
Melting scrap lead, totally diff animal. I take much higher precaution as I have had small irruptions from trapped moisture or once a valve stem snuck in. Casting with clean ingots though, you have to really screw up IMO to get a pot to irrupt.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

In 1989, I took my first long motorcycle trip, from MN, to the west coast.
I normally have short hair, right before the trip, I got a haircut...extra short.
after the first day of travel, a very sunny day of Freeway driving across S. Dak, we ended up near Rapid City, not only was my scalp burnt, but I had a bad case of dehydration...probably closer to death than I realized. Lesson learnt, a helmet or a bandana on the head, and bring lots of water or be sure to drink plenty of water at gasoline stops.

Oh were you talking about casting? LOL :mrgreen:
Here's one I've never mentioned to anyone...don't load dummy rounds with live primers, then try to melt the lead boolit out of the case, cause your RCBS collet bullet puller won't grab that lead boolit and you don't have an inertia puller. That day, I ordered the Lyman inertia (hammer style) bullet puller, after I cleaned up 99% of the lead splatters (and my shorts).

[308Jeff]

In 1989, I took my first long motorcycle trip, from MN, to the west coast.
I normally have short hair, right before the trip, I got a haircut...extra short.
after the first day of travel, a very sunny day of Freeway driving across S. Dak, we ended up near Rapid City, not only was my scalp burnt, but I had a bad case of dehydration...probably closer to death than I realized. Lesson learnt, a helmet or a bandana on the head, and bring lots of water or be sure to drink plenty of water at gasoline stops.

Oh were you talking about casting? LOL :mrgreen:
Here's one I've never mentioned to anyone...don't load dummy rounds with live primers, then try to melt the lead boolit out of the case, cause your RCBS collet bullet puller won't grab that lead boolit and you don't have an inertia puller. That day, I ordered the Lyman inertia (hammer style) bullet puller, after I cleaned up 99% of the lead splatters (and my shorts).

:eek: :lol:

[John Allen]

Oxygen Regulator caught fire this is one week after. Not from lead but hurt just the same.
188907

[308Jeff]

Shazam! I feel for ya, brother. That's gotta smart for sure. :-(

[TexasGrunt]

I got bit twice today.

I was smelting pewter. The spoon I use to flux missed the table and hit the floor and bounced up under my pants leg.

Then later on I had a sprue jump off the top of the mold and go right in the cuff of my leather glove.

[Skunk1]

Sunburns, lots when I was a kid. Blisters like you wouldn't imagine. Tshirt and jeans I'm good all day. Take any of that off and I'm in trouble.

Casting? I think it's inevitable to have a brain fart sooner ot later. Forgot (don't ask) to put my gloves on once. Even burned myself grabbing the wood stove handle.

[375RUGER]

I've had several live rounds go off when rendering down range lead. Once got it all over my jeans, when that happened.
I dumped a whole 60# pot over one time. I don't remember all the details but something was unstable and the whole thing dumped over. I didn't get burned, I jumped back out of the way.

[Ballistics in Scotland]

I've never been burned casting, but I poured very hot tar on my hand once, while doing a roofing repair. It hurt like fury till I spent most of the night picking off the coating of tar and skin which constricted the blisters, and then (though even the casualty department didn't believe this) it never hurt again, and I was able to drive myself there. I may never eat chocolate-coated dates again.

They taped me up in a plastic glove with Flamazine ointment, and the result was quite miraculous. I had to keep tipping out fluid for the first week, and when it was removed after three, it looked like the hand of a long-drowned corpse. But it then healed with amazing speed. I can still see a wide tracery of scars because I know to look, but I healed permanently where I am convinced there might have been residual stiffness in earlier times.

[Geezer in NH]

To answer your question. Yes you seem to be a big (insert synonym for Liberal here)

Buck up :bigsmyl2:

[rintinglen]

I have been speckled a few times, but only burnt twice, The first time, I had taken off my glove to pick up an ingot to add to the pot. It must have been wet at some point and had a bit of water in some un-noticed gap or crack, because the tinsel fairy hit town with a resounding hello and a dollop of liquid lead splashed across three of my fingers on the ungloved hand.
Nowadays, I wear welder's gloves, safety glasses, heavy jeans out side my work boots, thick wool socks and long-sleeve flame resistant shirts, topped off with a broad brimmed hat, or a baseball cap. And I don't go gangsta.

[JWT]

Hot metal doesn't look hot. I had removed a glove to pick up a pencil and poke a small piece of lead out of the sprue hole. When I finished I closed the sprue with my thumb. Ouch!

[Baryngyl]

Hot metal doesn't look hot. I had removed a glove to pick up a pencil and poke a small piece of lead out of the sprue hole. When I finished I closed the sprue with my thumb. Ouch!


That reminds me of the time I was a kid of 13 or 14, used a nail to poke a hole in a CO2 cartridge that is used in air guns and tried to stop it from leaking out by putting my thumb over it, not a burn but man does that freezing hurt.


Michael Grace

[teg2658]

A few years ago I was melting down some range scrap, loud pop and lead flying. A 22 dud was in the range scrap. Took a long time for the burns to heal. Went to Walmart and bought the screens you put on a frying pan to keep the spatter down when frying.

[OptimusPanda]

Nearly every time I've been burned by metal (casting, welding, etc..) it's because I *need* to, not because I *want* to. Or more simply put, unless you're in the mood and not rushing around to get something done, don't heat up 10+ pounds of metal past it's melting point.

[308Jeff]

Thank you, all. Some great pointers and situations I might not have considered.