You pay for some mistakes...

[Land Owner]

For a price, mold makers should add a Custom Option for "raised lettering" of the purchaser's specification on the bottoms of their molds. Then, doing what I did would seem like "on purpose".

I'm sporting a new "square brand" in the skin above my left knee from a HOT new RCBS 22-55-SP mold.

Seated at the pot, I bent over, to my right, to retrieve something (now immaterial) that I dropped on the floor while holding the heated and just filled mold in my left hand. Then, DOOPH!, I unthinkingly "checked out" mentally in a senior moment and tipped the hot mold onto the knee.

That's gonna leave a mark. Hopefully, just for a while. A reminder to use due caution.

OK. Stupid is a stupid does. Color me stupid on this one.

[Handloader109]

SHORTS? not a good idea with lead anyway

Sent from my SM-G892A using Tapatalk

[Conditor22]

+1 on long/heavy/all-cotton pants. --- It could have been worse, now you will see a reminder for some time whenever you wear shorts :)

[Land Owner]

SHORTS? not a good idea with lead anyway

Yep. Trying to beat the heat. Paying for the mistake now.

[ShooterAZ]

Ya, I don't cast with shorts on no matter how hot it is outside. Too much of a chance to get burned. I had a 2009 Toyota Tacoma with the same "brand" you describe on the plastic tailgate...glad it wasn't on my leg! Fortunately it doesn't take more than one, or perhaps two senior moments like that to not repeat it. Aloe Vera is your friend right now!

[Land Owner]

Aloe Vera is your friend right now!

Excellent! Hadn't thought of that...good call.

[Harter66]

That's so cool , man you're totally in with the in crowd !
Branding is so hip !
[smilie=l:

I'm just glad you didn't do something dumb like pinch that mould between your belly and your thigh or something .

Seems like there's a "yeah but I ..." thread here somewhere that contains the story of a guy that cast bullets in welding gloves for over a year . He went to a show and a guy had a bunch of moulds for sale with some sort of a plier device sticking out of some of them . Naturally he inquired as to what the purpose was an was told " they're handles to hold the hot mould while you're working with it " ...... Yep the whole time he had been casting he was holding the mould in the gloved hand without any handles at all .......

I can't even count the bumps , touches , drops , drips , and WTH were you thinking moments in my life time , got a few scars to remind I was dumb too .

[cwlongshot]

Well glad your OK Rich!!

Good lord just remindin ya to pay attention.

Scars are proof of life man dont sweat it but remember!!

God Bless,

CW

[Ural Driver]

Sorta like all the (shorts clad) motorcycle riders that have either branded a shin/calf on a hot pipe or at least melted a leg of their rain-pants......[smilie=s:

[gwpercle]

Branding !
It's all the new rage in permanent body art ... my Daughter would have charged you good money to do that ... and you did it yourself for free ...
Just have to look at the incident in a positive light ... could have been worse , the Tinsel Fairy didn't visit you !
In my case "I meant to do that" was my life statement .

Juice from an aloevera plant stem does wonders for burns ... trust me !

Not stoopid ... stuff happens when you dealing with hot things ... glad you OK .
After it heals ... it just might look real cool !
Gary

[Mk42gunner]

While I haven't (yet) set a hot mold on my skin, I did do it to the 8 oz. dead blow hammer that I used to use for cutting sprues. It was a good reminder that just about everything to do with casting is hot.

By the way, a plastic dead blow hammer is not the tool to use to drive a small diameter punch when trying to move stuck objects in automotive parts. RIP hammer.

Robert

[Chill Wills]

Not to hijack this thread and I am very glad you are mostly Okay Landowner, but, do a lot of you cast sitting down???

[Scrounge]

Not to hijack this thread and I am very glad you are mostly Okay Landowner, but, do a lot of you cast sitting down???

Couldn't speak for anyone else, but I do most of my casting sitting at a workbench when I'm casting boolits. Most other metals I've cast (or plan to cast), are done standing up/walking around.

[green mountain boy]

well i have never known a good cook who hasent branded themselves on an oven rack, so, i consider that good company. or visa versa....im glad i was never a welder.

[2A-Jay]

I do not wear shorts (wife says I have Chicken Legs. I wear Wranglers when I am casting boolets,, when I am casting ingots I wear a welders apron. Doesn't stop burned fingers though

[gunfan2]

A Buddy of mine and I were casting bullets one cold January day. He was sort of a big guy with expanded middle section. He bent over by the door of the building to pick up something and the back of his shirt came up. I grabbed one of the cold molds off of a shelf and stuck it to his back. He ran right through the door of my loading shop taking my homemade door off the hinges. It was funny, but costly!

[muskeg13]

Like someone said, and after 46 years of casting with multiple dribs, drabs and occasional unexpected splashes, with nary a burn that even left a red spot, I always cast wearing a 100% cotton undershirt, long sleeve shirt with collar, long pants, leather shoes and thin gloves, baseball cap and safety glasses. When the weather is hot, I set up a fan to provide a breeze. I would never consider casting while sitting, because doing so would permit spilled lead to pool in my lap or rest on top of my thighs, plus I've had to jump back quickly several times. It's not uncommon for me to find small specks of lead adhering to the front of my shirt or pants. It doesn't pay to get lazy when dealing with molten alloy.

[lightman]

Sorry to hear about this. Stay on top of it, you don't want an infection.

[charlie b]

I do sit when casting, always have. Have not spilled anything yet, but, a hot sprue plate has found its way to my lap every now and then. Just glad I wear gloves so when I slap it away I don't burn my fingers :)

What has been worse was while building model airplanes. Using CA glue an open bottle dropped on my pant leg. I didn't know how hot that stuff could get when it cures. Besides sticking pants to leg I had 2nd deg burn. Using the acetone to dissolve the CA hurt that much worse.

[Finster101]

Not to hijack this thread and I am very glad you are mostly Okay Landowner, but, do a lot of you cast sitting down???

Thinking the same thing. I can't work sitting down. I always stand when casting or reloading.

[44Blam]

I don't tend to worry about getting all covered up. The one thing I ALWAYS do is wear wrap eye protection. A little burn on the leg will remind you to be careful, a burn to the eye is a different thing.

[Land Owner]

The aloe is working well. I sit to cast.

[remy3424]

Kinda had that coming, sometimes we need get reminders to do the basics.

[dverna]

Important reminder for all of us.

I see pictures of people casting in sandals, short sleeve shirts, shorts, no eye protection and wonder how new, or lucky they have been. I have been burned like a suspect everyone who casts for very long has been.

After my first "accident" I bought a pair of good welders gloves.

I cast sitting down as well as I usually cast for long sessions. I use an old office chair that is adjustable for height and has casters so I can push away quickly if something bad happens. Bucket of water nearby and a fire extinguisher.

[Kylongrifle32]

Last year during a long casting cession while sitting down. After about a hour into it I guess I got tired and not paying attention. I removed the mold out from under the Lyman pot and tilted it sideways before the puddle solidified. The hot lead landed on my left thigh above my knee. I had long pants on but still have a quarter size pink spot on my leg. Last summer every time I was in shorts around my 2 year old granddaughter she would point out my boo-boo.

[OldBearHair]

In addition to all the safety gear I put the "welcome " door mat over my lap. Some of us "older" guys have trouble standing for long periods of time. Also use cushions in the chair to get the thighs angled downward.

[bedbugbilly]

Look at it this way . . . your square burn on your knee is like a "tattoo in progress". "If" you are casting in shorts . . .at some point you'll have the tinsel fairy visit and then you can have all sorts of strange scars around the perfect square . . . kind of like modern art.

I'm not laughing at you . . . burns can be a serious thing. You had an "accident" and that is why they call them "accidents" . . . they are "un-intended" but it happens. That's why they make long pants, gloves and safety glasses.

I'm old and my back can't take standing and casting any more - so I sit like you but I make sure I am covered - legs, feet, arms, hands and eyes. Just be glad that you didn't have an unforeseen issue where lead spattered ad it went all over you legs, inner things and the family jewels.

Hope you heal up quickly - be safe not sorry.

[45-70 Chevroner]

In 50 some years of casting I have never burned my self. I always wear blue jeans, long sleeve cotton shirt and tennis shoes or boots, safety glasses and a good pair of heavy gloves. Boolits stay hot for quite a while and I have picked one up with an ungloved hand a couple of times, reaction time is instantaneous, so no visible damage, except for feeling a little stupid.
My older Brother on the other hand though, got burned really bad though. He lived in Bullhead City Arizona, the temperature there in June July and August is 115 or higher during the day time. I don't know how often he did this but he was casting in the garage with the door open with a fan blowing from behind he was in shorts tea shirt slip on tennis shoes no socks and no safety glasses, he did have gloves on. He was adding one pound ingots now and then, he dropped one on the floor picked it up and slipped it in the pot in about two seconds the pot blew up he was burned on the face arms legs and a big slug of lead went down in side one of the slip on tennis shoes, his foot was burnt the worst. He's not sure what happened but he thinks when he dropped the ingot it picked up a live primer that found it's way over in the area he was casting in. It's about 15 feet from his loading bench. You never know what is lurking out there. Keep a clean loading area, always wear appropriate safety gear. You will always be about 95% safe.

[Markopolo]

don't you watch Yellowstone???? branding is part of the brotherhood!

[Burnt Fingers]

Not to hijack this thread and I am very glad you are mostly Okay Landowner, but, do a lot of you cast sitting down???


In addition to all the safety gear I put the "welcome " door mat over my lap. Some of us "older" guys have trouble standing for long periods of time. Also use cushions in the chair to get the thighs angled downward.

I HAVE to sit down. I'm very limited in how much I can stand. If I use my cane and stand straight I'm pretty good. But start leaning and the back is going to blow up.

https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B074CL79FC/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I wear shorts or a kilt 95% of the time. When casting I wear one of these aprons. It's saved me many burns. I also have some Kevlar sleeves I wear when I'm doing certain things. https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B00BHM5ZR8/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I always wear one of my right arm as it's the one that tends to be moving over the hot stuff most of the time.

[whisler]

When I cast, sitting or standing, I wear a leather welding apron as well as my other PPE. Too old to move fast so I cover up.

[VariableRecall]

Reminds me of what happened when I accidentally touched the radiator of my lawnmower with my calf! Yeeeouch!

[dondiego]

Reminds me of what happened when I accidentally touched the radiator of my lawnmower with my calf! Yeeeouch!

You've got a lawnmower with a radiator? None of my riding mowers have ever had a radiator! Don't touch my mufflers though.

[VariableRecall]

You've got a lawnmower with a radiator? None of my riding mowers have ever had a radiator! Don't touch my mufflers though.

It was the push kind, where the exhaust and stuff were all merged into one exceptionally hot portion of the engine. That was not fun. Burnt my leg hair too.

[GaryN]

That's so cool , man you're totally in with the in crowd !
Branding is so hip !
[smilie=l:

I'm just glad you didn't do something dumb like pinch that mould between your belly and your thigh or something .

Seems like there's a "yeah but I ..." thread here somewhere that contains the story of a guy that cast bullets in welding gloves for over a year . He went to a show and a guy had a bunch of moulds for sale with some sort of a plier device sticking out of some of them . Naturally he inquired as to what the purpose was an was told " they're handles to hold the hot mould while you're working with it " ...... Yep the whole time he had been casting he was holding the mould in the gloved hand without any handles at all .......

I can't even count the bumps , touches , drops , drips , and WTH were you thinking moments in my life time , got a few scars to remind I was dumb too .

Here you go Harter66. It was one of the funniest things I have read. https://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?41217-Can-you-top-this-NOPE

[murf205]

I have a new pair of brown duck Carhart's I wear to cast and they are long enough to go over the laces in my shoes. The "newness" in these overalls turn hot lead pretty well. My son donated a canvas welding jacket and along with my safety glass that covers my Rx glasses I'm good to go. Yeah, it's hot but so far, I've kept the scars to a minimum.

[todd2]

im new to the forum just starting to cast ww ingots today so your saying i need pants?:Bright idea thanks im gonna fire up the coleman

[gwpercle]

Now that I'm older I wish I could cast sitting down and I do have a tall bar stool at the bench ...
but when actually pouring lead , I ladle cast , I have to stand up ... I keep pot centered & fill mould , open mould and drop sprews in box , on left side ... open mould and drop boolits in a box on right side ... just too much reaching/moving around .
Next time casting I might try to change ... sitting down appeals to me a whole lot now!
Gary

[gwpercle]

im new to the forum just starting to cast ww ingots today so your saying i need pants?:Bright idea thanks im gonna fire up the coleman
And wear thick socks and shoes / leather ...boots are best .
I got my worst burn wearing tennis shoes with no socks ... NO FLIP-FLOPS !
Gary

[guy_with_boolits]

"Seated at the pot"...<--- hey theres your problem!

[Winger Ed.]

At age 66, I'm really getting into the 'cranky and cantankerous, old guy' thing.

I'm waiting for some youngster to ask me about my various scars and burns so I can tell them,
"Those aren't scars---- that's a war map".:bigsmyl2:

[Land Owner]

That one line from Keanu Reeves in the movie "The Replacements":

"Pain heals. Chicks dig scars. Glory lasts forever!"

At 67, only the first one matters.

[greenjoytj]

I don’t sit while casting. Always stand just in case I have to dodge something bad happening.
I wear a shop apron over long sleeves and jeans and welders gloves. The apron acquires tiny splashes of lead that I don’t see splashing on me at the time.

[white eagle]

For a price, mold makers should add a Custom Option for "raised lettering" of the purchaser's specification on the bottoms of their molds. Then, doing what I did would seem like "on purpose".

I'm sporting a new "square brand" in the skin above my left knee from a HOT new RCBS 22-55-SP mold.

Seated at the pot, I bent over, to my right, to retrieve something (now immaterial) that I dropped on the floor while holding the heated and just filled mold in my left hand. Then, DOOPH!, I unthinkingly "checked out" mentally in a senior moment and tipped the hot mold onto the knee.

That's gonna leave a mark. Hopefully, just for a while. A reminder to use due caution.

OK. Stupid is a stupid does. Color me stupid on this one.

Kind of a self branding moment

[Land Owner]

I think my reaction to it singeing the top of my leg was pretty quick and yeah, it left a mark. Thanks to aloe, maybe it is a temporary mark that will wear off as the skin underneath grows. It is a surface singe, light 2nd degree, without blister, and not 3rd degree so I think the mark's prognosis is dark today with clearing in the near future.

[Burnt Fingers]

I think my reaction to it singeing the top of my leg was pretty quick and yeah, it left a mark. Thanks to aloe, maybe it is a temporary mark that will wear off as the skin underneath grows. It is a surface singe, light 2nd degree, without blister, and not 3rd degree so I think the mark's prognosis is dark today with clearing in the near future.

No blistering means 1st degree burn.

[rintinglen]

One lesson that I can not seem to learn is that a hot boolit looks exactly like a cool one.:rolleyes:

[Chill Wills]

I don’t sit while casting. Always stand just in case I have to dodge something bad happening.
I wear a shop apron over long sleeves and jeans and welders gloves. The apron acquires tiny splashes of lead that I don’t see splashing on me at the time.

Yup. That is why I asked if many people sat down.
The thought of a lap full of liquid lead leaves me speechless.
I am in your camp with the long sleeves and cotton jeans, shop apron, welders gloves with the gauntlets. In addition to that, I make sure I have my good heavy leather boots and I always wear a clear full-face shield. The face shield accumulates a surprising number of tiny lead splats in a year. Enough that I clean them off to see better every few months. That is not due to lack of finesse or dexterity. Little micro splats happen.
I've been in the casting game since 1972 and did not start out doing this. As I grew older and smarter and then became a career fireman, protecting myself just came naturally.

If you have a disability and really can't stand, there are certainly good ways to protect yourself. The easiest and safest is to stand if you are able. I am not here to tell anyone how to do it. You are all adults. But like the saying goes, "Let's be careful out there".