casting ventilation

[Angus in Wyoming]

I posted this on another forum and have not really received any new ideas. Anyway I have been casting in the garage with the aid of an old kitchen range hood that vents outside. This works well. I am just finishing my new shop!!! I want to dedicate a corner for casting in it and want something better/cooler than the old kitchen hood. Any ideas, pictures, or suggestions?? Thanks Angus

[Angus in Wyoming]

I mean casting not castung-----sorry

[HeavyMetal]

The kitchen range hood is still the best idea for inside casting!

You can make something that looks nicer out of wood, stainless steel. or plain sheet metal or you can just go buy a newer better looking range hood and fan.

But I don't think you'll fnd a better "mouse trap"

[ANeat]

Here is mine

http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h165/aneat/Lead/rcbs.jpg

Here is a thread with some more

http://www.castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?t=58275


Probably do a little search and come up with more

[Marlin Hunter]

I use a 3M face mask #6300 with P100 filters #2091 or #2096.

#2096 has charcoal in the filter to neutralize ozone gasses.

I bought mine from my local Airgas supplier (welding supplier)

http://www.airgas.com/browse/product_list.aspx?catID=345&WT.svl=345

here is the 3M site with a similar but different number filter. Notice the P100 says its good for metal pouring, soldering, and exposure to lead.

http://solutions.3m.com/wps/portal/3M/en_US/Health/Safety/Products/Catalog/?PC_7_RJH9U5230GE3E02LES9MG812H2_nid=GSK5FR2ZFYgsF 3RH7CD92NglS6G9N9F4VMbl

[RP]

I got a fan from the HVAC dealer in town what it is a booster fan you add inside your duct to increase the air flow for longer runs. Cost was about 20 bucks I got the 6 inch one which in already in a pipe like a stove pipe. I dont have it right over my pot but is above it and off to the side piped out of my shop with a sheild to keep the rain out. Plave the motor as far away from the pot as you can because plastic fan blades and lighting flux on fire will damage them. Its quite and low elecltical draw but keeps the smoke from fluxing out of my shop so that tells me its sucking out the bad stuff as well best thing is that its not in the way or noisey. Oh and fairly cheap.

[cheese1566]

Hey there from neighboring South Dakota!

I have made several ventilating fans from old furnace blowers. Keep an out for old junk furnaces for them. I made two that are portable on wheels and use regular furnace filters for common dust and shop work. Just build a box around them out of scrap plywood and put casters on the bottom.

I put another in the attic above the melter in the garage and piped it outside away from the windows and doors. Powerful fans!!

[Dale53]

I have a furnace squirrel cage blower with a built in "hood" in my dedicated casting station in my utility shed. It IS a problem, tho'. It is TOO good. It sucks all of the heat out in the winter time and all of the "cool" from my window air conditioner in the summer time. I am installing an inline fan for a dryer vent, vented to the outside with a clothes dryer flapper valve. It will be mounted at right angles to and quite close to the top of my RCBS bottom draw pot. It will work VERY well but move a lot smaller volume of air. That way, I will have positive ventilation and retain the heat and cold for more comfortable casting.

Dale53

[mdi]

I believe I saw an earlier post w/pics about a range hood ventilating system. I liked it so much I saved the pics on my computer and did research for a stainless steel hood for my new shop. It has lights and filters along with a "quiet" fan. Unit is avail at Lowes (haven't urchased it yet, I have to move first!). Best idea I've seen yet.

[Dale53]

Thinking about the "Ideal", if I had it to do all over again, I would install a range hood (you can often find discarded ones from "fire jobs" - kitchen fires often cosmetically damage the range hood but it is still in good working condition). The Ideal range hood would have a rheostat to vary the fan speed. That way, you could have it on high when fluxing and lower it for casting - quiet but still would have "positive ventilation"....

I will not be changing my "hood" motor until it dies, but if and when it does, I will install a motor that allows the speed to be adjusted. That would be a nice, useful addition.

FWIW
Dale53

[MtGun44]

Does everyone understand that the ventilation is for the smoke and fumes from
fluxing, not to get rid of lead vapors? This is very important to keep from stinking
up the house and making the wife unhappy, which is a very bad thing.

I have heard many worry about lead vapor, but the vapor pressure of molten lead
at the temps we use is near enough to zero that there is essentially no lead vapor
present.

Your biggest exposure to lead vapor would be at an indoor range from the lead
in the primers being burned and blown out the bbl.

Bill

[leadman]

I used to be a certified hazardous waste worker by OSHA and have my concerns over fumes coming off a lead pot when in use.
If you look at my posting here "I've become a closet caster" you will see what I concocted to deal with this. I chose doing this as an easily broken down unit so I can move it if I want.
I do try to keep my temps below 800' when casting but when the wind would gust I was able to smell the odor from the pots and also was getting a metallic taste on my lips. I was also getting a sore throat and did not feel very good. I have used approx. 2,500 to 3,000 pounds of lead in the last 6 weeks.
I have a 5,500CFM evaporative cooler in the roof over the garage bay next to my casting area and behind me. I was also running 3 fans facing out of the garage from behind me.
Lead may not start to vaporize until 1,100', but that does not mean that something else in the pot is not carrying microscopic lead particles, or other harmful particles from contaminates.

I do have my blood checked for lead annually, but am going to have the Doc check it again on Monday. If it is high I will wear a respirator but will need to shave off the beard.
It is best IMHO to cast with a system that will not allow you to detect any odor from the pot.

[HeavyMetal]

It amazes me how many people worry about lead "vapors" in and around a casting pot but never think they might be exposed somewhere else.

Even the range takes a back seat to the lowly brass cleaner! Particularly the viberating type!

A chapter in Lee"s reloading manual second edition address's a Lee family friend who's lead levels were very high and his attempt to find out where he was being exposed with a "Lead Meter" .

Casting area was almost spotless but the unit went nuts when he got near the area he used his dillon type tumbler in!

Since I read that a few years ago I got a nice MSA type dust mask and use it when ever I clean brass!

Will suggest others do the same!

[leadman]

HeavyMetal, you are correct in that there are many ways to be exposed to lead. I have an RCBS Trimmate tool for preping cases. Quite a pile of the residue from cleaning the priming pockets can build up quickly. I use a damp rag to clean up the tool, then Simple Green and another rag. I use disposable shop towels so I don't have to worry about contaminating the washer.
I have only fired in an indoor range twice, both times for CCW renewal. Did not like it at all.
Fortunately the outdoor range that I shoot at the wind seems to keep the residue from shooting off of me.

[clodhopper]

I can't think of any thing better suited that a lighted range hood equiped with a blower. I have two pieces if plywood, one one on each side so only the front is open.
Would like to add a hinged peice of plexiglass hanging down to just over pot height to prevent water splash from quenching. I waste time casting when a rapidly cooling bullet gets hung up on the antisplash cloth on top the bucket.
Bought mine at the local re-store had to keep comming back to get one with squirrel cage and good light. It has convient switches. 20 bucks.
I am sure you can spend more

[flagman1776]

The Ventilation should not be a problem if you don't over heat the pot... if it's hot enough to vaporize you're screwed anyways! 700-750 is all you need.

I had a local tin knocker build me a large hood adapted to a 12" round duct with a fan. I cut a round hole in a plywood panel to go between wall studs. I boxed the section with 2x4s above & below & installed steel self closing louvers on the outside. Calked everything.

It didn't cost all that much to fabricate. The down side was it was just above my eye level & walked into it or stood up under it several times! Think I'd learn! The edge wears orange stray paint for that reason!
The hood was big enough I could bring my scrap melter under it next to the BulletMaster for melting scrap & then alloying each batch.

In studies I've seen, lead workers who ate or smoked on the job were very likely to contaminate themselves. I didn't smoke & made a point to not eat or drink in the shop & wash my hands before doing anything else.

After 2 years of daily bullet work, my labs were negative.
Russ

[ra_balke]

I cast outside, on the back porch, and only under a little breeze, and if there is no breeze, I set up a fan.

I never never cast in any sort of closed place ! NEVER !

[bearcove]

I work at a DOE site. We get classes on exposure to all sorts of metals. Exposure to lead vapor from a casting pot is not the issue. All cases of serious lead poisoning is from particulate. That includes sanding lead based paint or grinding and cutting solid lead. Then you breath and eat it. Lead oxides also are easy to get on your hands and then ingest. WASH YOUR HANDS! AND GOOD!:drinks:

[Edubya]

I mounted an attic fan in the wall right behind my RCBS caster. I had to move the unit over a foot so that the airflow didn't cool off my mould so quickly.
I stopped casting outdoors when a bird flew over and dropped a warning bomb on my arm. I realized that that could have been in the molten lead and shut everything down, moved inside.
EW

[jcwit]

I work at a DOE site. We get classes on exposure to all sorts of metals. Exposure to lead vapor from a casting pot is not the issue. All cases of serious lead poisoning is from particulate. That includes sanding lead based paint or grinding and cutting solid lead. Then you breath and eat it. Lead oxides also are easy to get on your hands and then ingest. WASH YOUR HANDS! AND GOOD!

How true, how true.
Also, unless you're REALLY heating up your lead pot you'll never get any lead vapors from the melt.

[lurch]

Amen to the non-existence of any significant amount of lead vapor at casting temperatures. Vapor pressure at these temperatures is less than 10^-6 (0.000001) atmospheres. If that isn't next to nothing, I don't know what is. See:

http://www.powerstream.com/z/vapor-press1-big.png

All you need for ventilation is to get the smoke from fluxing out. Keep your hands away from your pie hole and you'll be fine. Wash thoroughly afterwards. Use a dust mask when cleaning out your pot with a wire brush (that is best done outside).

Nothing that hasn't been said several times above. It does amaze me that there are so many that absolutely insist that a casting pot is the Devil's own invention for poisoning folks... :veryconfu

[lurch]

After looking at that chart myself a bit more, the lowest vapor pressure listed is 10 ^-10 atmospheres (0.0000000001). at 600 deg C for lead. If you're casting at 600C (over 1100 degrees F) you're doing something wrong.

[Lloyd Smale]

my new shop will have a range hood. i really didnt want any more power then that provided as the shop is heated and most of my casting is in the winter and a stronger fan would just suck the heat right out of the room. Like was said the lead vapors arent the major consern. The biggest purpose it does is take out the smoke.

[BIG GUN]

I have been casting for over 50 years. First on the kitchen stove, Then a Coleman stove, and finally using bottom pour furnaces. I have never used forced ventilation but my wife insisted that I was becomming braindead. I was tested and the return was no significant sign of lead in my bloodstream.
I believe that people react to lead injestion in various manners.

[Fugowii]

Amen to the non-existence of any significant amount of lead vapor at casting temperatures. Vapor pressure at these temperatures is less than 10^-6 (0.000001) atmospheres. If that isn't next to nothing, I don't know what is. See:

http://www.powerstream.com/z/vapor-press1-big.png

All you need for ventilation is to get the smoke from fluxing out. Keep your hands away from your pie hole and you'll be fine. Wash thoroughly afterwards. Use a dust mask when cleaning out your pot with a wire brush (that is best done outside).

Nothing that hasn't been said several times above. It does amaze me that there are so many that absolutely insist that a casting pot is the Devil's own invention for poisoning folks... :veryconfu

I am assuming that vapor pressure is the action of the element to give off vapors
(harmful or otherwise) so you are essentially telling us that minuscule/negligible
amounts of harmful lead vapor are emitted from lead when casting or smelting.
Do I have this correct? Have I paraphrased this correctly?

[Patrick L]

I know you've all seen these before, but here's mine:


http://i204.photobucket.com/albums/bb157/patrickl_01/Casting%20cabinet/GunStuff038.jpg

http://i204.photobucket.com/albums/bb157/patrickl_01/Casting%20cabinet/GunStuff005.jpg

Enclosed cabinet with a plexiglass "garage door" type front, a stove range hood vented right out the window. Everything nice and self contained.

[RP]

lol bird dropping a warning some guys just have luck i can relate to this fellow

[leadman]

Been on vacation for awhile, but before the vacation doc said my blood lead level rose from 3 to 12. Haven't cast in 3 weeks so will have it checked again next week. Going to use my "closet" I made and a respirator. Will wear disposable gloves and pay strict attention to hygeine when I start casting and making shot again.
12 isn't bad, just enough to cause me to review my procedures. I did go thru over a ton of lead in a short time. Just felt like I should be checked.

[jcwit]

Might want to check what you're drinking your coffee out of. Made in china mug?

This has been known to cause lead levels to rise.

[lurch]

I am assuming that vapor pressure is the action of the element to give off vapors
(harmful or otherwise) so you are essentially telling us that minuscule/negligible
amounts of harmful lead vapor are emitted from lead when casting or smelting.
Do I have this correct? Have I paraphrased this correctly?

Exactly. You need to get to a vapor pressure of 1 atmosphere for boiling to occur, which would obviously give off lots of vapor. We are talking 10 orders of magnitude below this level even at silly high casting temperatures. At some point the lead will give off enough vapor to be an issue, but nowhere near any sane casting/smelting temperature. Your risk of lead poisoning is much greater from getting dross on your hands and then doing something that gets your hands to your mouth. Keep your area clean, wash thoroughly afterwards, keep the dross can closed (I use an old steel coffee can with a lid), take precautions not to inhale the dust you get when cleaning your empty pot, don't smoke/eat/drink while casting or until you have washed up and you'll be fine.

[Lloyd Smale]

dont get to conserned. When i was being treated for lead poisoning my levels woud bounce 10 points from test to test. The blood test isnt a pinpoint accurate test. If you want an accurate reading have them do the hair test. plus my doctor told me that it isnt a big consern unless numbers in an adult male get over 20. x]'of
Been on vacation for awhile, but before the vacation doc said my blood lead level rose from 3 to 12. Haven't cast in 3 weeks so will have it checked again next week. Going to use my "closet" I made and a respirator. Will wear disposable gloves and pay strict attention to hygeine when I start casting and making shot again.
12 isn't bad, just enough to cause me to review my procedures. I did go thru over a ton of lead in a short time. Just felt like I should be checked.