leadman
10-21-2009, 02:05 AM
Awhile back I posted my "Casting Closet" I made to help me avoid increasing my blood lead level which had gone from less than 3 to 12.9.
Today I used Lead Check swabs to test myself and my casting closet for accumulated lead. I tested 2 pieces of aluminum plate after cleaning for lead before I started making shot. None showed with the swab, but the wood I rest my moulds on to close them did.
I had my Littleton, a #20 Lee pot, and a pan on a hot plate all on at the same time. None of the molten lead temperatures went above 800' today or since I made the closet.
I taped one small piece of plate to the front of my shirt, the other plate to the side wall of the closet just off my left shoulder. After 5 hours of making shot I tested the plates and my respirator that I was wearing. No lead showed.
I then tested the wood that my 20" box fan rests on behind the pots, pulling away the smoke, etc. This wood was not cleaned prior to testing and has been in place since I built the closet.
This tested a very bright pink for lead!
This tells me that lead, probably in a dust type form, is leaving my lead pots. This also tells me that my closet and fan contraption are doing what they were designed to. This will not make me put aside my respirator though.
I am going to develop my closet further by enclosing the top to help the fan draw away the fumes from the pots. Don't think it is necessary, but can't hurt.
I think it would be prudent of fellow casters to develop a positive method of ventilation with fans blowing from behind or fans sucking any fumes. I was using fans and in the summer a 5500cfm swamp cooler from behind me but the strong swirling winds would sometimes blow from my pots to me. This is why I built the 3 sided closet to prevent the winds from doing this.
Today I used Lead Check swabs to test myself and my casting closet for accumulated lead. I tested 2 pieces of aluminum plate after cleaning for lead before I started making shot. None showed with the swab, but the wood I rest my moulds on to close them did.
I had my Littleton, a #20 Lee pot, and a pan on a hot plate all on at the same time. None of the molten lead temperatures went above 800' today or since I made the closet.
I taped one small piece of plate to the front of my shirt, the other plate to the side wall of the closet just off my left shoulder. After 5 hours of making shot I tested the plates and my respirator that I was wearing. No lead showed.
I then tested the wood that my 20" box fan rests on behind the pots, pulling away the smoke, etc. This wood was not cleaned prior to testing and has been in place since I built the closet.
This tested a very bright pink for lead!
This tells me that lead, probably in a dust type form, is leaving my lead pots. This also tells me that my closet and fan contraption are doing what they were designed to. This will not make me put aside my respirator though.
I am going to develop my closet further by enclosing the top to help the fan draw away the fumes from the pots. Don't think it is necessary, but can't hurt.
I think it would be prudent of fellow casters to develop a positive method of ventilation with fans blowing from behind or fans sucking any fumes. I was using fans and in the summer a 5500cfm swamp cooler from behind me but the strong swirling winds would sometimes blow from my pots to me. This is why I built the 3 sided closet to prevent the winds from doing this.