Lead Use And Dangers Of Lead in Casting

I have always known that casting lead bullets is a very exciting and of course the dangers in lead casting I think that the molten lead must be treateed correctly and we know what can very well happen if so much as a drop of water drops into thr molten lead to just splatter everywhere and this can disfigure mame and even fatal burns from the molten lead I have always been VERY careful with my casting and i just want everyone to know THE DANGER IN CASTING AND AT THE SAME TIME. I NOT TRYING TO SCARE ANYONE AWAY FROM CASTING BULLETS IT'S MY FAVORITE RELOADING IS CASTING MY OWN .44 CAL REVOLVER THR 1858 ARMY BUFFALO / BISON REVOLVER 12" BARREL brass framed what do you guys have to say about casdting I am hoping that i can make some new friends and we share our love of casting I TRULY LOVE Casting my own round 44 vcal. balls for my revolver

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Originally Posted by trapper444

I have always known that casting lead bullets is a very exciting and of course the dangers in lead casting I think that the molten lead must be treateed correctly and we know what can very well happen if so much as a drop of water drops into thr molten lead to just splatter everywhere and this can disfigure mame and even fatal burns from the molten lead I have always been VERY careful with my casting and i just want everyone to know THE DANGER IN CASTING AND AT THE SAME TIME. I NOT TRYING TO SCARE ANYONE AWAY FROM CASTING BULLETS IT'S MY FAVORITE RELOADING IS CASTING MY OWN .44 CAL REVOLVER THR 1858 ARMY BUFFALO / BISON REVOLVER 12" BARREL brass framed what do you guys have to say about casdting I am hoping that i can make some new friends and we share our love of casting I TRULY LOVE Casting my own round 44 vcal. balls for my revolver

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NO! One drop of water landing on top of a lead is not going to cause some volcanic eruption! The only way for the tensile fairy to appear is if the water breaks the surface tension of the lead! Unless you’re soaking your lead ingots or wheel weights in water and then dropping them into Molten lead just ain’t gonna happen! Yes condensation on something going into the lead a wet mold etc… but the fact is one drop of water landing on top of molten lead is not going to cause a problem other than some steam! Please do some proper research before you try and perpetuate this line that floats around all the Internet! Brand new to the forum I don’t mean to be too hard on you but I just simply get tired of hearing the same lie perpetuated.

By the way welcome to the forum lots of great information on here enjoy and learn.

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Originally Posted by poppy42

NO! One drop of water landing on top of a lead is not going to cause some volcanic eruption! The only way for the tensile fairy to appear is if the water breaks the surface tension of the lead! Unless you’re soaking your lead ingots or wheel weights in water and then dropping them into Molten lead just ain’t gonna happen! Yes condensation on something going into the lead a wet mold etc… but the fact is one drop of water landing on top of molten lead is not going to cause a problem other than some steam! Please do some proper research before you try and perpetuate this line that floats around all the Internet! Brand new to the forum I don’t mean to be too hard on you but I just simply get tired of hearing the same lie perpetuated.

By the way welcome to the forum lots of great information on here enjoy and learn.

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I agree 100% with the above. I have purposely dropped water droplets on molten lead and all it does is sizzle. I have accidently dropped lead in the pot with water trapped inside that was disastrous.

If you have moisture issues with the lead that you plan to melt...preheat it to evaporate any moisture from the lead before adding it to your molten pot.

It's a good idea to preheat the molds you're pouring your alloy into . I had an old cast iron muffin pan that had some rust in it and apparently still had moisture because it spitted and spattered a bit but all was ok.

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Originally Posted by redhawk0

If you have moisture issues with the lead that you plan to melt...preheat it to evaporate any moisture from the lead before adding it to your molten pot.

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That's where the problem lies, watch out for this

another way to attack this is to start with a cold empty pot.

put the wet ingots in and as the pot heats up the moisture will be gone long before the lead is liquid.

downside is you would have to empty the pot to repeat this operation--the pot could still be hot as the wet lead being put into it would dry off, again, before the lead melted

As said, welcome to the forum. Water on top of the pot will dance around until it boils off.

However; especially if you live in a humid place-- dropping cold ingots, stirring with a wooden paint stick,
or even a cold screwdriver can get real exciting and possibly redecorate your ceiling.

Drop a primer in a 12 pound pot accidently is exciting. I did it when someone gave me loose wheel weights. I don't recall any water problems since the 80's .

I didn’t mean to jump on a new guy it just that I’ve gotten real tired of people perpetuating this lie! You really can’t imagine how many post on so many forums I’ve read with people claiming that having water in the same zip code as molten lead will cause an explosion equal to the ones from August of 1945 in Japan ( no way I’ll even attempt to spell the name’s of those two cities. I do know ther names though just in case someone was wondering Lol) I know of more than one caster that’s cooled a lead pot by slowly and carefully pouring a cup of water on it. Don’t get me wrong, I am not recommending that! Not the best move in my opinion. I call that a “here hold my beer moment, but it is done. Personally, I’ve been in the middle of a casting section and had a rain storm dumping on me and the pot. I was more concerned with disconnecting the electricity than anything to do with the molten lead.

So trapper 444, welcome to the forum! Truly a wealth of knowledge and experience here! I am extremely thankful for finding this forum! Please don’t think I was jumping on you. I had just gotten done with a rather heated discussion on an other forum about quenching buckshot straight from the mold when I read your post. So please accept my apology!

I preheat my ingots to just before melting in a cast iron pot on a hotplate. This removes all moisture and the ingots are so hot that they do not cool the pot but a few degrees when you add the ingots to the casting pot.

Like almost all endeavors some safety equipment (PPE) and common sense goes a long way. Heavy clothes, leather shoes, safety glasses goggles or face shield, ball cap, gloves, maybe an apron.This equipment will give protection to most oooppps.The biggest thing is paying atterntion to what your doing at all times. WHen you get complacent is when the accidents happen.
Starting from a cold pot, preheating ingots, keeping the pot covered when needed, the PPE, and a well ventilated areas make for safe casting.

Totally agree on the key is everything is kept moisture free as possible. I use a cheap hot plate from Wally World. I preheat ingots before going into the mix. Also put wheel weights on the plate, after sorting through first, before making into ingots. Don’t have to be melting hot, which my hot plate will do, but just pre heated to dry any residual moisture. I have never had an explosion and don’t want to. Welcome to the forum. There is such a wealth of information and experience here.

Can't get to the scars just now .

This was dry , carefully hand sorted , jacketed and plated bullets . I had three 3 gallon buckets of what amounted to jacketed , soft , hard and a 5 gallon bucket of wheel weights stacked under the end of my bench . I lived in the desert west at 4,000 ft , humidity runs about 17-21% and average annual rain fall is something like 4" . It was late September and a loose 9mm found it's way into the jacket bucket sometime between my last sort over the 4th of July weekend and the cooling days of September when I dumped the new load on top of the layer of floating jackets . 80# of melt on the floor of the drive way , instant "redneck bedazzling" up to the roof , inside of the garage door , pants , and shirt . I have burn scars just under my jaw line , left elbow crook , inside of my left forearm and back of that hand .

Attachment 322077

I also ruined a great melt pot ..........

Stuff happens , we learn from it , and adjust our methods so it doesn't happen again .
Or
Stuff happens , we blame teachers and mentors, and continue to let the same stuff happen .

At the time I had a great gig salvaging range lead with backer boxes . I was doing 3-400 lbs a quarter and getting 300# of WW a yr . Not so much now .

Wow-^^^^^^^^^^-Thanks for posting that explosion.

That's really scary! I'm going to learn from that and be more careful.

The most I have ever had go off in the pot is a stray .22 RF. Luckly, it was in a dry pot and a lid was on top, so all I got was a pop and a "What the Heck" moment.

...to date I have yet to understand whether inside the pot I had put berm scrap lead containing inside some hollow nose a still live primer or simply water or humidity_
what is certain is that I repainted the kitchen, and all in all I didn't pay too much for the lesson, especially because, being without a mask, I was relatively far away, towards the open window_

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Originally Posted by trapper444

SNIP>>>

what do you guys have to say about casdting I am hoping that i can make some new friends and we share our love of casting I TRULY LOVE Casting my own round 44 vcal. balls for my revolver

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Trapper,
Welcome to the forum.
Casting your own projectiles is a satisfying hobby, that is plenty safe if you take the proper precautions. Judging from your post in another section, you have a lot of experience. I hope you are able to easily re-equip to once again, cast your own.

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Originally Posted by wilecoyote

...to date I have yet to understand whether inside the pot I had put berm scrap lead containing inside some hollow nose a still live primer or simply water or humidity_
what is certain is that I repainted the kitchen, and all in all I didn't pay too much for the lesson, especially because, being without a mask, I was relatively far away, towards the open window_

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I had a visit from the tinsel fairy...and the culprit was a rogue live primer.

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Originally Posted by JonB_in_Glencoe

I had a visit from the tinsel fairy...and the culprit was a rogue live primer.

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"The Tinsel Fairy" ha ha! I had a visit as well, but it was not boolit casting that lead to it (no pun intended). When I was pouring a lead and oakum cast iron soil pipe joint, I did not realize that water had risen inside the bottom pipe while I was waiting for the pot to heat. I won't forget the "pop" it made, nor the sight of lead burning holes in paper-backed insulation all over the walls and ceiling. Luckily I was dressed in heavy Carhardt bibs and had glasses and gloves. Did not get burned!
Be careful melting range lead because of pockets in deformed bullets containing water droplets, as mentioned above.

Casting with my son in the shade under a tree on the grass with the Lee pot when a large green grasshopper fell in from above it emptied the pot.

I've only had one incident with molten lead blasting out of the pot. I was melting some pure lead cable sheathing after pulling all the electrical wires out of it. The sheath was maybe 1.25 inches in diameter. I had folded it over and flattened it with a hammer so I could get more of it in the pot at once. This was stuff I had got from the scrap yard that had been stored outside so it had moisture inside. Well, when folded and flattened like that, I had created multiple small volume closed chambers with moisture inside. Once I got going I was adding these pieces into molten metal as I never let the pot go dry so it would melt faster. As it melted I was going back out of the garage to beat more lead flat on the tailgate of my truck. Thankfully I was out there when I heard an odd sound on the loading bench. The 20lb pot pretty much emptied itself instantly all over the wall and bench. That's when I stopped using goggles and bought a full face shield just for bullet casting. Also started cutting that sheathing lengthwise to open it up to dry!

I ladle cast, use a long-handled stainless steel spoon for skimming and fluxing and flux with Marvelux. I have to brush off the Marvelux white residue from the ladle and spoon and be careful when introducing a cold ladle or spoon into the molten alloy. Marvelux residue is hydroscopic (absorbs water from the air) and cold steel ladles and spoons create condensation. Always wear a long sleeve cotton shirt, hat with a bill, safety glasses and leather gloves. Don't get lazy or you'll eventually get burned by splatter.

I honestly love casting. First, I get the lead for free and don't mind cleaning and separating the JHP for the hardcast lead. I even wash out the wood backstop debri and dirt and recently cast 40lbs of that lead as sinkers for my fisherman brother. Then, I save money from buying most bullets so I can use my money to buy primers and powder. I like experimenting with the lead alloys I recover like JHP lead, .22lr lead, and pellet lead.

Casting has its dangers. When I was HS, I was casting diving weights for my brothers using the metal shop furnace. I filled a pipe with a plate welded to the bottom with wheel weights and placed it in the furnace. Another guy started helping me place the weights into a drum of water. One hot day I started to removed my safety gear from the apron to the shield. Meanwhile the other guy was dipping the tool I used to remove debri into water. I moved too fast grabbing the tool and inserted the - still wet - into the molten metal. The water instantly turned into steam and forced all the lead over it (20lbs worth) through the pipe and hitting the shop ceiling. I was looking directly over the pipe, hearing the sound, I closed my eyes and turned quick but still caught lead. The burn was hot and dry. I felt classmates pulling me over to the water tank and splashing water in my face. At the hospitall they, were pulling the dead skin and cutting it, then cutting the skin that melted over my eyelids. Fortunately, my eyelids protected my eyeballs.

50 years later I took up casting bullets. You think I'd learn from my last experience. I was more cautious and wore glasses that's all. One day, the lead I cleaned looked dry so I thought I'd give it a try and cast ingots. Nope, the darn stuff spat up lead. So now, I just let the lead dry for a month or more to dry.

Then there is the fumes and lead debri. Rainy days are casting days for me. The wind blows the fumes away. I wash and rinse the floor, take a shower, and was my cloths thoroughly.
I don't think lead is as dangerous as the public claims. Just don't breath the fumes and eat it. Leave your area clean. Those that want to warn me are told about the mercury demo in Science class when I was young. Remember when the science teacher use to drop some mercury in our hands?! What about our fillings of lead and mercury. Those sound more dangerous to me. Look at us bullet casters. I'm okay. How about the rest of you?

I try to be careful, but every once in awhile, I lapse.

A couple years ago, I was rocking along just fine. I got done with a session, and was cleaning up.
I had little sprue chips & the splatters from filling molds all over the place.
I turn and drop into a bucket of water, so the floor is a little wet.........

My 20 pound Pro-Melt was about 3/4 full. I unplugged it, swept the floor, and without thinking,
dumped the dust pan back into the pot.

It, and about another 5-6 pounds of Lead jumped right back up out of there. Most of it is still stuck on the shop ceiling.
It Lead plated my jacket, I had some burns on my hand, and a big drop went down into my shoe.

My safety glasses looked like the mirrored sun glasses Beaufort T. Justice wore in "Smokie and the Bandit".