Silicone baking mats

[John in WYO]

The comments about using silicone gloves while casting made me eye my wife's baking mats.....

Have any of you guys used one under your pot?

One might have helped the table top when my Lee pot spout locked open and drained it.

[bangerjim]

1st.....you should not be casting and working with lead on a food table top, if that is what you are concerned about. Avoid working with lead around any potable anything....expecially the kitchen.

2nd.......The silicon sheet will insulate somewhat, but will thansfer high heat readily thru it and probably somewhat damage the underlying surface. That is why you need to put down a 1/2" piece of plywood of the correct size if the surface you are casting on is damageable. Most casting BENCHES are built to take lead spills.

banger

[John in WYO]

Who knew the cherry Amish dining table would scorch like that?

Thanks, Jim.
Never fear, no food products were exposed during the draining of the pot,
but the cardboard between the pot and the folding,cheap, vinyl-topped card table let the heat go through to the cheap, vinyl covering which didn't fare so well. Grin.

Since that little excursion, I've cast more on the same table, WITH plywood on top of it.

I was thinking about something that would keep the small pieces of lead that sometimes occur, from sticking to the plywood (making cleanup easier when I want to fix a sammich).

And I just built a 40x80x16 shop where the casting shall take place in the future.

[tazman]

I use a sided cookie sheet under my lead pot as an emergency catch basin. Under that is a folded beach towel for insulation.
I haven't needed the catch basin much yet for it's intended purpose but it makes a dandy place to knock the sprue scrap into.

[Ballistics in Scotland]

They would surely be very good for separating layers of black powder cake, for those who press it before corning.

[John in WYO]

I use a sided cookie sheet under my lead pot as an emergency catch basin. Under that is a folded beach towel for insulation.

The sided cookie sheet is a great idea. I'll be raiding the kitchen soon.

Being from Illinois, you probably have as much need for a Beach towel as I do here. My wife heads to the Beach in North Carolina when she wants/needs to get away from the plains. Snowing here. Again.

[bangerjim]

Your new shop sounds really nice for casting and a whole bunch of man-cave stuff!

I have lived in WY before and know olde man winter up there! You will need a good woodstove for that shop. I heated mine that way and was warm and cozy.

banger

[Iron Mike Golf]

I put a Harbor Freight welding blanket under my pot.

[VHoward]

My casting "bench" is a roll around metal tool cabinet that is about 40 years old. The wheels are old and don't roll well anymore. It is stable though and spilling molten lead on it is not a problem. It comes right up and gets put into the smelt pot when it does.

[Yodogsandman]

I also put a cookie pan under my pot in case of spills or a runaway spigot. A sheet of sheet metal on top of the table will make all those little splatter spots easy to clean up (for sammich making).

[VintageRifle]

I would look into a better table to keep your lead pot on. Those cheap folding tables are commonly called card tables. Basically they are safe to hold a deck of cards and no more. Nothing like having one of the legs not lock right and the items on the table coming down on you.

The place I work for sells machines ranging from a couple hundred dollars all the way to 15K. You would be amazed at how many people think a cheap folding table will hold a 60lbs in embroidery machine and accessories. They do make industrial grade folding tables will work just fine.

I setup a temp table once for casting. Didn't have the pot turned on and was lucky. Caught the edge of the table with my foot and brought it all down.

Just be careful.

[mold maker]

Most silicon is designed for less than 4oo degree use. It deteriorates rapidly at excess temps. While there are some high temp materials they are much more expensive, and unlikely encountered.
Some silicone gives off really irritating gasses as they scorch or burn.

[Tom W.]

And what about using one for pan loobing? Not a mat, but a pan....?

[VHoward]

No problem using a silicone pan for pan lubing since your not going to exceed 400 degrees f.

[edctexas]

I had some scrap tile backer board which the contractor left. It was behind the tile next to the oven and stove. You can pour melt on it and it doesn't burn. That is the top of the plywood top held up by 4x4legs. I can sit on my bench so the pot will not break it.

You might also consider gypsum wall board. Some of it is fire rated too.

Ed C

[kodiak1]

So if 400 F is it's max operating temp then dropping cast bullets on it would probably leave on with shtuff stuck to his new bullets as they would melt in till they cooled some.... Just thinking.

[tazman]

So if 400 F is it's max operating temp then dropping cast bullets on it would probably leave on with shtuff stuck to his new bullets as they would melt in till they cooled some.... Just thinking.

Correct. I have had that problem with the occasional piece of plastic that got in contact with a dropped boolit.

[rodsvet]

I sit my Promelt in a 9x12 cake pan from Walmart ($6). It will contain 30+ lbs. Put the Promelt or what ever pot you have up on 4 ingots under the corners. I've only had one runaway and that was a clip from a fishing weight stuck in the spout. I was pouring straight linotype, so when the alloy set up, I hit it with a hammer and remelted the pieces on my next session. Cheap insurance for $6. Rod

[mtgrs737]

I wipe down the steel top of my casting table with WD-40. I also use bullplate on my blued metal parts on my RCBS melter and WD-40 on the painted surfaces of the pot. I don't drench the WD-40 on but a thin film will allow the splatters to clean up easily.

[10x]

I use a sided cookie sheet under my lead pot as an emergency catch basin. Under that is a folded beach towel for insulation.
I haven't needed the catch basin much yet for it's intended purpose but it makes a dandy place to knock the sprue scrap into.

This ^^
I use a piece of gyprock (Drywall) under my pot to insulate.

And I never use a bottom pour pot without having a sided cookie sheet under it.
A large cookie sheet catches bits and drips and sprues , rather than return to the pot while casting, they get put into the next melt.