Have you ever blown up your lead pot?

[Tazza]

I second the not washing part, it melts, i flux and the rubbish floats and i skim it off.

A buddy was melting some scrap he got from a friend, there was a live primer in the mix. The lead spray didn't hit him, but he was not surprisingly a bit cranky about it. Could have been a lot worse.

[jmorris]

I was given a bunch of lynotype by a friend and it heated up just fine but once I added to the melt (making ingots, that's pretty common) and it erupted all the way to the 19ft ceiling. I was wearing a leather welding apron, safety helmet and gloves but still got a little on one of my wrists. Had I been wearing shorts and flip flops I would have been F___ed.

As you can tell I felt a little uneasy about the ink on them and was right. I melted all the rest down from a cold start with no problems.

[Tazza]

Holy c__p, I'd never expect that it would erupt like that. I have never had issues putting lino into a molten pot. I some times get a little bubble on dry lead, but nothing like that from ink.

You were very lucky you were all covered up, lead doesn't take long to burn skin.

[Drm50]

I knew a guy that got a bunch of 1/2" lead water pipe (ID). He had it out laying beside his garage. He only does ML bullets & fishing sinkers. He was running out of lead in his pot, so
he decides to bring in the pipe. He cut it into pot size pieces with a axe on a block. This crimped
the ends shut and trapped water inside this "capsule". He proceeds to put these in 1/2 pot of
molten lead. He was lucky also, got minor burns and lead blown all over his casting area. I never
melt dirty lead in my electric pot. All scrap is melted outside on propane burner, to be skimmed
and Fluxed. Then poured into 20lb pot, where it is skimmed and Fluxed again, before pouring
into ingots.

[ghh3rd]

I was looking at this thread again and happened to remember using a piece of 1" dowel rod that I found to stir my pot. As soon as I put the stick into the lead the pot began rumbling and the stick was shaking violently. The stick must have had moisture in it - fortunately no visit from the fairy.

[Walks]

I had A weird one a few days ago. Turned on my RCBS Pro-Melt to 650degrees to melt a full pot of alloy. Pot had sat unused for almost 10yrs. (Medical reasons) Was left full of alloy. Put it on the patio picnic table where I always cast. Went about getting my casting gear in order. Back and forth garage to patio. After about 20 min I came back to a REALLY WEIRD sight. The pot had "geysered" and was pouring lead out of the bottom spout. Glad I had left an ingot mold under the spout. There was a hole sorta in the middle of the top of the still hard lead. Splattered lead in a 3ft circle. I turned the pot all the way to max. I filled two & half ingot molds before I could shut off the spout. Pot soon melted what was left in it. I added back in the alloy from the ingots, fluxed and started casting without any further problems. I think I'll call RCBS and ask about it. After 30+yrs maybe the old pot needs a tune up.

[Tazza]

That is not un-common really. When it's full of lead, the base melts, possibly expands a little that lifts the rod that is meant to stop lead pouring out, you can't stop it till that rod can move and create a seal again.

When i put my MC to bed with a half or higher pot, it can dribble when i turn it on another day.

[M-Tecs]

Water on the surface

[M-Tecs]

Under the surface

[Ilwil]

Yes, by reloading. Do not reload, particularly, do not re-prime in the same area. You will start dropping primers. When you start sweeping up lead splatters and other bits, and add them to a hot pot, you may get a report like the crack of doom and an instant redo to the garage décor. Ask me how I know....

[NoAngel]

Unless the pot is up to temp and ready to cast, I ALWAYS have a small cast iron skillet that sits perfectly on top of my pot. I lay another lead ingot in the skillet to weight it down. I have yet to have the tinsel fairy give me grief since I started that practice. I have seen that skillet rattle around a time or two and said to myself, thank you little skillet!
Having warm ingots to add to the mix helps reduce problems too. When adding ingots to a pot, I use a pair of channel lock pliers and tilt the skillet up just enough to slip the ingot in and quickly cover the pot again.
This also reduces smoke from the saw dust I flux with.

If you think you're being too safe, you are NOT. The tinsel fairy is a b!tch and we all hate her guts.

[leadbutt]

Long story short..... yes.

[scarry scarney]

I emptied a RCBS 20lbs once. Went to stir the pot, must of been just a tiny bit of moisture on the spoon. BOOM! Was wearing a full face shield, jacket and welding gloves. Everything covered with shiny lead. But no exposed skin. Not that I want to repeat it. I laugh about the incident, but will always wear the full face shield.

[rmark]

yes, from a little ladle size pot that my dad was casting lead soldiers from. Lead splattered across the kitchen ceiling. Luckily no one in there at that moment (dad was wearing safety glasses).

[Bula]

Glad no one was hurt. Thanks for the post. Reminders are always welcome.

[lightman]

I have not had a full fledged visit from the Fairy but I did get a little hiss from Her once when I dipped a cold spoon into the molten lead. I guess it had a little moisture on it. Now I play any tools through the gas flame before they go into the melt. I even put the ingot molds through the heat or float them on top for a minute.

Now I did have a buddy turn my casting table over (don't ask) and spill 10# of lead and my original 10# Lyman pot. We both got a coating of lead on our pants legs and boots. I guess it cooled when it hit the ground and splashed because neither of us were burned. It was exciting for a second or two though!

[firebyprolong]

I will tell you that you always need to watch the overhead as well. When I was a teenager I used to smelt in 100 lb homemade brake drum pot over a propane burner. Great set up, had fire brick around the pot to concentrate heat up around the pot. So in the middle of summer I set up under the trees for a little shade. In the heat it was a nice set up. What I dident realize is that the amount of heat it takes to get 100lb of WW's to molten is the same amount of heat it takes to kill the end of the walnut branch about 8 ft directly abouve the pot. As soon as I got the works fluxed a bunch of 3 green walnuts dropped straight in. The initial splash sent me and my brother running but the following steam explosion sent lead the better part of 10 ft in the air in about an 8ft radius. We got away with only minor small burns and a little bit of armor plate. The rest of the general area looked like an ice storm had hit and we caught hell from the old man after he stopped laughing. Those 3 little walnuts blew all but 20lb of lead out of that pot. After that I have fair amount of respect for the tinsel fairy and take great pains to avoid her.