Casting in cold weather.

[Mal Paso]

Casting indoors? What about the mess cause by tiny lead splashes. I try not to create any lead splashing but at the end of the casting session my apron has dozens of tiny dots of shinny lead on it and the garage floor does too. I never saw any of these splashes occur but the evidence that they did is all over my apron and floor.
I can’t imagine cleaning up after an indoor casting session, even using a floor covering which will just end up a trip hazard creating an even bigger mess.

That's what shops are for. So glad when I got mine out of the house but I do what I have to.

There are no lead fumes to speak of at normal casting temperatures, the boiling point of lead is 3,180F. I only melt clean alloy inside so the only fumes are a very little beeswax. I have never cast boolits outside. Not only is it safer to work in a warm stable environment but outside, the Condors would grab my lead the minute my back was turned.

[dale2242]

I cast indoors in my heated shop.
I don`t have any special venting system.
I cast in a pretty large area, 20X60 and have a small fan running to cool my molds when the sprue gets to taking too long to solidify.
It is kind of smelly when I flux with pine shavings and candle wax but I light the smoke.
I have cast this way for well over 50 years and have had no issues.

[GregLaROCHE]

I only cast outside. I have a nice covered spot under the roof of my firewood storage area. I’m blocked from the wind and don’t get cold unless it’s below freezing and then it’s just my feet. It does take longer to melt ingots in the casting pot though and you need to keep your rythme going so the mold doesn’t cool down too much.

[dearslayer]

I built this little box frame this evening before work to exhaust fumes out under the garage door. Hope to try it the next couple days to see if or how it works.

[greenjoytj]

I put my furnace on a platform to raise it higher so it’s easier to see and aim the lead stream into the molds fill holes.

Also I constructed a hot plate cover from a large steel can that sits open end down on the hot plate heating element. The can acts like an oven retaining heat around the mold.
I used a Costco large peanut can. I cut a classic shape mouse hole in the can side side above the rim (keep the rim intact it stabilizes the can sides).
This can is large enough to insert a 45 cal. 6 cavity LEE commercial mold.
When the weather is warmer I’ll spray the can with flat black high paint.
A thin steel plate keep the aluminum mold block off the hot plate heating element.

[blue32]

I tell them we have two seasons January and Summer

More like January and wet blanket.