I stand corrected and am happy the risks are lower than I have thought.
Once that single drop gets UNDER the surface it expands 3,000x and that can help empty a pot! Most of the time the water is trapped in or on a piece of lead tin or flux.
The errant drop on top of the melt is no lightweight either. I've had it pop hard enough to put lead in my hair and on my glasses. I was water-dropping bullets and had a drop of water on the bottom of the mold that went straight for the molten lead. It won't empty the pot but, the explosion to steam can put enough lead in the air that you won't want to be standing over it.
Peeling lead dots off your face will teach you to run the mold bottom across a towel every time.
In all, the .41 Magnum would be one of my top choices for an all-around handgun if I were allowed to have only one. - Bart Skelton
I washed a bucket of ww lead Friday, laid it out to dry all day Saturday in the sun. Put it back in dry bucket Sunday, started smelting Monday night. After 2 or 3 rounds into the pot I hear a ZAP! ZAZZLE! POP! and some splatters go flying. NEVER assume the weights are dry is my new motto. BTW - my solution was to put the next round in a pan to sit on top while melting the current batch. Helped to hold in the heat, preheat the next weights and DRY them.
Since tin melts at 450 F, I don't know how it could carry the water under the surface, but if that is how it works, it must have. Nearly all the lead came out of my pot and ended up on my gloved hand. It is easy to get rid of a 10 to 15 pound glove Just swing it down. I couldn't get rid of it fast enough! Glad I had the glove on. Might have lost the use of my hand ;-( There were a few little splatters on me and my glasses, but no severe injury. I always preheat hot enough to dry most of my lead before I add it even if it has been indoors for years
BP | Bronze Point | IMR | Improved Military Rifle | PTD | Pointed |
BR | Bench Rest | M | Magnum | RN | Round Nose |
BT | Boat Tail | PL | Power-Lokt | SP | Soft Point |
C | Compressed Charge | PR | Primer | SPCL | Soft Point "Core-Lokt" |
HP | Hollow Point | PSPCL | Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" | C.O.L. | Cartridge Overall Length |
PSP | Pointed Soft Point | Spz | Spitzer Point | SBT | Spitzer Boat Tail |
LRN | Lead Round Nose | LWC | Lead Wad Cutter | LSWC | Lead Semi Wad Cutter |
GC | Gas Check |