LEAD!!! - info needed please :)

[Until the Angels Fall]

I am wanting to get into reloading this summer as well as casting. (12g 1oz slugs, buckshot and .38Spl if anyone wants to know) I have never really worked it lead before and I have lots of questions about it...sorry if some seem foolish LOL. The only thing know about it is you can get it pretty much anywhere for free or dirt cheap if you look/ask for it, its poisionous and China can't seem to make something WITHOUT it containing lead

1) - When melting or working with lead in general are them fumes and/or dust? Should you wear a mask and eye protection?

2) - If you working with lead all day and you hands get covered in it...is there a cetain amount of time where lead will absorb into your skin? Meaning you shouldn't leave it on you for more then 3 hours?

3) - Should all casting be done outdoors?

4) - When hunting with lead cast ammo...what do you do about the meat that was in contact with the lead? Toss it?

I think thats all...thanks!!!

UTAF

 

[hk33ka1]

1 The temps most people cast at "lead fumes" should not be an issue, there shouldn't be any lead dust, but in situations where one encounters lead dust or particles in the air it can be breathed in and IS dangerous to your health

2 Solid lead like bullets and ingots etc should not be able to absorb through your skin, you would have to eat it or something contaminated with it or inhale dust etc. Always wash your hands before eating or drinking when handling lead, as this is an easy way to ingest lead.

3 You don't have to cast outdoors but it isn't a bad idea. Where ever you do it ventilation and fire safety must be considered.

4 Like any bullet or shot that contatins lead you don't want to eat the lead and probably not the tissue that was touching the lead. Cut around it, but don't cut out 10lbs of meat at the same time.



5 If you are still concerned about lead intake levels consult a Doctor and see about having blood taken to check for sure that your exposure is not at a dangerous level.

 

[glycerin]

Get all you can for free now. Lead for wheelweights will probably be banned soon.
1. sorting and/or cleaning dirty lead- the dust is very dangerous, use mask or stay upwind.Melting lead, use glasses , protective clothing and BEWARE of moisture in the pot(steam explosion)
2. wash often, wear gloves
3 use GOOD ventilation, exhaust fan indoor, stay upwind outdoor(lead dust is greatest risk, lead can't vaporize at normal melt temperatures.
4. avoid lead particles.
Read all reference sections on castboolits, have fun

 

[Canuck44]

The first thing you should do is buy Lyman's Cast Bullet Handook. Before you do or buy anything read the book cover to cover twice. Then join this forum:

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/index.php

There is a ton of info on this site and use the search function. If you have questions unaswered go to the appropriate Child Board and ask away. Folks there are experienced casters and will give you good anwers to your questions.

Take Care

Bob

 

[squirrelnuttz]

Read first sticky at top of reloading forum page, by Blacksmithden.......Aptly titled and worth a read as it is.

 

[lyktohunt]

The first thing you should do is buy Lyman's Cast Bullet Handook. Before you do or buy anything read the book cover to cover twice. Then join this forum:

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/index.php

There is a ton of info on this site and use the search function. If you have questions unaswered go to the appropriate Child Board and ask away. Folks there are experienced casters and will give you good anwers to your questions.

Take Care

Bob

This is excellent advise. Casting is fun and rewarding but it has it,s dangers one being a tiny drop of water into the melt can cause a very nasty explosion (tinsel fairy visiting you) and I am sure you can imagine molten lead on you will be very unpleasant.
Lead fumes and dust must not be inhaled.
You will find alot of info on the site that was suggested,more than you can imagine,at least for me it was.

 

[Skyhawk]

I cast outdoors. I'd never cast in my house, although some folks have nice setups in sheds and semi-closed veranda's with lots of cross ventilation. For my winter setup, I cast at the door opening of my garage with a large fan blowing across the pot towards the outdoors. There can be a lot of smoke at times depending on what you're fluxing with. There can be fire too. Once when I used to flux with wax, I accidentally dropped an entire tea candle in my production pot. It melted instantly, and the flame went a good 3 feet high while it burned off. This is not something you want to do in your kitchen under the range hood even if it wasn't potentially toxic.

As lyktohunt said, water in your melted lead will cause an explosion because the water turns to steam and quickly expands in microseconds. A small amount of water can cause lead to splash on the ceiling! Water at the surface doesn't do much except boil off - it has to be submerged. Mistakes leading to submerged water usually happen when adding lead bars or wheel weights to an already molten pot that may have a bit of unseen moisture on them. Just plunking new cold lead into molten is dangerous.

And probably most importantly, never work with molten lead if you're tired, under the influence of medication, drugs, or alcohol. You want at least the level of sobriety and alertness when doing this task as if you were driving your car, shooting at the range, or reloading.

Anyway, you'll read all about these things when you go use the resources other posters have already pointed out to you. But don't let the dangers scare you off. It's actually easier than you might think. After awhile, the melt temperature, mold temperature, casting speed, etc. all becomes instinctual and it's like some sort of meditation. I find it really fun. And sure, perhaps a person can buy 1000 bullets for 80 bucks, but there is a satisfaction and pride in making something for yourself that goes way beyond money.

 

[caperbound]

For a mask I like to use the 3M half mask (6000 series) with the pink p100 filters. It's light and fairly comfortable for a mask. It's available at most industrial supply stores and some automotive shops. Mask and filter is about $35 replacment filters are under $10 and they last a long time. Great for welding fumes too.

Here's a snip from 3M

"3M 6000 Series Half Facepiece Respirator Assembly with P100 Particulate FIlter. NIOSH approved for environments containing certain oil and non-oil based particles. When properly fitted, use in a variety of applications including welding, brazing, torch cutting, metal pouring, soldering, and exposure to lead, asbestos, cadmium, arsenic, and MDA for concentrations up to 10 times the Permissible Exposure Limit (PEL). Do not use in environments that are immediately dangerous to life or health (IDLH). "

 

[BattleRife]

The only thing know about it is you can get it pretty much anywhere for free or dirt cheap if you look/ask for it,

UTAF

If you're getting into casting because you believe the bit I quoted above, you better reconsider. Lots of people nowadays find it very difficult to get lead at reasonable prices, especially when they are first starting out.

 

[Avalonthas]

To add my opinions to the mix see below but you already have great and similar answers above;

1) - When melting or working with lead in general are them fumes and/or dust? Should you wear a mask and eye protection?
I recommend you do this outdoors or heavily ventilated area. There is at times heavy smoke (such as when you flux as per an above post). But there is also vapors as it melts down and reaches desired temperature. A lot of folks use wheel weights, which have tons of other crap that you skim off the top, you breathe that as well depending on what it is, probably no good. But a heavy duty filtered mask will do the trick. In my opinion dont cheap out, get a nice 100 rated mask, it will last a long time with minimal maintenance, whereas your lungs will not if not taken care of (same philosophy when investing in ear protection, spend it now, reap it later).

2) - If you working with lead all day and you hands get covered in it...is there a cetain amount of time where lead will absorb into your skin? Meaning you shouldn't leave it on you for more then 3 hours?
Lead poisoning is primarily from ingestion and inhaling, but good practice would be to wear gloves during the process. During the melting, your going to wear thick gloves anyways due to the heat, but good idea to use nitrile or laytex gloves during the casting/handling stages

3) - Should all casting be done outdoors?
Well ventilated area is key. I am a sucker for the cold so much like the person above i use the garage and a fan to blow out

4) - When hunting with lead cast ammo...what do you do about the meat that was in contact with the lead? Toss it?
Yes dont eat any areas contaminated by lead. I'd recommend using your cast ammo just for the range and target shooting. When hunting your not firing as much, so use a made for hunting ammunition, costs a few bucks but will not throw lead everywhere. Best to remove the concern, peace in mind is a lovely thing

For sources of lead, there are tons but most common are
- Wheel Weights from a local auto shop
- Berm cleaning (your local range may allow you to pick up bullets from the back stop to melt down). Helps with their maintenance
- Bullet traps that collect bullets if you own one

Like mentioned in one of the first posts, wheel weights are harder to come by as they are being phased out by other materials. Grab what you can when you can. I am new to reloading so I have been melting down lead when I come across it, and storing large bricks or ingots of it in my shed until the time is needed

 

[Splatter]

<sighs...heavily>
OK, first-off, metallic lead is very nearly biologically inert. People can and do live for decades with lead pieces in their bodies without getting lead poisoning. Sometimes lots of lead.
Neither metallic lead nor common lead compounds are absorbed through intact skin with any sort of rapidity (Geisha girls used a lead compound as their white face-paint, and after 20-or-30 years of near-daily use would often show signs of lead poisoning).
Wearing a mask that filters fine particulates is a good idea for the initial melting/fluxing/cleaning but once you're finished that, all the sources of particulate lead salts are gone. However, if you bring your lead to the boiling point (something like 1500°C {melting temp is about 350°C}) a particulate filter won't help you.
For hunting with lead bullets, either cast of commercial jacketed bullets, I wouldn't (don't) worry about it. If you actually find a lead (or copper) fragment, I'd recommend that you not swallow it; but if you do, don't sweat it. Lead doesn't disolve in hydrocloric acid (like in your stomach) in any appreciable way.
However, if you have a gizzard, make it a point not to get any lead stuck in your crop.

And if you really can get lots of lead for free, I'd like to send you the postage to send me 20 kgs of it, or so; because it's getting darn hard to find around here.