Avoiding lead when tumbling brass

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Apparently, spent primers contain lots of lead and this can create dangerous fumes when tumbling brass
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You read to much on the internet!

I have been tumbling brass for about 40 years now, and I'm here to tell you there are no 'fumes' or any--odujodhoshsbonnnnn //3/3///////

SSShuse me, I have to go wipe the drool off my keyboard again if I can limp into the bathroom to get another towel.

Seriously?
Fogadaboutit!!

You breath more lead dust and other stuff in your car driving to work every day.

rc
 
Jes wondering; do you wear a helmet when you take a shower? Thousands of folks suffer head injuries annually in the bathroom (a lot higher percentage than those that contract lead poisoning from casting/reloading/shooting)...

no offence, jes wondering.
 
This subject comes up here about every 8 or 9 months, and the same internet "information" gets circulated. I've studied this issue at length, and am involved in the Best Management Practices program at our range and for the Oregon Association of Shooting Ranges.

Simple hygiene practices are all that's necessary to prevent ingesting lead. Elemental lead CAN NOT be absorbed through the skin. Only vaporized or oxidized lead can be absorbed into the body through ingestion or inhalation. There are still a few World War II vets living with lead fragments in their bodies and their blood lead levels have never been elevated. I've got a fragment of lead in my lip that's been there for years, and my levels are within the normal range, and I cast bullets by the thousands in my garage, with proper ventilation, and have three tumblers running most of the time right next to my casting machine. I've been reloading ammunition since 1963, and casting bullets since 1968. if it was nearly as dangerous as some make it out to be, there are a lot of us who wouldn't be here today.

If wearing hazmat clothing makes you feel better, then by all means do it, but it's a waste of time and worry. Wearing rubber gloves isn't necessary, but washing your hands is. Wearing a mask while loading isn't necessary, but if it floats your boat, then do it.

The truth of the matter is, you get much more lead exposure when actually firing the round than you do with handling the ammunition. That's when vaporized lead styphnate is in the air and can be ingested, but it's a minute amount.

I just wish those who keep spreading the rumors and repeating the myths would at least study the subject matter from a scientific viewpoint before hitting the keyboard...

Hope this helps.

Fred
 
Fred, I suspect those who try to get people's bowels in an uproar about "lead" dust in tumbling, or anything else in reloading, are either themselves clueless OR trolls who get their giggles from doing it.
 
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My helmet post wasn't mocking, in my opinion. I pointed out that if someone is going to go to great lengths to avoid harm in one area, why would they not take precautions in another, much more dangerous area? I have never, ever, heard or read of any harm coming to a person from lead by handling spent primers, or shooting lead bullets (even indoors) or casting lead bullets for that matter (I've been shooting 30+ years, reloading 25+ years, casting bullets 17 years and read everything I can on the subjects; methods and safety). But I've heard, and read, even in newspapers, the large numbers of injuries occurring in the bathroom (percentage wise of course). Are precautions for personal safety only to be used on unsubstantiated wives' tales or facts? Is lead poisoning's political aspects the reason one would "protect everyone's health", to remain politically correct?
 
I asked this question AFTER reading the sticky here that discusses lead avoidance. I believe the conclusion in that narrative is that exposure to lead can occur from tumbling brass that has not been de-capped.

I own an orange Lyman tumbler and you can empty about 90% of the media after tumbling by using the rubber drain plug while the unit is turned on. To get the other 10% out you need to keep it running, take the top off and use your hands to move the cases around.

This takes several minutes and during this time, the dust is flying around a lot.

There should be no dumb questions here. We are dealing with potentially dangerous things that could go bang at a bad time and cause other bad stuff to happen.
 
If you have a lot of dust from the tumbler, use some polish or just sprinkle some water in the media to moisten it back up and keep the dust down.

Kind of like the back yard in west Texas.
 
It is also non-metallic lead compounds, a veritable witches brew of organic lead.
 
I have been using a cap full of NewFinish car polish and a teaspoon or two of mineral spirits in each load.

The dust is flying a bunch when the top is off, however.

I don't change the media very often - say every 20 loads.
 
"I have been using a cap full of NewFinish car polish...in each load."

IMHO, that's about 4-6 times more polish than is useful.

You only need the mineral spirits when the polish starts getting caked over the media like a layer of dry paint; as much polish as your adding that probably is about 20 loads, or less.
 
rajbcpa said:
I asked this question AFTER reading the sticky here that discusses lead avoidance. I believe the conclusion in that narrative is that exposure to lead can occur from tumbling brass that has not been de-capped.
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Awhile back I found that my lead blood level was 16. Not disastrous but a cause for concern. I do shoot indoors but maybe twice a month. I spend WAY more time tumbling brass.

I started washing the brass before tumbling. I really need to get back & get my blood checked again. If it's back down to normal I will probably conclude that it was dust. If not, it's from shooting.
 
I would not want to work inside an indoor shooting range.

I had some heart surgery recently, and I have had my blood checked at least a dozen times in the last year. None of these tests have any lead measures but they do have about 20 items that have been measured.

Do you have to ask the doctor to test your blood for lead or is this tested but does not show on the report, if the lead levels are normal?
 
How do you wash brass before it is tumbled? Is this as simple as dumping them in a plastic tub with soap and water?

Can you tumble the brass if it is less than completely dry?
 
How do you wash brass before it is tumbled? Is this as simple as dumping them in a plastic tub with soap and water?

Can you tumble the brass if it is less than completely dry?
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I never prewash brass. I just dump the fired cases, primers and all, in the tumbler. The brass needs to be completely dried before tumbling in dry media. It will cake up and be a royal PIA to get out of the cases.
 
Ok I know there will be jokes :)

When I tumble my brass I do it in the garage but when emptying the tumbler or handling the media I do it outside while wearing a n100 respirator and nitrile gloves. Also since NuFinish still does well on my car and truck I always have it around and use a capful of it in my walnut media to keep dust down. When I have to shoot indoors in the winter I also wear my respirator indoors. I do this because my lead count did go up extremely one year after winter and shooting indoors. I have my lead levels checked every year with my regular doctors physical, the 20 bucks I spend for it gives me piece of mind. Though my levels were considered to be safe after that winter it was still eye opening going from single digits to almost 20.

There are a lot of knowledgeable people here on THR but my advice is do everything you can to avoid it and consult with your doctor. My levels have come back down after implementing the routine I mentioned to you above and taking 500mg of vitamin C 4 times a week and Calcium,Magnesium&Zinc in one pill 3 times a week basically alternating the days.

Good luck.
 
I lived and worked in Los Angeles for mebbe 60 years. My cancer was not a result of shooting indoors, tumbling cases, or casting lead for bullets. It was from breathing L.A. air. Blood/lead levels around 3-5 over 20 years of testing (free physicals provided by employer). Lead was the least of my worries...
 
I lived and worked in Los Angeles for mebbe 60 years.
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I worked in Palmdale off and on very many years.

You could see the yellow crud form LA coming through the mountain pass up the Antelope Valley freeway sometimes.

It was even more shocking when you drove to LAX.

Crest the mountain and look at the yellow cloud below as you drove down into the crud.
 
As some mentioned earlier, if you're worried about dust, cut a dryer sheet in quarters and put it in your tumbler. It cuts down on the loose dust a lot and I think it helps my media last longer. YMMV
 
brickeyee said:
I worked in Palmdale off and on very many years.

You could see the yellow crud form LA coming through the mountain pass up the Antelope Valley freeway sometimes.

It was even more shocking when you drove to LAX.

Crest the mountain and look at the yellow cloud below as you drove down into the crud.
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I had a sailboat and often went off shore several miles. I could never get lost when returning to San Pedro, I just sailed toward the brown cloud...
 
I do this because my lead count did go up extremely one year after winter and shooting indoors.
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And every time this is brought up folks are warned about the dangers of shooting indoors without proper ventilation. Not just ventilation, proper ventilation. This is one way lead really can be a danger.
 
I read somewhere that the federal government is heavily regulating indoor shooting ranges and that ALL must have expensive ventilation and filtering systems that are supposed to reduce lead contamination.

I know one thing. The prices charged to use indoor shooting ranges is VERY high compared with outdoor ranges. That must have something to do with the federal regulation and high tech filtering systems.

I would never take a job working in an indoor range - too dangerous for your health.

Talking air pollution? You have not seen ANYTHING until you have visited communist China. Even in South Korea which is hundreds of miles away, the air pollution coming from main land communist China is sever.

I don't think too many Chinese folk are going to live to a ripe old age.
 
The indoor range problem is the folks who work there and have to clean up the place.

They end up with occupational lead exposure, so OSHA steps into the scene.

Places with angled impact plates need t have bullets removed.

Broom and shovel time.

Try not to breath the dust (or wear the correct OSHA dust mask).

Want to use a vacuum?
You need HEPA if you do not want to blow lead laden dust all over the place.

Even finely divided lead dust becomes an inhalation hazard, let alone the witches brew of chemicals from primers.
 
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