Casting Heat Gloves

[ronaldlhedrick]

I am ready to start casting. The only question I have is regarding gloves. I need some recommendation for gloves. I really don't want to get burned when messing with molten lead or the tools required for casting. What gloves do you recommend? What minimum temperature am I looking for?

Any advice I can get regarding this matter is much appreciated.

 

[Jim Watson]

I just used ordinary canvas and leather work gloves.

 

[Schwing]

I started out with basic leather gloves and kept getting singed. Now, I use a good heavy pair of welding gloves. I don't have any idea what temperature is the minimum but you cast at 600 to 700 degrees depending on who you talk to.

 

[Sam1911]

I usually cast bare-handed as none of the stuff you're supposed to be touching gets very hot. However, stuff happens and small splatter burns are probably inevitable.

I use welding gloves for some things, but they're huge, stiff, and ungainly and I just don't use them for casting. A fairly thin pair of leather work gloves would be about as much protection as I'd want to deal with.

 

[IWAC]

Welder's gloves from Harbor Freight worked well, and didn't break the bank!

 

[ronaldlhedrick]

Thanks for your reply's. I am mostly concerned with making ingot's from bluk lead. I will be melting that down in a cast iron pan.

 

[Sam1911]

Oh. Yeah, welder's gloves then.

 

[ReloaderFred]

Just make sure the gloves you choose are made from real leather. The synthetic leathers are just plastic that looks like leather, feels like leather and melts like plastic. Only real leather works for handling hot lead.

I finished up smelting 2 tons (4,000 lbs.) of reclaimed shot into 10 pound ingots for bullet casting in June. Dumping out the ingots for the next pour demands good gloves of real leather........

Hope this helps.

Fred

 

[CLP]

Oh. Yeah, welder's gloves then.

or if you open the sprue plate by hand which I've grown accustomed to doing since I have less sprue going all over the place

 

[rsrocket1]

If you are going to be in contact with hot metal for a long time, the thicker the better. When casting, I am in contact with the hot sprue plate for such a short time (I twist the sprue plate open with my gloved hand) I use the super cheap Harbor Freight that cost $7.50 for 5 pair.

These gloves offer enough protection that I have no problems opening the sprue plate on Lee 2 cavity molds and enough dexterity that I don't mind wearing them during the entire casting session. A real added plus is that it protects from splashes of lead which are not constant, but common enough to be annoying if you don't wear full protective clothing. Once in a while, you'll notice a 1/4" splash of solidified lead on your shirt sleeve, glove, pants or face shield that would otherwise be a painful burn.

 

[KansasSasquatch]

For pouring ingots I use stick welding gloves- more heat, more lead, more chance of spills, more chance of injury, so I wear heavy duty gloves. For the actual casting of bullets, from my Lee 20# bottom pour, I tend to use MIG or TIG welding gloves (whichever I have handy). Welding is part of my job so I tend to have some welding gloves around anyways. My brand preference is Tillman http://jtillman.com/products/gloves/ Harbor Freight stuff might be cheap and be "good enough" but I know Tillman makes good products. Tillman product #1000 is what I normally have for stick gloves and #1350 is what I typically have for MIG.

 

[mdi]

Well, I cast bare handed. Mebbe my hands are tough and I don't touch hot items, but I prefer to have the "feel" and control that bare handed casting allows. As Sam1911 said, the parts you handle ain't supposed to get hot. But there's always the surprise like the first time you cast a perfect bullet, wait until it cools before picking it up (Wow, look at that. OUCCCCH! that's hot) BTDT...

 

[kerreckt]

Long leather welding gloves when melting large amounts with propane and big heavy pot. No gloves when I am using my Lee bottom pour. Great care at all times. I have had some close calls when complacent. Good luck

 

[MEHavey]

Get THESE or something like them ... palm protection section de rigeur.

You DO need hand protection and you DO need glasses at a minimum.
Things (even just small things) will occasionally spatter/burn no matter
how careful you are.

Cast in the mid 700's.