Disaster narrowly averted.

[CLP]

I keep a sconce lit 24/7 with an exterior CFL next to my garage. It attracts bugs, which attracts green tree frogs. Last time I got to casting, I did so on the back porch and I spent more time tweaking and cleaning up after my Lee leak-o-matic- which I like a lot even though it's high maintenance, so I decided this time I'd pull my truck out of the garage, lower the tailgate and use it as a makeshift bench. Fumes easily dissipate and any messes easily cleaned up. When lowered, the tail gate was just past the door's threshold. I get to a point where I've got a couple of moulds rotating, and they're hot and dropping bullets perfectly. I've got a good 14-ish pounds of Lyman #2 in the pot. I'm casting 44mag Devastators, so the lead's really hot. Yeah, I'm wearing my eye glasses, pants, etc. Suddenly- a frog about the size of half my palm drops about six inches to the left of the pot which is situated on some scrap plywood. I like these little guys, they eat the bugs. So, I pick him up and put him in a flower pot overgrown with weeds and oversaturated with rain water. Get back to my makeshift bench and it dawns on me how bad a frog dropping into a pot of molten lead could've turned out. Next time I'll pull the truck out a little further- and also check the garage door for friendlies.

 

[Hardtarget]

That would have been scary to say the least! The frog would be like a glob of water!Instant eruption! You (and the frog) were lucky.

Mark

 

[WestKentucky]

I'm imagining an eruption similar to those created by frozen turkeys going into the big friers. Molten lead is a bigger problem than vegetable oil though. Keep that pot in a single location that you know is going to work for you.

 

[Paddy]

Worst part would be afterwards you couldn't even eat the cooked frog due to lead poisoning

 

[Catpop]

I like the little suckers too.
Which reminds me of last summer when I was mowing grass with the MF135. A spring frog decided to go for a ride on the hood. No problem, that is, until he decided to get a higher view from the upright vertical muffler.
I guess he was like the "know it all" who picked up the hot horseshoe off the anvil at the blacksmith shop. Blacksmith laughed and said, " Hot aint it?"
Know it all replied, "Just dont take me long to look at a horseshoe"
I guess, it didnt take frog long to dislike the higher view from the hot muffler.

 

[KSCCHTrainer]

Yup - I actually HAD a critter in the lead disaster when I was smelting some soft lead and linotype a bit over a year ago. I had about half a cast iron dutch oven full of shiny alloy ready to pour ingots sitting on top of my propane burner out on the driveway.

I had just gone back into the garage to get the ingot mold when a male Robin, seeing himself in the shiny surface and thinking it was a rival, dove into the pot. Fortunately the resulting lead geyser didn't reach as far back into the garage as I was. Never thought this could happen, but I still wear a full face shield and heavy clothes for safety.

I found the dead, lead covered bird about 3/4 of the way down the 75 foot driveway so I was able to deduce what happened. There are still a couple of bullets worth of lead spatters so well embedded in the concrete I haven't been able to scrape them off! Glad PETA didn't get wind of it or they would be all over me for cruelty to birds

 

[Catpop]

You do know what PETA means------ PEOPLE EATING TASTY ANIMALS!

 

[SSN Vet]

who'd of thunk it

I cast in my basement shop with a fan in the window.

But I do smelt outside. I'll have to keep an eye out for critters.

 

[Reloadron]

Frogs everywhere thank you with cries of "All Hail CLP".

Ron

 

[fireman 9731]

Haha imagine the obituary.... Killed by a frog!

 

[ArchAngelCD]

Wow, every time I think about that frog landing in the lead pot it gets worse. I have a good idea, you know those hot oil screens with a handle used for trying foods? Put one of those over the pot when it's outside as a safety stop.

EDIT: Here is a link to what I'm talking about in case I didn't explain it clearly.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007KL22LC?keywords=Frying screen&qid=1458186055&ref_=sr_1_2&sr=8-2

 

[KSCCHTrainer]

Wow, every time I think about that frog landing in the lead pot it gets worse. I have a good idea, you know those hot oil screens with a handle used for trying foods? Put one of those over the pot when it's outside as a safety stop.

EDIT: Here is a link to what I'm talking about in case I didn't explain it clearly.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007KL22LC?keywords=Frying screen&qid=1458186055&ref_=sr_1_2&sr=8-2

THANKS!
in all my 60+ years of smelting and casting I never thought of that one! Absolutely one of the best safety tips for outdoor smelting I've ever seen. I'll remember to pass that along to all the newbies I've been teaching lately.

One other thing - I occasionally buy "range" lead from one of our local indoor ranges. It contains lots of copper jackets, etc., and there's always the possibility of a live round getting into the batch somehow even if you do carefully sort it before smelting. I use a cast iron dutch oven and with range lead, I always put the heavy cast iron lid on the pot until everything is melted. I've had a .22 round or two go off and one unknown of something larger, but the lid has always averted disaster.

Jim

 

[stubbicatt]

A story of disaster, narrowly averted... Reminds me of a song.

Good story. I too use the bed of my pickup at the edge of the doorway, but I use it for my tools and boxes for sprues and boolits. I cast off a Black and Decker workmate set nearby.

 

[Axis II]

this reminds me of my frog incident last summer. My mom tells me I need your help taking some flowers to your sister. I load up the SUV with probably 3 full bags of flowers she is transplanting and while we are driving shes in the passenger seat and says what the hell!

she grabs a small frog off her arm and flings it on the dashboard while screaming like a wild woman. im doing 70mph on the highway and this things covered in slime and jumping all over the car and then onto me. not knowing what the heck it was and not trying to have it hit me in the face or something it jumped onto my arm and I flung it out the window.

I felt horrible about doing that but didn't want to wreck. then when I take the bags out the bags are full of frogs!