Lead pot accident today. I'm lucky.

[Arkansas Paul]

Well I was casting some bullets today and had my first substantial accident involving my lead pot.
I had gotten lazy and was not wearing any PPE. No gloves, glasses or anything. Stupid I know.

I cast a couple hundred bullets and the pot was getting low so I decided to add some lead. I have a couple thousand .40 bullets I had cast up and I have gotten rid of my .40 so I was adding them to the pot carefully. I had some in a small plastic container and was dribbling them into the pot. There must have been some moisture in the plastic container because all of a sudden the pot exploded. It was very loud and all of a sudden it was raining molten lead.

My brother was at the reloading bench about 20 feet away loading some ammo. Upon hearing the pot blow he looks up and says he just saw lead falling and me in the middle of it.

I am very lucky. I have some minor burns to my right hand and arm (not serious at all) and ruined a pair of pants and shirt. It could have been so much worse. I was not wearing any safety glasses and could have easily lost part of all of my vision.

I posted my stupidity to hopefully help prevent someone from getting lazy like I did.

Remember when you're casting, long sleeve shirt, gloves and safety glasses at minimum.
And don't add old lead bullets to a molten pot. If you're going to cast them, fill a cool pot up and let them melt. To add lead, set your ingots on the edge of your pot to warm up then add them slowly.

 

[ar24095]

Tinsel fairies are a very bad thing when they come to visit. Glad you weren't badly hurt I'm sure the next time you'll have your PPE on just in case.

 

[adcoch1]

Man, so glad you're ok, that could have been a disaster! About to start casting myself, and I am looking for a welders apron and a full mask respirator before i get going...

 

[Walkalong]

Glad you weren't hurt badly. I bet you never cast without proper protection again.

A lead pot explosion from water getting under the surface is impressive.

 

[Arkansas Paul]

Man, so glad you're ok, that could have been a disaster! About to start casting myself, and I am looking for a welders apron and a full mask respirator before i get going...

Don't let stories like mine scare you away.
It is perfectly safe if proper protection is worn.

I have never had anything like this happen in about 5-6 years of casting. So when you cast for a few years without anything bad happening, don't let your guard down and skip proper safety precautions.

A full mask respirator is not necessary because melting lead doesn't put off dangerous fumes until it reaches a temperature hotter than a lead pot can get.
Just make sure you are either outside or your shop is ventilated well and you will be fine.
The welders apron isn't a bad idea. I've seen them used by guys on Youtube before and it doesn't look like too much of a hassle.

 

[jerryd]

we used to melt lead in the phone co and would pop the pot a full 50lb pot would go about 30 ft in the air and the guys would look like crabs getting out of the way!

 

[ReloaderFred]

Don't feel bad, Paul, it can happen to anybody. I've been casting bullets since about 1968, and I'm pretty careful, especially with moisture around molten lead. I do wear long sleeve shirts and glasses, along with gloves, when I cast, and especially when I'm smelting.

With that said, earlier this year a friend who owns a welding shop gave me a homemade ladle full of lead that someone had given him. He had no use for it, and knows that I cast bullets, so he gave it to me. I figured I could just melt the lead out of the rusted out ladle. Simple enough. The ladle laid in my garage for about 6 months, and one day this summer I was casting with my Master Caster, and I remembered the homemade ladle full of lead. I placed it on top of the 40 pound pot of the Master Caster and started casting again. That's when it blew!

The "ladle" had been fashioned from the bottom half of one of those small propane tanks we use for lanterns, camp stoves, BBQ's, etc. The bottom had rusted out, and evidently moisture had gathered in there and was still present when I made the error of placing it on top of the molten alloy in my pot. Lead went everywhere, but I was lucky and didn't get burned, other than one small drop that landed in my hair, but lead splatters went several feet in all directions.

I had ignored my own advice that I often give others, heat lead that may have moisture on it slowly by placing it in the pot when you first turn it on. That lets the moisture cook out of it before it becomes molten.

I'm glad you weren't hurt worse, and had the courage to post this to remind others to be careful.

Hope this helps.

Fred

 

[lpsharp88]

...and ruined a pair of pants...

I can't say I wouldn't have done that either

Glad you're ok!

 

[Swampman]

I am very lucky. I have some minor burns to my right hand and arm (not serious at all) and ruined a pair of pants and shirt.

You're a better man than I am!

I'm pretty sure I would have been getting rid of my underwear after something like that...

Glad you're OK.

Are you casting indoors?
You mentioned your brother at the reloading bench 20 feet away, personally I like to keep a lot more distance (and a wall or two) between my casting and loading operations.

Molten lead igniting a bunch of powder would REALLY suck.

 

[Blue68f100]

Glad you were not seriously hurt. Wear clothing of cotton or NoMax, NO POLYESTER. Polyester is very flamable when compared to cotton. Leather aprons and sleeves are best.

 

[Dog Soldier]

That is a common occurrence. A far greater concern is failure to wash your hands well in cold water and soap. High lead levels in your blood is preventable but deadly.

 

[splattergun]

Sure there wasn't a primer in that tub of bullets?

don't ask me why I ask that question...

 

[adcoch1]

Don't let stories like mine scare you away.
It is perfectly safe if proper protection is worn.

I have never had anything like this happen in about 5-6 years of casting. So when you cast for a few years without anything bad happening, don't let your guard down and skip proper safety precautions.

A full mask respirator is not necessary because melting lead doesn't put off dangerous fumes until it reaches a temperature hotter than a lead pot can get.
Just make sure you are either outside or your shop is ventilated well and you will be fine.
The welders apron isn't a bad idea. I've seen them used by guys on Youtube before and it doesn't look like too much of a hassle.

Thanks for the advice, I won't be scared off, just careful. I am trying to get a good lead supply together to get started, i will be checking any pieces or containers that can hold moisture VERY carefully. Btw, the welder buddy of mine that suggested the apron said make sure it doesn't have pockets. I guess making ignots in your pocket is a bad idea or something......

 

[SARuger]

13 years in the foundry industry I learned one thing, water and molten metal do not mix. Water becomes powerful steam very quick.

I don't cast yet but I will carry some of my learned foundry experience with me when I do

 

[jmorris]

Did it once with some Linotype that still had ink on it. I had been just doing one batch a day starting from cold, never had any problems. I decided to try and add to melt, leathered up in welding gear, full face helmet, etc. Turned out to be a smart move, to cover up and not so smart to go against my gut. Got covered in lead and it made it all the way to the 19 ft high ceiling.

So back to cold start after that on any questionable product and a strict no liquid policy around molten lead. I know lots of folks water quench etc, but with my luck "someday" is actually "next time" if I don't proceed with abundant caution.

 

[Wreck-n-Crew]

I do my casting around this time of year. Banged out about 2,500 9mm's last week. Christmas put a pause in my yearly routine.

Had a scare or 2 casting and smelting. I try to clear the area and setup so that i avoid the dangers now. Been burnt once or twice but nothing major.

Stay safe!

 

[Swampman]

A far greater concern is failure to wash your hands well in cold water and soap.

Do you have a reputable source for the claim that cold water is preferable to hot water for removing lead from hands?

I've heard for years that cold water is better because it contracts your pores rather than opening them like hot water does. It sounds plausible to me, but I've never been able to find a medical study or experiment that confirms it.

According to the CDC: "Washing skin with standard soap and water is not enough to remove lead residues."
https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/lead/safe.html

 

[rfwobbly]

So Christmas came early to your house !

Glad you're OK.

 

[ReloaderFred]

It makes absolutely no difference whether hot or cold water is used to wash your hands after handling lead. Elemental lead isn't absorbed through the skin. Only vaporized or oxidized lead is absorbed via inhalation or ingestion. If it was, all the military vets who are still carrying bullet fragments in their bodies would have very high lead levels in their blood, but that's not the case.

I've carried a bullet fragment in my body for years, but my lead levels are well within the normal range, according to my doctor, and I cast thousands of bullets each year. In my last casting session alone, I cast just over 22,000 .38 caliber bullets and 18,000+ .45 caliber bullets.

The search function on this site will turn up numerous discussions on this issue. In fact, it's been beat to death here, and on most other reloading forums. Good personal hygiene is what's necessary to lessen the exposure to lead, plus not shooting on indoor ranges with poor ventilation. When someone who has only been here for a very short time makes a statement like that, it just stirs the pot again and gives the "experts" a chance to spread more internet hype, not based on fact. I've studied this subject for years, and consulted with real experts from the NSSF (Rick Patterson, the CEO of SAAMI) and EPA (Edward Guster III, the EPA's range expert) on the subject for our range. Spreading hype doesn't help at all.

Hope this helps.

Fred

 

[FROGO207]

When casting long sleeves/jeans and a full face shield are my standard equipment. I have been burned by molten lead before and do not want any repeat!

 

[243winxb]

Glad you got lucky, only minor burns.

I learned early, not to use old batteries, tooth paste tubes or any thing containing moisture.

Watch out for bird droppings, if casting out doors.

I dont use gloves any more. Just wear my regular eye glasses. Long pants, with shoes that can be removed quickly, in case of a pot spill.

 

[GooseGestapo]

I've been casting for 41yrs. Have been visited by the tinsel fairy so only cast out doors on concrete porch and wear leather gloves, boots, and eye protection without fail. It stays on the casting cart.

 

[Swampman]

I water drop some of my bullets.

Rejects & sprues are placed on an old griddle set at 400 degrees for at least an hour before going back into the melt.

When smelting and casting ingots I start from a cold pot with everything.

 

[Armored farmer]

Glad you weren't seriously injured.
Burns are nasty.

Thanks for posting. It will serve as a reminder for me. I usually cast enough for all year in the wintertime.

I had a minor pop of lead once. I'm glad I had gloves on, it was a wakeup call. I dunked a cold ladle in the pot. I don't know if it was just cold, or if it was damp too.

 

[blue32]

I'd like to add when choosing a long sleeve shirt and pants make sure its not synthetic fabric.