Reloading+lead+kids

[jamz]

Having just gotten into reloading, and on the very cusp of starting, I'm wondering about the effect of all the lead stuff with kids in the house.

My five year old boy has absolutely fallen in love with my new reloading press, and he loves to play with it, but I don't know if I want him to do that after it gets to be in use with lead bullets, primers, etc.

I've researched (in THR, naturally) about case cleaning methods and all the lead dust that occurs because of that, having kids sort though the brass, cleaning brass in the washing machine, etc and I guess my question is, isn't mixing kids and reloading kind of unhealthy?

 

[Werewolf]

I'm not sure I'd let 'em be around while you're unloading the tumbler because breathing that dust is potentially a problem.

But I don't see any reason why they shouldn't do any of the other common reloading tasks.

My 3 year old granddaughter watched me making .45ACP one day. She wanted to do one so I walked her thru one with me watching and then let her do one all by herself (a Lee 4 hole Turret press used). She was so proud of herself - ran off to show her mommie and her Nana (my wife) what she'd done. She talked about that for days.

If the kids wanna be involved let 'em. Soon enough (like when they turn teenagers) they won't wanna be involved.

 

[HSMITH]

My kids help out, more like get in the way but I don't really mind. There are strict rules about what they can and can't do, like 'kids NEVER touch or handle primers' and things like that. When they leave the loading area for any reason or length of time they wash up with soap and hot water, even if they just step out to go to the bathroom and are coming right back they have to wash up. With some common sense safety rules and good cleanup I don't feel they are at risk from the lead or other byproducts from reloading.

 

[Rabid Rabbit]

My four year old started "helping" about a year ago. My only restrictions are she can only hand me the copper clad bullets and she has to take her hands off the lever. My copper clad rule is only because she will still suck her thumb once in a while. After reloading she washes her hands. It really warms my heart when she looks at a box of bullets and says "pretty". I just know I'm going to be getting calls from the school about this one.

 

[The Bushmaster]

It is no problem for them to handle the lead or the copper jacketed bullets as long as they do not eat anything until they wash their little hands (they have to eat the lead for it to have any real effect). And I agree, if they want to help Grampa with reloading....LET THEM! I can't think of a better endeaver for them to learn at an early age. I started teaching my boys at the tender age of 2 years. I raised 4 boys and one girl (never again) and a couple of them can out shoot Pop. My grand daughters are learning guns and horses from me right now. I have 6 grand daughters and two grand sons.

For crying out loud GO FOR IT!!!

 

[P0832177]

Good personal hygiene is the key to reloading. If you are really concerned I would get some some examination gloves to wear as an additional barrier of protection. Masks are cheap too if they are around when dumping out the tumbler!

I think getting kids involved is great! The only concern I would have is pregnant wives or daughter or signficant others.

 

[onecruiser]

Getting the little ones involved is great. Lead is a definite problem and it can get absorbed by the skin, etc.

I used to let mine, ages 8 through 10, try to load one round or so, but not many. Also, I cast my own bullets and when it was just me and my wife I would do it in the basement but now I only do it outside or in an open garage. No children allowed.

I try to keep them away from much lead exposure at all until they're more adult. Their bodies can't handle it.

 

[Paul "Fitz" Jones]

Lead and children

Lead exposure in children drastically lowers their potential intelligence as they are 4 times more affected by it than we are. Any reloading and gun cleaning area ought to be lockable so that no children have access when you aren't there.
Many "trusted" children get injured and into danger when they tell friends about what their families have, what they do with daddy and if what is discussed is unusual or interesting, children want to convince your child to show and tell. My 16 year old son who assisted in my bulletcasting and reloading business showed a friend my commercial reloading room with thousands of dollars in tools. When my son turned or looked away a reloader handle was pulled making a double charge. "Handles are meant to be pulled" and can be irresistable like "dont touch the paint" I was in the middle of making police competitors ammo and luckily I noticed and guess who got chewed out.

What many reloaders do not think of is (decapped primer residue) on their press, reloading bench and floor trackable out of the room. Primers contain lead styphnate. How you handle it, where you leave it, your dirty brass, tumbling media and material skimmed off the top of your casting pot can seriously affect your childrens future.

I have had lead poisoning.

Strict security and supervision is needed.

 

[jamz]

Thanks all. I think my policy is going to be "hands off" unless I am there and we are reloading, and the boy will wear gloves, and immediately wash up. I'll manupulate the handle, only because I'm inexperienced and still afraid of exploding a primer while seating it and I don't know how violent that is yet. (The manuals say quite violent). Decapped primers themselfves are poured from the primer cup directly into a sealed water bottle, and the cup is rinsed out in the slop sink.

I'll just let the kid maybe feed in clean cases or something.

I'll wash my brass myself in the slop sink in water to cut down on lead dust there. Now I just have to figure out a way to handle the accumulated primer dust on the equipment itself. Sound okay?

James

 

[MaterDei]

jamz, I think your policy makes sense. My daughter loves to help me reload. Cutest little automatic case feeder you'll ever find! She does a great job. When I load without her I go MUCH slower. Think about it, how many times have you wished you had an extra hand while reloading? When she gets a little older maybe I'll teach her to be my automatic case feeder with her right hand and my automatic bullet placer on top of the belled case feeder with her left. That will free me to hold my beer while I'm reloading.

 

[larryw]

Jamz, I'm in the same situation as you, two young children who want to do what dad does. I think your precautions are well thought-out. And remember to have them wash their hands after they shoot; handling the exposed lead bullets and cases from a 22LR is another source of toxins.

With regards to clean up, I have a small shop vac and use the "hepa" filters and 6" of water in the bottom. The hepa filters are used to keep pollens and other dust from getting stirred up during vacuming; don't remember the exact specs, but they catch over 99% of all vacumed pollen. The water is another layer and I've found it helps keep the filter clean longer (just remember to dump the water after use, condensation will ruin the vacum).

Use the vacum and a paint brush together to get things really clean. If you don't have a shop-vac, make sure the one you look at has the hepa filters available (new filters are about $20). My vac is made by Rigid and I got it and replacement filters at Home Depot.

 

[landon74]

My son and daughter both like to help me when I'm loading, my son usually operates a bent paperclip to dislodge walnut husk chunks from the flash hole, and my daughter puts the clean brass in a case for me. After it's sorted we all go scrub our hands. They pretty much just want to be a part of whatever it is I'm doing, which I understand, I can remember being a little kid and helping my dad out when he was reloading.

 

[Paul "Fitz" Jones]

Youth helping in reloading

My kids and boy Scout troops first exposure was the shooting merit badge I taught. My main orientation into the shooting sports was weapon familarizarition, safe handling, range safety, the range rules and then promoting marksmanship. My son was an expert shot at age nine.

I was the youngest NRA Junior Division Distingiushed expert in California many years ago and spent my lifetime in the shooting industrt and teaching the sport.

Once they reached this point and wanted to shoot better then I taught them reloading. Once they became well trained in that then my scouts assisted me in teaching the Scout merit badge and teaching my city Hunter safety course. I decided which kids were responsible enough to allow into my reloading room and they earned their camping equipment by vacumning the shooting ranges we used for brass. I tumble cleaned the brass and the scouts inspected, counted and heat sealed the gathered brass for sale at the gun shows I attended in the western States.

I taught shooting first then reloading to the responsible ones who wanted to continue in the sport.

 

[HankB]

Basic common sense should prevail - things like washing hands when leaving, no food or drink in the loading area, etc. Age, the kid's interest and maturity, all have to factor in.

If the tyke is there "helping" you reload, need I say that the youngster needs to be wearing properly-fitted safety glasses as well?

 

[jamz]

^^ Truth, brotha!

In fact, one of the hard things to do was to find a way to keep the shooting glasses on his head.

We cranked out 20 or so reloads very slowly the other night, and all seemed to go pretty well.

 

[The Bushmaster]

There you go Jamz...And you spent "Quality Time" with your son and he had a great time Working (playing) with DAD...

 

[joshlm]

I would like to second the reply by Mr. Jones. Lead exposure to small children can have a profound effect on the development of their brain and their mental abilities. I would agree with others and say gloves as well as washing are a must. Small amounts of lead can have devastating effects on the brains of small children.