Safety Protection: What equipment do you use?

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TheSaint

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I'm still putting together my overall reloading kit. Among the particulars there's 18" welders gloves for when I cast my own lead bullets.

See here:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000MRQAJG/ref=oh_details_o04_s00_i03?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Thinking about getting something to cover my face as well as a "just in case" measure:

http://www.amazon.com/Chemical-Spla...8&qid=1366870200&sr=1-14&keywords=safety+mask

Any other safety gear that you guys use while casting your own bullets, or while operating your reloading press? What gear/steps do you take to ensure maximum safety?
 
Lead test kits to see if you are getting any lead dust in your work area
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I'm going to cast the bullets outdoors so that ventilation and lead residue inside my garage isn't an issue. It just seems way to dangerous from both a heat, fire and lead exposure standpoint to cast inside of an enclosed space. Still, those lead test kits are a good suggestion, I'll do that for sure. You can't be too safe.

Good ventilation so you won't breath any potential noxious smoke/fume
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My reloading bench is towards the opening of my garage door for maximum airflow, plus I have a portable fan to keep things cool.

Fire extinguisher, just in case
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Yes, excellent idea. Just picked one up at HomeDepot just for the reloading bench. It will be mounted this week in its holder. :)

FIrst aid kit
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Good no-brainer. I'll have to make one, get the components and mount it nearby to the work station.

Thanks as always for the tips!
 
i don't cast nor do i use lead bullets but for reloading i wear
- safety glasses
- ear protection
- latex gloves
 
Yes you can be to safe. To much safety can be dangerous in its self. If you're worrying more about danger then what your doing.

Keep it simple & pay attention if it isn't likely to happen don't sweat it.

Never drop wet lead in your hot pot. Even just enough to make a bullet or sprue look damp. Sometimes you get by with a sizzle other times lead will pop & spray several feet.

Maybe wear a helmet you never know when something will fail from the sky. :) JK
 
I don't load lead either, but I still wear latex gloves, safety glasses, and keep a fire extinguisher at close hand. As for ear protection, I don't honestly see the need for that during reloading sessions, at least not to data.

GS
 
Best thing I have ever bought was a pair of prescription safety glasses that I can wear all the time. No excuses for not using them now.
 
I've been shooting since I was 8 years old, that was in 1951.

I've been reloading since the latter 1950's.

I've been casting since the 1960's.

I'm now 69 years old and have health issues from 40 years of smoking.

I cast indoors, I do not wear gloves, I do wear glasses, they are safety glass & prescription. Yes I have burned myself, I've also burned myself on a hot manifold working on my car/truck. I heal. I've cut myself using a knife over the years, I heal.

My safety equipment when reloading, nothing, other than my safety glasses which again are prescription.

When shooting I wear hearing protection, electronic muffs & plugs, and my glasses. I also wear shoes or boots so as not to hurt my feet stepping on hot cases. Plus regular street cloths.

This about covers my safety equipment. 69 years of happiness, DON'T SMOKE!
 
This will sound bad to some, but many a million lead bullets and muffins have been cast/melted on the kitchen stove with a exhaust hood/fan in the window without incident.

Use your head, don't do dumb things, just like going to the range to shoot, there are precautions.

Gloves, welders gloves with long gauntlets are awesome as long as they aren't real heavy. A heavy shirt, denim jacket carharrt type or similar. A clear face shield is good, I suppose, probably get one at harbor for cheap. If you try equipping like you are going to work in a foundry you'll end up not wearing it or having a hard time doing the delicate work. Anything very uncomfortable/hot means you'll end up setting it aside.

Again, the best safety is to not do dumb things. Don't trip over yourself, don't have your pots set up with any overhanging handles where things can get tipped or knocked over. Stable work surface.
 
I don't tumble primed cases; they get decapped first. The cases then get washed. Lead in the tumbler should be minimal.

Priming and casting are my two big concerns. I wear a faceshield while doing both. I prime with a hand primer, as every press-mounted primer that I've tried caused more problems than it solved. I'm also not impressed by primer tubes from a safety standpoint.

When casting, I'm fairly unorthodox - the pot is in my fireplace and I squat to cast. If the pot somehow gets tipped over, I do not want it above any part of my body; likewise, I want a fast escape route. I wear short sleeves because I don't want anything to snag on it. I do wear gloves. By opening the flue in the fireplace, ventilation is essentially handled. I have a covered area outside that would work for this but frankly, I'd rather not have my crackhead neighbors knowing that I shoot.

My lead levels get tested by my employer due to the nature of my work so I don't bother with that. I also take liposomal vitamin C for other reasons but I understand that it's useful for removing lead from the body, so that's probably not hurting me any. I did have one test several years ago that came up slightly elevated (although well within standards), but I was not reloading at the time and this was probably occupational. I was also not taking vitamin C back then.

I'm also the guy that wears long pants and sleeves, safety shoes, safety glasses and ear plugs while weedwacking, and wears hearing protection, a full face helmet, and an armored suit while riding my bike, so your mileage may vary. I suppose that I'm at that point in my life where I've realized that I'm not going to live forever, but I still haven't given up the effort. I didn't do all of this ten years ago and I will probably not do it all ten years in the future. This is simply what I do now.
 
Reloading I wear my street cloths and because I have to prescription glasses. 10 years ago I didn't wear the glasses.

Casting I wear my street cloths, prescription glasses and a glove on my right hand because I cut the spur and return it to the pot.

Smelting wheel weights I wear my street cloths, prescription glasses and gloves when I need to.

This is what I do, and you know what it may not be what others think is appropriate but in 30 years of loading thousands of rounds I have never had a primer go off, a pound of powder decide to ignite or a pistol jump out of its holster and go bang. Do I know the risks, sure I’m a fleet and equipment manager for an outfit that works in the wild lands which means I am involved in all sorts of safety related stuff from running chainsaws to driving down the road. My idea of risk might not be the same as others and after spending 20 years in the woods I don't get worked up about much and trust myself not to touch a hot mold. I don't however do stupid stuff like put wet lead into a hot pot or force the press handle when things don't feel right.
 
kingmt said:
Yes you can be to safe. To much safety can be dangerous in its self. If you're worrying more about danger then what your doing.

Keep it simple & pay attention if it isn't likely to happen don't sweat it.

Never drop wet lead in your hot pot. Even just enough to make a bullet or sprue look damp. Sometimes you get by with a sizzle other times lead will pop & spray several feet.

Maybe wear a helmet you never know when something will fail from the sky. :) JK
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Agree, don't be a "Chicken Little" and over think safety (while extremely important, overthinking safety can paralyze). Plain old common sense is major. Personally I always wear shoes (I got a hot sprue in my Birkenstocks once) long pants (hot sprues often fall in my lap) and safety glasses. I don't wear gloves as they impair my "feel" and grip on hand tools, and I want to hang onto my molds. I have a small fan blowing across (from left to right) for ventilation and keep my bench well lit.

I was a heavy equipment mechanic/electrician working with hand tool and power tools for the last 25 years (and a lifelong mechanic/machinist) and learnd early that common sense is the most important safety measure available. You can dress up in a Haz Mat suit and wear leather aprons, use elbow length welder's gloves, have "slag guards" on your 10" leather steel toed shoes, a full face respirator, and if you're stupid you can still hurt yourself...
 
I will add this. In all reality someone is more than likely in a whale of alot more danger driving to & from the range than in casting or reloading.

You never know when the drunk is coming over the hill or around the corner.
 
When reloading, I use safety glasses. If depriming a case with a live primer, I'll wear a pair of work gloves. When casting or smelting, I'll wear safety glasses, leather gloves, long pants and long sleeve shirt. Natural fiber such as cotton is best. I may skip the gloves if only casting, but my smelting pot holds a few hundred pounds of lead, and my ladle holds about 5 or 6 pounds, and I handle it alot. Others may do more, but thats about it for me. Lightman
 
Why the need for gloves when depriming? Are you ahead you will punch your finger?

Running a bandsaw it's one thing(I don't wear gloves for that ether) where you might life things that won't grow back but a little pinch blister will heal. Man up a bit. I wear glove when needed but if they aren't it can make things unsafe because you can't feel. However you can train feel after using gloves for a while.
 
I don't allow any liquid anywhere near molten lead. Even a bead of sweat can cause problems.
 
"Safety Protection: What equipment do you use?"

Um... uh.. safety equipment? Wow... None, I guess. Unless my glasses count.
 
I cast and reload and honestly have found

gloves and all that hoohaw just make you more clumsy and more apt to have an incident.

Never never have liquid where it can get in your pot, never add even damp lead to a pot. I usually water drop so I never reuse my sprues etc that session even though I usually knock them off dry. It's just safer to grab another dry ingot than to hope I didn't forget and pull a sprue out of the water bucket....

I prefer the manual dexterity no gloves allows but I do wear long pants, never really have had more than an occasional freckle from a dripping pot and jeans keep the legs safe....never wear synthetics while casting though, only cotton or other natural fibers, the synthetics will melt right into your leg with the drop of lead.......

Glasses are a good idea, other than that, your practiced, safe technique will matter a lot more than safety equipment.
 
Fantastic advice all around gentlemen. Thank you very much for all the help. I'm not super nervous or "chicken little" about the whole experience, but I am more than willing to defer to those who have been doing this for a long time and still have all their limbs, digits, eyes and so forth. ;)
 
My prescription glasses are safety glasses. I wear them always.
A pair of leather gloves when casting. That pretty much sums up the safety equipment here.

A good dose of common sense is important!

I have been loading for a long time and have never sustained one injury from it. Some good tips in this thread on what to watch for to avoid trouble.

Enjoy!
 
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Get a lid for your pot. It does not have to fit tight, most thrift stores have a bin full of old lids for a buck or two. Even an old cookie sheet.
Good for the initial smelt in case of water, live primers, whatever. If you are casting in front of an open garage, cover if you have to leave unattended because nature calls or you have to kill a spider in the kitchen for the wife. Every passing kid and some adults will just HAVE to mess with that shiny stuff that you are 'cooking'.
Also good if a few raindrops start to fall. What else can you do? Without a lid you will not dare to get close enough to turn off the gas or move the pot. Also, it will save on fuel, takes less BTU's to heat a covered pot.
 
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