Using mask while melting lead.

He was just way overboard and over precautious. When asked why he said in case a bird flew over and dropped something in the lead, he didn't want to get a explosion of lead on himself.

mooman76 said:

He was just way overboard and over precautious. When asked why he said in case a bird flew over and dropped something in the lead, he didn't want to get a explosion of lead on himself.

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YUP, some people are just lucky like that...... 2 left hands, 2 left feet, empty head......

I think it's funny how people immediately jump onto the "anti-lead" bandwagon and don't take into consideration the other reasons for wearing a mask. Just goes to show ya that, " you don't know what you don't know".

Carbon 6 said:

I think it's funny how people immediately jump onto the "anti-lead" bandwagon and don't take into consideration the other reasons for wearing a mask. Just goes to show ya that, " you don't know what you don't know".

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LOL, just trying to figure out what the heck you are trying to say.....
Do you think the molten lead may give the caster COVID-19 or maybe black plague???
Most of us who cast likely do that at home, very likely by themselves....
And if they are on the "anti-lead" bandwagon then they would not be casting in the first place - so they would be wearing a mask for a different reason???? If one decides to wear a mask while casting it could be for the smoke from the flux, or maybe if they are casting outside and have allergies to protect themselves from pollen or maybe bird mites???
Just what are you alluding to?????
AND - i will be the first to admit that there are a lot of things that I don't know. But one thing I do know is that casting will not give you lead poisoning..... (unless you decide to eat your projectiles or dispose of your slag in a sandwich)

Bledfor Days said:

I'm curious how many more experienced melters are wearing a mask. I know lead fumes at 900° but I don't have a fancy temp controller and don't want to poison myself.

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Lead does NOT vaporize in your pot. It does NOT produce lead "fumes". A little science here-
https://www.rsc.org/periodic-table/element/82/leadI seriously doubt your pot gets to 1700+F

What you are experiencing as "fumes" are the dross and impurities. Flux them, don't breathe the smoke and you'll be fine.

I've been casting for years for black powder, minies, conicals, RB and wear no respirators of any kind and have no elevated lead levels. I melt down the lead I get into ingots outside and stay upwind while fluxing. Follow good technique and don't drink, smoke or eat while casting and you'll be fine.

An aside- a friend of mine who doesn't cast or shoot cast boolits worked at an indoor range, that is till he tested for very elevated lead levels. One of the main components of centerfire primers is lead styphnate and that's how many get elevated lead levels especially at an indoor range with marginal ventilation.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lead_styphnate

Griz44Mag said:

LOL, just trying to figure out what the heck you are trying to say.....
Do you think the molten lead may give the caster COVID-19 or maybe black plague???
Most of us who cast likely do that at home, very likely by themselves....
And if they are on the "anti-lead" bandwagon then they would not be casting in the first place - so they would be wearing a mask for a different reason???? If one decides to wear a mask while casting it could be for the smoke from the flux, or maybe if they are casting outside and have allergies to protect themselves from pollen or maybe bird mites???
Just what are you alluding to?????
AND - i will be the first to admit that there are a lot of things that I don't know. But one thing I do know is that casting will not give you lead poisoning..... (unless you decide to eat your projectiles or dispose of your slag in a sandwich)

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Pretty sure we all know casting lead is not the issue. Also pretty sure the comment was based on the fact its NOT the lead that you worry about, its the stuff on the lead thats the issue! Kinda like cigarette smoking, the tobacco has some concerns but the real health issue is the paper.
Walk

dave951 said:

It does NOT produce lead "fumes".

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OSHA and NIOSH both disagree with you.

OSHA says;

"Lead fumes may be emitted while heating the lead reservoir and casting equipment. Emissions may occur during the pouring and cooling of lead castings. Lead fumes and dust may be emitted during the drossing of lead oxides from the reservoir and casting surfaces"

NIOSH says;

"You can be exposed by breathing-in lead fumes or lead dust.
Lead fumes are produced during metal processing, when metal is being heated or soldered. Lead dust is produced when metal is being cut or when lead paint is sanded or removed with a heat gun.

Lead fumes and lead dust do not have an odor, so you may not know you are being exposed."

We're from the Government and we're here to help...........

"I think use a mask if it pleases you to do so, it can do no harm. "


It might. Your face will sweat, the rubber seal on the mask will get wet. You take it off with dirty hands. Now lead oxide is on the mask. You put it back on now lead oxide is on your face. Now, lick your lips and you get a little in your mouth.

Farfetched, yes, the point is taking excessive precautions may be counterproductive. Common sense is all that is needed.

IMHO lead phobia has been cultivated as a political weapon.

Don’t get on that old ship. Don’t sail across the Atlantic Ocean. Don’t eat the food on the ship, it’s awful. Don’t get off the ship in an unknown land. Don’t built a log cabin, you might get a skelf. Don’t hunt in the woods, there might be bears. Don’t go into the mountains there might be Indians. Don’t go west, you just don’t know what’s there. Don’t carry firearms, it’s dangerous. Don’t cast bullets, there might be fumes.

I cast a few times a year. Only when the weather is going to be clear. I cast in the middle of the back yard. I'll cast up a couple of hundred ball of various sizes. I don't wear a mask. I have had my blood checked for lead and there was none. All of the lead that I cast is used roofing lead. Some has asphalt on it or caulking. That stinks up the place for a bit, but after the dross is taken off there is no smell. Just cast outside or where there is really good ventilation.

Carbon 6 said:

OSHA and NIOSH both disagree with you.

OSHA says;

"Lead fumes may be emitted while heating the lead reservoir and casting equipment. Emissions may occur during the pouring and cooling of lead castings. Lead fumes and dust may be emitted during the drossing of lead oxides from the reservoir and casting surfaces"

NIOSH says;

"You can be exposed by breathing-in lead fumes or lead dust.
Lead fumes are produced during metal processing, when metal is being heated or soldered. Lead dust is produced when metal is being cut or when lead paint is sanded or removed with a heat gun.

Lead fumes and lead dust do not have an odor, so you may not know you are being exposed."

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Note the lack of any scientific data to back it up. At what temperature does it fume? According to physics, fuming due to heat occurs just as a substance reaches the boiling point and in the case of lead, that's 1700F.

Lead dust is another matter but doesn't occur when casting boolits.

You are not taking into account oxides and other metals that may be present in an alloy. Fumes include a complex of different metal particles such as lead, ferrous, magnesium, zinc, beryllium, chromium, nickel, cobalt, cadmium, titanium, vanadium, antimony, copper and arsenic .

Lead begins to fume at 554 degrees F and begins to appreciably fume at 1474 degrees F.
While the later temp may not be achieved by everyone I have done it accidentally when melting ingots from roofing scrap. Which is also of concern because roofing scrap can contain roofing tar which can contain asbestos.

Stirring the pot to remove the dross and other impurities creates dust and fumes.

If you read my original post, you'll understand I was referring to all fumes produced, not just lead fumes.
Since most casters today melt scrap or whatever lead they can find, None of the things I have listed are good for your lungs. Wearing a mask is a sensible precaution, assess your own risk.

The big dark secret to working with toxic chemicals is good ventilation.

sawyer04 said:

The big dark secret to working with toxic chemicals is good ventilation.

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Yup that's one solution.

Carbon 6 said:

Wearing a mask is highly advisable, and a good choice, if you don't have positive pot ventilation.

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I've worked with some nasty stuff over the years. Been bit too.

I've never researched it, but I've been told that the biggest hazard is that white powdery stuff you find on lead. Get that in your lungs and you've dosed yourself seriously.
I worked at a National Lab where lead bricks were extensively used for radiation shielding. When OSHA came in, all lead had to be wrapped in tape.
A fun story: a co-worker had a commercial offshore fishing boat (party boat) and swiped lead bricks to melt into sinkers. When you check a lead brick that's been used for shielding with a Geiger counter you get no reading, but our lead physicist mentioned in front of this guy that when you melt them down you release the radiation. No more stolen bricks.

As emphasized above, ventilation is key. Outdoors & upwind.

Powdery white stuff is lead oxide. The hard slick white surface on old buried lead (Minie balls) is lead carbonate, best artist's white pigment ever. Think it's out of commercial European production now days. Wouldn't surprise me if China was still producing it though.

For what it's worth, I worked at a lead processing facility for a couple of years. Far from an expert, but here's a bit of what I picked up.
Extensive testing was done on the employees that melt, dross, transfer, pour, extrude, and clean around the lead press. The testing was wearing monitoring equipment for a whole ten hour shift, sometimes more if more data was wanted, to determine the activities that would subject them to the peak amount of lead exposure.
The processes that showed the most airborne lead, which could then be breathed in, was dumping scrap back into the molten lead pot, drossing and scraping the pots, and sweeping up around the area. These activities all required a respirator be worn while doing them.
The employees had there lead levels tested every 6 months, and also whenever they asked to be tested. The ones that asked to be tested and were actually found to have above normal levels always stated they were having sleeping problems, either not being able to sleep OR excessive sleeping. Keeping in mind that they wore respirators when performing the above duties, the most likely way for them to ingest lead and end up testing above normal was from poor hygiene, such as eating without washing up or smoking without washing up, or from not wearing their respirator when sweeping.

I stuck a very cold casting dipper into a pot of hot lead. The pot bubbled and then blew lead onto my face, glasses, and clothing. I wish I had a mask then.

I did that once but with cold lead. It wasn't extreme cold either and there was no condensation. We are talking Vegas in winter time in my garage so it about 50 degrees or so. It was however a diving weight and was suggested that water could have been trapped in micro pores from diving pressures. Don't really know for sure but I saw it bubble and I immediately turned away from it. It blew all over but I was unharmed. I now warm my lead when it is cold before it goes in the pot.