sharing a casting mistake

[bedwards]

I had an embarrassing mistake casting today that I thought I would share.
A little background. I have a 3 sided plywood box that I have a Lee 20lb pot in the bottom under a Lee 10lb pot. I melt the
dirty lead in the 10lb pot and clean it up there and then pour it directly into the 20lb pot below and cast from the 20lb pot. I feel like it keeps the casting pot cleaner. It also helps keep the tinsel fairy at bay somewhat if you have an accident.
I had a crushed primer on the bench that I had been meaning to dispose of but just hadn't yet. Maybe you can guess where this is going. Somehow, cleaning the bench up after casting for hours, that crushed primer ended up in the upper pot with some wheel weights to melt. By the grace of God, it wasn't deep in the melt when it went off and tinsel went straight up instead of out. I haven't had an accident in years and shouldn't have left a live primer on the bench. I had gloves, glasses, long sleeves, long pants, and head covering on.

Please be careful casting.

 

[loc n load]

Casting

Glad you were not injured. Chalk that incident up to part of "the learning curve".
Molten metal is very hazardous & unforgiving.

 

[Spurdann]

Thanks for posting, attention to detail is always important.

 

[jem102]

Whenever you participate in activities with potential hazards the opportunity for a fail exists. In truth by donning all your PPE you did what was correct and the fact that humans are fallible is why we where it.
Thanks for being straight up...keeps the rest of us on our toes and wearing "our" PPE.

 

[huthike]

Thank you for sharing and posting your experience. Always good to have reminders about safety. Glad you are okay.

 

[bedwards]

I was sizing and lubing today and looked at the pot again. There is a divot frozen in time as it cooled. Will have to get y'all a pic.

 

[Ivan the Butcher]

Once, about 40 years ago, I was casting using a Lee 10 pound bottom pour pot and dropped in a batch of used bullets. I don't know if it was a glob of powder, an unspent primer or some liquid, but a few seconds after my hand was clear of the pot, a geyser of molten lead jumped to the shop light over the bench. Not only was there hot lead flying, but broken glass from the two 40W tubes. A mess to clean, and not a word to the wife!

Then I remembered a story dad told me about casting lead soldiers as a kid. (Circa 1939) When using "used lead", ALWAYS start from a cold pot! There are way too many surprises hidden in those misshapen hunks! (His pot overturned, and molten lead poured across the marble table, big crack. No soldiers for 4 weeks.)

These stories are a great warning, if we remember them!

Ivan

 

[LoboGunLeather]

Good post.

My only nasty experience involved a little moisture inadvertently introduced to the molten lead. Like a miniature volcano erupting as the water turned to superheated steam instantly. I like the OP's term "tinsel", good description of just such an event.

Always outdoors, always under cover, always good ventilation, always good protective gear, always complete attention to every detail, never any distractions.

 

[David Sinko]

Last year I had a live primer find its way into the box of deformed and crushed bullets that I save for the pot. When I dumped it all in the pot the primer went off but nothing splashed out. I've also experienced water remaining in some lead pipes that I was converting to ingots. That was more like a rumbling volcano and fortunately not an explosion. I tend to be more careful now.

 

[elpac3]

Interesting story.

Back in the early 80’s I had occasion to work for a major small arms ammunition manufacturing company who made shotgun ammo. As a part of the shot making process, lead was melted in pots that were three feet in diameter. Pots were loaded at ninety pound lead slugs so there was typically a ton or more being melted in each of the four melt pots.

To get the impurities out, the pot operator would take four large Idaho russets and starting at one end of melt line would drop a potato in the pot while on the run, drop one in the next pot until all four pots had been hit then continue out the door. It was like watching the grenade drop scene from the dirty dozen movie.

The potato would super heat and there would be an explosion of lead that would spatter the wall and ceiling. After that the operator would skim the pots.

Needless to say we did some engineering to reduce the hazards, but thought the process was interesting to say the least

 

[Drm50]

One time I was in the basement pouring bullets and my old man came down with my two little nieces. He said take a break, he wanted to pour some molds we had that were cowboys, soldiers, clowns, etc. He sat the girls up on stools where they could watch safely and started poring toys.
He had a little trouble with mold clip while having ladle in his hand. This slopped lead out of ladle. It was summer and OM wore those slip on net shoes around the house. That lead splattered on those shoes and OM put on a little dance exhibition for the girls. He wasn’t burnt bad but shows you to keep your mind on safety when dealing with molten metal.

 

[Rodfac]

"When using "used lead", ALWAYS start from a cold pot! There are way too many surprises hidden in those misshapen hunks" Yep...I've been "surprised" by the tinsel factory twice. Regards, Rod