Once you melt lead in a pot, it can never be used again for food. Mark it, or segregate it so that no one will mistake it for a food implement. Lead is a poison when ingested orally. It isn't healthy to have it shot through you, either, but that is another story.
Anyway, I processed the remaining wheelweights and now I have clean ingots ready for the bullet pot. I use two basic ingot molds when I am cleaning raw lead, so I can remember what is wheelweight and what is pure lead. The wheelweights go into an old cornbread stick pan. The pure lead goes into a Lee ingot mold. Were I concerned with having ingots of a particular alloy, I would get a third mold to cast those ingots, so that the varying ingots could be instantly identified.
Cornstick lead is wheelweights, Lee ingots are pure lead. If I was needed to keep ingots of Lyman #2, or linotype, I would simply get anther ingot mold. Maybe a starburst mold, or a Lyman mold. Something distinctive.
Simple, no?
Aww, I have been cruising the yardsales, looking for a baby dutch oven and a cornbread stick pan for like forever. Breaks my heart to see that one turned into an ingot mold.
ReplyDeleteAny idea what the dangers are from breathing the stray vapors of the melted lead?
ReplyDeleteOr thru skin contact when you go to mold the bullets?
I work with a guy who specializes in removal of lead paint, but he just says all lead is poison. Problem with Hazmat people is that they will tell you whatever keeps them empoloyed.
Yeah, MT. That is something we all worry about. Lead exposure is hazardous, but molten lead tends to stick to things, not float around like free dust particles. Dick Lee, in his Modern Reloading, page 36 said that the lead hazard is worst when a case tumbler is used because of the dust released. Primer manufacturers use lead styphnate in their product and that dust is released into the case and into the tumbler media.
ReplyDeleteAnytime you are working with lead, follow standard industry precautions. Work in a well-ventilated area. Don't smoke. Wash hands frequently. Don't have any liquids near the melting pot.
We who work lead are aware of the hazards. We haven't found anything as easily worked, as universally available, or as plainly effective for making bullets.
I'll also recommend melting and casting your lead outdoors. I think the preprocessing is a good idea because you can do it outside and stand upwind. The only other thing I heard was to not let the lead get too hot after it has melted. If allowed to superheat, that's when it gives off the majority of the fumes.
ReplyDeleteThe tumbling lead exposure is new to me, thanks for the info.
In addition to casting and shooting, I also do a bit of welding of galvanized steel. Here's a link to another Pawpaw who died due to complications from blacksmithing some scrap steel galvanized metal. A good overview of the “zinc shakes”, and what you need to watch out for.
Although I'm not super paranoid about it, I no longer get any silver fillings. I also get a heavy metals blood test to keep on top of things. I've been OK so far.
Not intended to diagnose, cure, treat or prevent any disease.