Ok, let's talk about pouring lead. Is it really as dangerous as the labels and instructions make it out to be? I mean, I understand about the dangers of molten lead but what about the fumes and handling the lead itself? It has me to the point of being scared to pour it inside. I have been pouring it under the carport and putting a box fan behind me to blow the fumes. Is this overkill?
Always a good idea to keep as many fumes away as possible, no doubt. Another major concern is to NEVER drop damp or wet lead into the pot, the water can, and will, flash to steam and blast the lead from the pot.
Molten lead is dangerous, before adding lead to the pot place it on top of the pot and allow it to warm.
Having 50 or more pounds of it blasting from a plumbers pot is an experience one tends to never forget, the same can happen with our smaller electric pots.
I do it outside. I've read the fumes are only harmful over 900 degrees but I still do it outside. Where long sleeve. Lee pots tend to leak a bit. Protection. Don't just be safe at work take all necessary precautions
Yeah my Lee pot hung open the other day and scared the crap out of me. I finally got it shut after running over a couple of molds. It didn't make too big of a mess but it definitely got me to thinking what if I could not have got it stopped. I am going to make sure my pour area will be ok if it does decide to stick open
I went by the scrap yard yesterday and bought 62 lbs of scrap lead for .60 a pound, a friend of mine at a tire shop brought me about a half a bucket of tire weights, and I bought another 25 lbs from a guy on Ebay I have bought from before for about 1.50 a pound so once I pour all of this I should be good for a while.
What is yalls source of lead? I did buy some from Bass Pro and WOW that stuff is high there!
I have literally been lucky for 5 years Jody, my uncle got a race car and gave me all the lead outta it. But I am about out. I usually go to ebay, but I need to find some quick like and in a hurry. I am on my last 10 pounds
Having worked in the plumbing industry most of mine, over the years, has come from old cast iron pipe joints taken from remodel jobs. But, have used tired weights and new lead purchased at the plumbing supply houses. Tried recycling lead from old car batteries,, thats a royal pain in the buttocks!
My 2 cents. Keep it under 900, get a lead thermometer so you actually know. Melt scrap in dedicated cast iron dutch oven, pour into ingot molds for later use in production pot, or pour straight into production pot after scraping off crud and fluxing (cheap candle chunks, makes smoke). The smaller the jig the more pure the lead needs to be to get a full cast, larger jigs with large inlet opening can handle wheel weights just fine, but 1/16 oz crappie jigs need pure lead to get good castings.
On the car batteries, cut off the connection lugs (for keeps) and leave it alone, don't open the case, leave that to the recycling places. Very nasty fumes coming out of that.
x2 on the batts. prob not a whole lot of overkill to be had when pouring lead. tire lead is fumy too! the last batch of lead i got came from the walls of an xray room in a hosp remodel. best lead ever. soft for pinch on sinkers... no fumes... awesome!
