Poured Ingots Tonight...

[Mr_Scrogg]

Mini Muffin tin worked good. Good size for my Hotpot 2

[Jig Man]

Yes it does.  The only problem I had was when my wife saw what I had done to her pans.

[Kasilofchrisn]

My wife gave me her old pan when I asked. Then she went out and bought a new one.

The one I have is a bit flimsy so now I use my mismatched ingot molds and my cast iron wedge pan instead.

I have enough now that I can fill them all then dump them all then start again. Even when the molds get real hot by the time they are all filled the first ones are ready to flip.

I just keep a cycle going that way until I have enough ingots made.

I have  roughly 1,000 pounds of scrap I need to get ingotized when I get time.

[cadman]

I use the mini muffin pans as well. It works great for my Lee IV pot as well.

 

Chris, Wow a 1000 lbs, that will last you awhile.

[Kasilofchrisn]

Yeah,but not long enough.

Especially making jigs and sinkers to 3#.

My 25 oz are fairly popular.

If I sold retail it would be gone as fast as I can make them.

I have offers to buy all I can make and I set the price.

But that's more work than I really want to do. Especially with a full time regular job.

That and I don't know how long that would last before its no fun anymore.

Right now I'm keeping it small.

I found someone selling some pure lead. He thought there was 2,000# but it weighed up at 756# for $.90 a pound I couldn't resist.

[Fatman]

Nice clean up!!  

 

I use an old cast iron cornstick breadpan

 

 

Makes just over 1 lb bars

[LimpNoodle]

I need to hit up the yard sales and thrift stores to get a "ingot" pan.

[Mr_Scrogg]

I got a Toaster oven for $4 from a yard sale, and cast iron from a friend for free. Stole the wife's mini muffin pan, promised to buy her a new one.

Edited October 5, 2014 by Mr_Scrogg

[mark poulson]

I hope you guys are using breathing protection when you're melting and molding lead.

I had to attend a lead abatement school several years ago, and the stuff they told us about lead in residential paint made me ASCARED!

Seriously, the fumes can't be good for you, so it's worth the effort and money to invest in a safe pouring/breathing setup.

[LimpNoodle]

If ya don't get it too hot and have any ventilation at all it's not a problem.

[Mr_Scrogg]

I wear a respirator, Apron, Gloves, eye protection. Pouring Jigs, I look like Bill Nye

[LimpNoodle]

I'm guessing ya don't live in Texas.  That kind of clothing would kill me ASAP.

[Mr_Scrogg]

Kansas

[Kasilofchrisn]

I melt all my scrap into ingots outside on a nice breezy day.

I let any fumes from contaminates burn off before making the ingots. Everything is cleaned well then fluxed and cleaned again.

I only use good clean ingots in my workshop. I do not wear a respirator as I am not creating airborn dust. I also monitor my temps with a lead thermometer and when it starts to get too hot I turn it down quickly.

I open windows and crack my shop door so I get some good cross ventilation.

After working in the mill at the lead mine I feel I am being safe doing it this way. yes I have a respirator and have training in dealing with lead. When I was at the mine they checked our blood every 3 months. Mine never got to be a problem.

By the way Once you open a package of respirator cartridges they expire in ~12 hours. Thats for the Organic Vapor(OV) cartridges that handle fumes. If your wearing Hepa cartridges(purple ones) they are only good for dust and do nothing to protect against fumes. The Hepa cartridges are basically good until they get plugged up.

You can also buy the defender cartridges that are a stacked Hepa cartridge over an OV cartridge.

If you are wearing a respirator get the right cartridges and change them out when they expire. otherwise you are not really protected at all.

Lots of harmful fumes are oderless so don't take chances in your respiratory health if you are needing a respirator.

[Kasilofchrisn]

Not trying to Hijack this thread but since it was brought up I will mention few more things on lead and respirators.

First one is you must be fit tested with a current respiratory medical to receive the true benefits of a respirator.

If it doesn't fit properly then you really aren't protected like you should be.

I get fit tested every year from my employer and they provide the respiratory medical for me as well so I am covered.

But if you have not been fit tested and had a respiratory medical you are not really protected as much as you may think. A respirator that is too small or large could mean you are still exposed. Not having the respiratory medical may mean you might be at risk for other problems from respirator use such as undiagnosed breathing disorders etc.

Also those cheap dust masks do nothing for fumes they just protect you against dust.

So do your research and make sure you need a respirator then make sure you have the correct one and that it fits you properly.

Aslo remember to change your cartridges daily if you are wearing ones for fumes. I know they are spendy but your life may depend on it.

It isn't as simple as picking one up from the hardware store and putting it on.

Also be sure to store it properly in a sealed bag such as a 1 gallon ziplock.

For me I will wear mine with certain paints but not for lead casting or powder paint in my fluid beds. For those I will use good ventilation like I said previously.

A blood test may also be warranted if you are concerned with your lead exposure.

I do wear coveralls that stay in my shop when casting. I also wear safety glasses with side shields that meet OSHA standards and sometime a faceshield. Leather gloves are a must also.

Stay safe in this hobby. If you have questions talk to a safety professional or prefferably a industrial hygenist. My company has 2 industrial hygenists on staff that I can talk to if need be and a pile of safety personel.

Edited October 7, 2014 by Kasilofchrisn

[mark poulson]

Not trying to Hijack this thread but since it was brought up I will mention few more things on lead and respirators.

First one is you must be fit tested with a current respiratory medical to receive the true benefits of a respirator.

If it doesn't fit properly then you really aren't protected like you should be.

I get fit tested every year from my employer and they provide the respiratory medical for me as well so I am covered.

But if you have not been fit tested and had a respiratory medical you are not really protected as much as you may think. A respirator that is too small or large could mean you are still exposed. Not having the respiratory medical may mean you might be at risk for other problems from respirator use such as undiagnosed breathing disorders etc.

Also those cheap dust masks do nothing for fumes they just protect you against dust.

So do your research and make sure you need a respirator then make sure you have the correct one and that it fits you properly.

Aslo remember to change your cartridges daily if you are wearing ones for fumes. I know they are spendy but your life may depend on it.

It isn't as simple as picking one up from the hardware store and putting it on.

Also be sure to store it properly in a sealed bag such as a 1 gallon ziplock.

For me I will wear mine with certain paints but not for lead casting or powder paint in my fluid beds. For those I will use good ventilation like I said previously.

A blood test may also be warranted if you are concerned with your lead exposure.

I do wear coveralls that stay in my shop when casting. I also wear safety glasses with side shields that meet OSHA standards and sometime a faceshield. Leather gloves are a must also.

Stay safe in this hobby. If you have questions talk to a safety professional or prefferably a industrial hygenist. My company has 2 industrial hygenists on staff that I can talk to if need be and a pile of safety personel.

Thanks for the writeup.  From someone in the industry it is really meaningful, at  least to me.

When I began working residential const. in the '60's, the plumbers were still doing lead joints on their cast iron sewer fittings, so there was a lead pot going a lot of the time.  None of us worried about it, because we didn't know any better. Ignorance is bliss.  I used to take some lead home and pour my own surf sinkers, and never knew there was any danger.  I also did my own brakes, and didn't know about asbestos dangers either.

Funny, our country outlawed lead in paints in the 70's, I think, but, in Germany, when lead miners began having problems, they outlawed it in 1913, I think.

So, just like Johns Mansville's memos proved with asbestos, lead's dangers were widely known for years in this country, but ignored, because it would cost money and jobs to deal with it.  Instead, it cost kids their physical and mental health.

"What profit a man, that he gain the world, but lose his soul?"

The politicians who turned a blind eye and deaf ear to lead's dangers had no souls.