Lead in Blood

[You]

2.58 micrograms per deciliter is the average lead concentration in the human body. I recently tested at 4 mg/dl and gave up on casting and lead handling because of this. Mind you, anything under 5 mg/dl is considered within the 'normal' range and most who treat elevated lead levels are at 10 mg/dl or higher.

Wear gloves, ventilate ventilate ventilate, and know your temp. Do not overheat the lead!

Having a handful of youngins around also played a large part in my decision to go lead-free. (Already made lures, weights, and bullets are the exceptions.)

 

[Kickemup]

Good to know. Note to self when I need jigs made I'll have KDM make them he is old anyways. :;:sorry

 

[PrairieGhost]

Oh crap. I remember cutting the interior out of one of those 50cal ammo cans with a torch. I was sick for two days afterwards. Back in those days no one heard of OSHA rules for work. Not lead, but not good for a guy either.

When casting bullets I run a 200 CFPM fan right next to my lead pot. So close I have melted the grill on the fan at times.

I throw in a pinch of beeswax now and then to watch the flames and smoke to check the efficiency of the fan. Also, beeswax works as a flux for my 93% lead 6% antimony 1% tin mixture. It also verifies temp evenif yo have a thermometer. If it instantly burst into flames it's to hot, if it only smokes it isn't hot enough. If it smokes for five or six seconds then burst into flames it's close to perfect.

 

[KDM]

Yep!! Ventilation, Gloves, and Distance from the smelter is how I roll. All the fuss seems to be from the lead dust or fumes, so once the jigs are made and cooled off, I don't take the same precautions. Good Lord PG, Now THAT'S a smelter. What size is that baby??

 

[PrairieGhost]

20 lb. I have cast up to 60 lb in a day. Hollow point bullets are time consuming, but a double mould 405 gr goes through a lot of lead. Adding new lead cools you down so I often run two smelters. Then moulds get hot so I often run four moulds at a time. That requires two vents.

 

[KDM]

WOW!!!

 

[lunkerslayer]

You could tell us the reason you went to check for lead?

 

[You]

You could tell us the reason you went to check for lead?

figured I'd been playing with lead long enough. wanted to know where I stood. I would still be partaking in 'lead activities' if I came in at 2.58