Bullet Casting

The covid 19 thing has me looking for things to do so I got a bucket of wheel weights from my stash and started melting them down. All was well until I had a furnace of molten lead and then tried to add some damp wheel weights to the mix.
NOT GOOD. There was an instant explosion of lead. I new better but wasn't giving it my total concentration.
I ended up at Urgent care with second degree burns on my foot. It could have been much worse.

Yikes, it is amazing how we can do something for years and then just a small slip up and it's a trip to the ER.  Good luck with your recovery

A casting buddy of mine and his neighbor were casting away one Georgia summer evening in his basement and the brother in law came down to talk with them and brought both a cold beer. He reached across the casing pot to hand off the beer and a drop of condensation feel at that moment. The two casters had launched themselves toward the doorway as the steam explosion happened in the pot.  No major burns but most of 11 pounds of molten lead on the sealing, walls, equipment and floor.

Wow, glad you are "mostly" OK.  Take care of the burn.  They can get infected and turn ugly fast.

Thanks Goose, they gave me a Tetanus shot and some antibiotics. Have several blisters on the bend of my ankle right above where the shoe stops.
I knew better. I stuck a piece of wood in a pot of molten lead once thinking I could stir it with that. I learned real quick. Getting absent minded in my old age.

I had this experience last year while casting with wheel weights.
I have a casting bench on wheels that I roll out onto my garage apron where there is a 6 foot overhang. I started an electric furnace full of weights and went off to do other things. When I came back the thermometer read 800 degrees. I skimmed off the junk and without thinking dropped in one wheel weight. The explosion sounded like a 45 going off. Somehow, miraculously, the whole mess missed me but I have a good reminder stuck all over my white aluminum garage soffit.

JKR

I've only had minor "explosions" in my casting career. Mostly due to stupid stuff I tried to get away with, I was guilty of trying to smelt dirty/wet wheel weights trying to get everything done in one day instead of cleaning the weights and allowing them to dry before smelting another day.

One thing I've had a small issue with was using pine shaving as a flux, I guess the resin causes an issues because it tends to sizzle/pop and worries me. I've now been using only candle wax and tends to be safer.

I used Paraffin wax for years. Absolutely no issues. When fluxing a 10# pot I would use a 45 ACP cased pushed through he wax, de-primed with a coat hanger around the base to push the wax to the bottom of the pot. Nice that it comes in half inch sheets.

I've been using a wooden dowel to flux.  Wax works, but it smokes like crazy unless you light it off and it stinks too.  Carbon is the main ingredient for fluxing.  I just stir with a hardwood dowel until it chars up and has a cherry on the end like a cigarette.  Works great.

There is a very informative forum for all things cast bullets.  

 http://castboolits.gunloads.com/forum.php

oldsalt444 wrote:I've been using a wooden dowel to flux.  Wax works, but it smokes like crazy unless you light it off and it stinks too.  Carbon is the main ingredient for fluxing.  I just stir with a hardwood dowel until it chars up and has a cherry on the end like a cigarette.  Works great.

There is a very informative forum for all things cast bullets.  

 http://castboolits.gunloads.com/forum.php

Ditto, got the idea from the same source years ago. Just have to remember to slowly insert it, then stir gently.
Al

Use a DRY dowel. For fluxing I use wax made to seal canning jars. My mother had pounds of that stuff.

Pick scented candles ! Sheesh