Lead Pot Explosion! An Innocent Mistake....

[Shasta]

Well boys, it's not easy to admit such a screw-up after 35+ years of accident free bullet casting, but I sure had a close call recently.

I was getting ready to cast some bullets, and had about 4-5 lbs. of molten lead in my RCBS pot (it holds 20 lbs.) I normally batch-melt my scrap lead outside in a big old cast iron pot and make it into 1 lb. ingots, which are then later used in the RCBS pot.

This time, I had a small coffee can of various scrap lead pieces that included a couple one pound fishing weights. It had sat inside my shed all summer after having aquired it last spring. I picked up the 2 fishing weights and dropped them into the molten lead in the RCBS pot, noting the clunk as they immediately sank to the bottom. I no sooner turned away when BOOM! a loud explosion and I instinctively jumped away.

My immediate thought was a live round from my reloading area had somehow got into the pot (from the other end of the room!).

My next thought was to grab for the fire extinguisher on the bench, but a quick glance behind me saw no fire, only hot lead splattered everywhere!
The pot was on its side, with not so much as a drop of lead left in it. The stove hood ventilation fan above the pot was clattering in loud protest of its recent coating of lead, the linoleum floor was smoking as it heated under a layer of hot lead, and I discovered that I had lead adhering to my hat, shirt, denim pants, and boots.

I unplugged the pot and the fan, shaking like a leaf the whole time. It took me a few minutes to realize what had happened.

I couldn't believe my good fortune in that I was not hurt in the least. There was lead on my hat, on my shirt, my denim pants and my boots. I had on safety glasses and leather gloves, but they had no lead on them. Not a drop had touched my skin!

The two fishing weights were on the floor amid the mess, still round and unmelted. But one of them now had a peculiar and prominent pucker. Closer examination revealed the cause of it all.

The weight had a small casting flaw, so small I had not seen it. At some point, perhaps from the fishing weight being used for its intended purpose, the flaw had taken in water. Despite a long hot summer sitting in a coffee can, the water had not evaporated. A moments contact with the molten lead in my pot instantly turned that drop of water to powerful steam, and an explosion resulted.

They say you cannot possibly live long enough to make all the mistakes yourself, so you have to learn from the mistakes of others. Here's your lesson for today! Never add scrap from an unknown source to a molten pot of lead!




Shasta

[Jeeps]

Thank God your ok Shasta

And thanks for sharing your story, I think we will all be a bit safer for having
you share that with us. It is important that people hear what can go wrong.

[gamekeeper]

Thanks for posting. I only melt lead for the few M/L round balls I use but I'm going to be more careful after reading your post.
Sure glad you got away without being hurt!

[horsesoldier03]

WOW, I had no clue that a small amount of moisture could result in that big of an explosion. Glad to hear your ok and that you had on safety glasses! Thanks for sharing! I love to learn from others mistakes rather than my own!

[guido4198]

AND...Thank God you're OK. We can't hear this enough. One mistake can have catastrophic results in this sport. 'nuff said.

[Rusty]

Praise the Lord you're OK. that is definitely something for me to be aware of since those old sinkers of mine usually go right where you put yours.

thank you VERY MUCH!

Rusty <><

[kimwcook]

You're a very lucky man. Sounds like things could of turned out a whole lot different.

[spurgon]

Is that what they call " being visited by the tensel fairy"?

[bigbore442001]

I do all of my casting outside near the deck. What I do is to let the pot heat up and walk away until I can see at a distance that it is fully melted then commence to casting.

[Ysabel Kid]

The Big Guy was certainly looking out for you that day my friend! Thank Goodness you are okay. I had a similar experience 20+ years ago - heard a loud hissing from my pot and jumped back and only caught some lead on my shoe. I know the "shaking like a leaf" feeling all too well!!!

[nemhed]

Good lesson there, thanks for sharing, and I'm glad the only thing hurt was your pride.

[.45colt]

Wow!! glad Your O.K.,and thanks for the post.We can never be TOO carefull. And Good for You on the Saftey Glasses,A co-worker of Mine was using a powerfull cleaner and it splashed up and nearly blinded Him. He uses the saftey glasses Now. Jim.

[morgan in nm]

Last fall, I thought the same thing happened to me. I was casting for 38-55 and had the windows open with the fans going. It was a nice day as there wasn't a cloud in the sky. I had just released the 50th bullet from the mold to cool when all of a sudden, a huge explosion. I really thought I was a gonner. The lights were out but thankfully, it was not the lead that exploded. What happened was apparently a storm had moved in unnoticed to me and lightning hit the house. I couldn't stop trembling. I think I even swallowed a whole can of tobacco. I haven't casted anymore since that day.

[Thunder50]

I put some garage floor absorbent on the top of the lead in the pot. That way the bullets heat up first before slumping into the mix. Read about that long time ago.

I had a pot do the same thing, but I had a sized, lubed bullet fall off a table into the pot ( I used to cast sitting on the floor, the pot on a sturdy stool). All 8 lbs of lead came out of the pot. I was a teen at the time nad been casting about 6 mo., no glasses, no leather gloves, short sleeves. Luckily I have good reflexes and got my arm in front of my face in time. Lead on the ceiling, my shirt, my arm (about 10 sq. in. worth-burned-hurt like *&^#@) and a piece of furniture behind me. Consider myself lucky

[Old Ironsights]

Is that what they call " being visited by the tensel fairy"?

Yeah.

FWIW, at my place if it's not a Wheel Weight, it gets smelted seperately and never added to molten.

And Neither get put into my Lead Pot. I only put Ingots in that.

I seriously dislike the Tinsel Fairy.

[mac45]

Don't be so hard on yourself.
Not sure anyone else would have caught the flaw in the sinker either.
Now, you want to hear stupid?
Some years back, me and a buddy were casting up a bunch of old lead water pipe. We cut the pipe into 6" sections w/ a torch, made sure there was no dirt inside 'em, and tossed 'em in the pot. (Lyman 20 pounder). All was good till we got to the pipe with the valve in it. Being a couple cheapskates, we decide we need to get the lead out of the valve too, so into the pot it goes.
You can guess what happens. Loud kaboom, The pot come about 6" off the bench, and it looks like an entire lake of molten lead is coming at us.
After what felt like 5 or 10 minutes, (and was really only a couple seconds), we look at each other and say, in stereo, "Are you OK?"
Oddly enough, neither of us were really burned. I got a tiny drop on my ear, and my buddy caught one just a bit larger on his cheek.
From the neck down it looked like someone threw silver paint at us.
Fortunately, lead peels off leather real easy. Comes off jeans almost as well. We guessed better than 5 lb's of lead came out of the pot, and at least 2 lb's stuck to us.
We tossed the lead we peeled off ourselves back in the pot, (told you we were cheap!), and called it a night.

So Shasta, while many will argue that you should have checked the sinkers better, you're gonna have to work on it to join the ranks of the REALLY stupid

Glad you weren't hurt

[jbm1968]

Thanks for the post, it will undoubtedly keep one of us from making the same mistake! Glad your ok.

[cutter]

So was it; BOOM!! "stuff!".

...or was it; BOOM!! stuff.

Sorry, couldn't help myself. Glad your ok.

[mac45]

LOL

Let's just say our pants were fine after we peeled the lead off.
Tho I suspect it was a near thing

[PPpastordon]

PLEASE NOTE
Many years ago an old timer told me that if bullet casting lead had any kind of a opening in it, one could rest assured that moisture would gather there if it was stored where it could got cool enough for moisture to condense on it. Around here, that can be as much 60 - 65*F in the summer; especially if it is humid and is going to rapidly get a bunch warmer. In the winter, it takes far less difference in temperature for moisture to condense on lead.
If I am going to be casting I make sure all my lead to be used is toasty warm (compared to the surrounding temperature) before it is placed in the pot. And I have been known to goof at doing that!

Thank the Lord God that you were not hurt.

Grace and Peace.

[Ram Hammer]

Thanks for sharing.

I once set a hot crucible on a concrete floor. The crucible was over 1,000 degrees F. After a minute, a piece of concrete popped out of the slab with a bang and knocked over the crucible. It scared the bejezzus out of me Moisture turned to steam is VERY powerful.

I'm glad you weren't hurt.

[Griff]

Glad to hear you're ok. That's quite a scare. PPastorDon, I've heard that same admonishment. Probably some truth to it.

[C. Cash]

The old water left in the void of cast fishing sinker/exploding lead pot ruse huh.....why if I had a nickel........ Glad your doing OK Shasta and didn't get burnt. Thanks for the headsup on that one.

[rjohns94]

so glad you are ok. that was a close call. thanks for the post. I will certainly be looking at all the lead I add to the pot in the future with a lot more scrutny!!

[g5m]

I once bought a bucket of wheelweights from a local, friendly scrap dealer, and fortunately saw the live 22lr round in the scrap before dumping it in the pot. Would probably have been about like the water in the sinker.

[handirifle]

WOW! Glad you're OK and thanks for the lesson, being a newcomer to casting it really got my attention.

Thanks.

[2571]

Real men don't eat quiche; but, they do wear safety glasses

[awp101]

Yikes! I'm amazed that ANY moisture was left in there even after a hot summer. Guess I'll have to make a "note to self" when I start going through the boxes of WW I have in the garage when I get ready to start casting for the first time.

Definately a "note to self" moment...

Glad nothing was hurt but pride!

[marlinman93]

Molten lead in water-OK
Water in molten lead-kaboom!
Sure glad you weren't hurt, and no pemanent damage to your home either!

[canonsix]

I will not to be hard on you, I did the same thing in 1976 and it has not happened to me since. I only store my bullet alloy in a heated room, and then i preheat it in the oven at 275 for about 20 minutes.
When I am casting at camp, I put the alloy next to the fire in a can. I am very glad you are ok,I stii have the scar on my arm from my little mistake. Doug