Annealing with lead - process?

[gunpower]

lightbulb

Keep the lead at a sane temp, say below 800, and there will be no lead fumes. Burns are a risk in any sort of annealing, if you are using lead though just make sure you have a stable workbench and dont drop any liquid in the pot...that can get ugly fast.

I would really like to know how there is no fumes off of lead that melts at a temp of 800 degrees ! Any thing that melts at its given point gives 0ff fumes!
Pure lead melts at a temp close to 600 degrees. I have been hand casting lead bullets for over 40 years, and I always use good ventilation!

This is like saying that water does not give off steam when boiling!

 

[Mikecr]

Any thing that melts at its given point gives 0ff fumes!

This is not true at all.

It takes ~1190deg to begin vaporizing lead, which is considerably higher than it's melting point.
OSHA, and the Dept of Labor, get concerned with long term exposures to molten lead at 1000deg(to provide a process buffer).
I often work in a lab with a molten tinning pot for soldering, that runs round the clock with no fan at all. This is at a nuclear site, where every square of toilet paper has fine print on it..
A Navy lab I worked out of ran tinning pots on a bench as well.

But I can't vouch for the alloys(or contaminants) in Walmart/Red China lead sinkers. Nor the smoke Mobil1 can produce as it burns away.
So I use box fan to push smoke/fumes outside my garage. And I would not lead dip in the house.
But it's not for fear of LEAD fumes at the temps I'm working with here.

 

[gunpower]

This is not true at all.

It takes ~1190deg to begin vaporizing lead, which is considerably higher than it's melting point.
OSHA, and the Dept of Labor, get concerned with long term exposures to molten lead at 1000deg(to provide a process buffer).
I often work in a lab with a molten tinning pot for soldering, that runs round the clock with no fan at all. This is at a nuclear site, where every square of toilet paper has fine print on it..
A Navy lab I worked out of ran tinning pots on a bench as well.

But I can't vouch for the alloys(or contaminants) in Walmart/Red China lead sinkers. Nor the smoke Mobil1 can produce as it burns away.
So I use box fan to push smoke/fumes outside my garage. And I would not lead dip in the house.
But it's not for fear of LEAD fumes at the temps I'm working with here.

Well I guess that I've learned something new! I was taught many moons ago from the old timers( back in the 50's & 60's )that Lead was a big no-no when you melted it down. Was also taught back in trades school the same thing about lead fumes, when you melt it down have good ventilation.
I guess somebody was just telling us all to be very safe!
Also when I melt lead down and flux it I don't use any thing but bee's wax to flux the impurities away. Thats bad enough!
Any way have a Merry christmas and a Happy new year

 

[Bushrat 1950]

I read this thread today before going out to anneal some old 22-250 brass. I am lucky to have been a bullet caster for many years. I now have a PID that controls my heat within a few degrees. I choose 725 degrees, before dipping the necks into the lead I dipped them in powdered mica. This keeps the lead from sticking, it pays to leave your brass dirty. Just try to get lead to stick to dirty brass. I could hold the necks in the lead at 725 for 8 seconds with my bare right hand. Upon removing the brass I tap it several time on the side of the pot to get loose lead to fall off. I then wiped off the necks with a piece of town in my left hand. I let the tempature probe cool down, and inserted it back in the lead and it verified the temp made it to 725 degrees in 8 seconds. It not a complex process and it is quite fast. You can control the temp,the depth of the lead,and the time in the lead. Who says you can't have it all.

 

[Mikecr]

Good job Bushrat