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Author Topic: Molten lead shower  (Read 5099 times)

Andy M

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Molten lead shower
« on: May 19, 2007, 01:34:17 pm »

 I posted this cautionary tale in my Mini Speedboat Project section but I thought it deserved a section to itself due to the devastating nature of lead expolosions. I had a bit of an 'Incident' when I was casting lead to fit up the front of my boat, I had cast the bit I needed and was pouring the extra lead into an ingot mould when an explosion of molten lead spurted up from the mould and splashed on my arm! Pretty sore! So I decided to ladle the rest into the mould instead of pouring it,thinking that would be a bit safer! How wrong can you be, as soon as the ladle touched the molten lead, it really exploded this time ,sending a shower of molten lead in an 8 ft radius circle, with quite a bit of it landing on my neck and running down my shoulder! Now that REALLY hurts! It wrote off a pair of trainers,a pair of trousers and a t-shirt. I managed to finish fitting my ballast the next day so it's not that bad,but I had 3 splashes on my glasses,that was the most worrying thing. I will have to change my 'motto' from Have fun to Have fun and be careful with lead, Andy M I will post a photo of the damage when I have shrunk them for the forum.
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omra85

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Re: Molten lead shower
« Reply #1 on: May 19, 2007, 01:43:45 pm »

Sorry to hear of your 'incident' Andy.
As you say, lead casting is very dangerous.  I have done it in the past making ballast bulbs for a yacht fin.  EVERYTHING must be BONE DRY!
The slightest bit of moisture on mould, ladle, pan or anything and it goes up like a bomb.
Liquid plastic is another danger area where it explodes on contact with moisture.

I seem to remember I suggested a breeze block - it would have been safer than the lead ;D

Danny
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Andy M

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Re: Molten lead shower
« Reply #2 on: May 19, 2007, 02:20:26 pm »

Hi Danny, not enough spare room for breeze block, do you make scaled down ones for models?  I cast lead bulbs for my micro yacht, I cast four because my mate was going to make a micro yacht as well, total weight 200 lbs and I never had a single problem, apart from lifting 70-80 lbs of lead in a paint tin. Here is what lead does to skin.Andy M
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rats

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Re: Molten lead shower
« Reply #3 on: May 19, 2007, 03:06:39 pm »

Wow painfull ! - dont think I'll be trying it again, hope your injury's get better
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bigH

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Re: Molten lead shower
« Reply #4 on: May 19, 2007, 04:57:59 pm »

 :(  OUCH     bigH
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John W E

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Re: Molten lead shower
« Reply #5 on: May 19, 2007, 06:11:36 pm »

Andy, you have been so so lucky lad.

It brings to mind, for those who were on the 'old' model boat forum, a topic that we all once discussed.   I believe the topic was entitled, 'Let the young ones learn by mistakes or something like that' where it was discussed about the younger generation being soft and should be allowed to experiment with different things.   I am going to mention Kayem here, cos Kayem was there as well.  The topic originally came about while they were pouring molten lead into the bottom of a fibre glass yacht.  I remember saying then it could be dangerous, because sometimes air gets trapped inside the fibre glass moulding when its been laid up.  This air expands and obviously it has nowhere to go, and if its close to the surface, it literally blows the lamination apart causing the molten lead to splatter all over the place.   

I am wondering if this is something that has happened to you, Andy.  Not necessarily air, but a little bit of dampness trapped.

Will not dwell on the subject too much, its one of those things where you count your lucky stars, and pick six numbers for the lottery - because by hell you are one lucky person.

Hope you are not in too much pain my friend.  Get well soon.   It will heal, but you will have a scar.

aye
john e
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Tug-Kenny RIP

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Re: Molten lead shower
« Reply #6 on: May 19, 2007, 08:51:23 pm »


My sympathies Andy.  Hope you are feeling better and that it will fade with time.


Ken
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taxi

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Re: Molten lead shower
« Reply #7 on: May 21, 2007, 02:34:20 pm »

Many years ago I was on a lead plumbing course and the instructor  (by the name of Burns)  told us that when the lead in the pot was at correct temp you could tell by dipping a piece of brown paper in it and the edge would singe / burn slightly.   He also told us of an instructor who would very quickly dip a scrupulously clean finger in it.   Nobody had the guts to try it but he also warmed us not to wear any gold rings etc as a splatter of molten lead would stick to the metal like s - - t to a blanket.   Take care with that stuff.
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Andy M

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Re: Molten lead shower
« Reply #8 on: June 15, 2007, 02:14:06 pm »

Hi everybody, two weeks in the sun with savlon on it and t shirt draped over it did the trick. Back to British weather now. Bit scarred but I will count it as a close one! I think I will use lead sheet the next time. Have fun, Here is the link to my boat video on you tube  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-YKATWyFMYE
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Colin H

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Re: Molten lead shower
« Reply #9 on: June 15, 2007, 08:51:49 pm »

Hi Andy,

Damn me but that hurt hope you soon get well.

On the subject of casting lead it is perfectly safe providing you know & follow the rules. I have over the last 45 years as a plumber used molten lead/solder on a daily basis. For the last 35 years my other hobby has been target shooting with rifles & pistols dated 1800 to about 1860 so every bullet has to be cast. Most of the time you would only get about 12 bullets to the pound, so a days shooting would be about 50 pounds of lead.

Use a purpose made lead pot. Certainly not a paint tin or any other type of light container, the weight of the molten lead could distort or even burst this type of container.

Everthing must be clean very clean. There must be no moister at all. Pure lead (and we don't get this often) melts at 327.5`C or in my terms 621.5`F. At this temperature water turns instantly to steam and an explosion will surely follow.

I use an electric furnace so I lay my moulds and pouring ladle on the lead before I turn on. This way they reach the same temperature as the lead and are therefore dry. If I were using a `pot` on a gas stove then the tolls would be placed on a spare gas jet to warm up.

One of the main points I used to stress when teaching others to cast was never but never allow the lead to overheat. If you see the `pot` starting to bubble or go a cherry red. TURN OF THE HEAT SOURCE AND RUN.

The fumes from a over heated `pot` are toxic, HIGHLY TOXIC and will give you a high dose of lead poisoning in very short order something like 2-5 breaths.

The symptoms of lead poisoning are fairly general, sickness, the trots etc, but if you get a discolouration of the lips you are deep in the doo.

Apart from the above it burns and that hurts to.

Yours Colin H.
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Colin Bishop

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Re: Molten lead shower
« Reply #10 on: June 15, 2007, 08:55:31 pm »

Well, that sounds like a pretty convincing argument for using sheet lead!
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DickyD

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Re: Molten lead shower
« Reply #11 on: June 15, 2007, 09:07:54 pm »

Great video Andy, she certainly goes well
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Andy M

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Re: Molten lead shower
« Reply #12 on: June 16, 2007, 12:11:27 pm »

This is the video of my Viper planing  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aAoei2F87Gs
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DickyD

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Re: Molten lead shower
« Reply #13 on: June 16, 2007, 12:29:06 pm »

Looks really great Andy comes up nicely on the plane.
Mjnd you theres a few on here that will tell you youve used the wrong motor etc.
Once again, a real success.
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tigertiger

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Re: Molten lead shower
« Reply #14 on: June 16, 2007, 02:40:16 pm »

Looks really great Andy comes up nicely on the plane.
Mjnd you theres a few on here that will tell you youve used the wrong motor etc.
Once again, a real success.


I echo what DD says, wicked vid.
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Andy M

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Re: Molten lead shower
« Reply #15 on: June 16, 2007, 06:47:17 pm »

Still dont know what you mean about motor.The plate(dont know what its called) above the prop sits level with the bottom of the hull,this is deep in the water at sub-planing speeds,but as the hull planes, the prop ends up at the right depth,I dont know if my photos show how deep the V is. I will post a photo and you can tell me if I am wrong, Andy M
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Andy M

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Re: Molten lead shower
« Reply #16 on: June 16, 2007, 07:10:10 pm »

Here are a couple of photos,tell me what you think,I am a modeller,not a speedboat expert!
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omra85

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Viper speed boat
« Reply #17 on: June 16, 2007, 08:04:45 pm »

Hi Andy
Runs lovely and flat on the plane.  Have you raised the motor at all, it looks higher than the last set of photos.
Given that the hull will be at least 3" into the water when flat out, the prop level is about right.
If you were to get it up to 50 mph it would be too low but I shouldn't worry about that yet  ;D ;D
Looks like a good bit of fun - and all your own work - well done!

Danny
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Andy M

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Re: Molten lead shower
« Reply #18 on: June 16, 2007, 08:40:10 pm »

Haven't raised motor, that would be quite hard now as the clamp unit is sitting in slanted recesses.The reason I did this was to bring the thrustline parallel to the bottom of the hull.The clamp unit on the outboard wouldn't allow this.I thought it was because I have a vertical transom(because it was going to be inboard)and that most other boats were slanted.Am I wrong about thrustline? I have photos of the motor on it before I recessed it and it looked as if it would have forced the rear end under.Andy M
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omra85

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Re: Molten lead shower
« Reply #19 on: June 21, 2007, 08:04:25 pm »

Hi Andy
Altering the recess looks to have been the right thing as the boat runs flat at speed without "porpoising".
Just sit back - open her up, and wave to the crowds  ;D
Danny
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