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Author Topic: Flying Insects in the Casting Room?  (Read 1321 times)

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Offline us920669

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Flying Insects in the Casting Room?
« on: April 15, 2012, 07:47:12 AM »
I've got a good set-up for ventilation, but I do start to accumulate bugs when the weather warms, especially since I like to cast at night.  It just dawned on me that this could be a very hazardous situation.  Has this ever been mentioned, or does anyone have an opinion? 
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Online Graybeard

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Re: Flying Insects in the Casting Room?
« Reply #1 on: April 15, 2012, 11:08:57 AM »
Sumpin real small like a mosquito should matter but a candle fly aka moth or a beatle or any such larger bug in there will result in a volcano like explosion you don't want to be near.

I've had one such explosion from a lot less water than they have in their body and have lots of scars to show for it. Not fun.
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Offline Rustyinfla

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Re: Flying Insects in the Casting Room?
« Reply #2 on: April 15, 2012, 11:37:56 AM »


   A friend of mine grew up in a house that was eaten up with termites. They would often swam on warm nights and go to the brightest light around. In order to read in his bedroom He would put a lamp with a 100 watt light on a table across the room over a water basin. The basin would be full of flying bugs each night. He would then sit and read in his bed using a 40 watt bulb in another lamp. You might want to try a similar set up.
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Offline mechanic

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Re: Flying Insects in the Casting Room?
« Reply #3 on: April 15, 2012, 11:45:39 AM »
You sure don't want a bug dropping in the melt.  Like G.B. I have scars that look like measles from one drop of water in a 20# pot....and when it sticks it stays stuck till you pull it off!  Do whatever you have to do to minimize this situation.
 
Ben
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Offline calvon

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Re: Flying Insects in the Casting Room?
« Reply #4 on: April 15, 2012, 01:10:33 PM »
If you're running a bottom feed lead pot it seems a piece of window screen wire laid across the top of the pot would solve the problem.
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Offline us920669

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Re: Flying Insects in the Casting Room?
« Reply #5 on: April 15, 2012, 03:32:18 PM »
Excellent idea, thank you.  I've been thinking about those tin hats they sell for the little roof vents, but screen would be much tighter and easier to lift off for fluxing.  I think most small bugs get blown away by the column of hot air, but we are getting those Chinese stink bugs, and I've seen how they fly around, bang into something and then drop like rocks.  If one landed on the grill he would probably cook off pretty fast, but at least I could get out of the way.
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Offline BCB

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Re: Flying Insects in the Casting Room?
« Reply #6 on: April 16, 2012, 12:56:31 PM »
My opinion is, there would be no "explosion" of molten lead flying anywhere if a bug fell on top of the molten lead...

The critter would simply boil away...

The "explosions" occur when water or some other liquid is forced down into the melt...

I have done this with old lead water pipe.  Had a good melt of lead in a 20# Lee and I was adding pieces of the pipe.  Well, some must have had moisture inside and it was pushed into the melt.  When it got hot enough to turn to steam--well, the lead flew then...

As far a a bug on top--I doubt any problem at all short of producing an annoying smell...

Just my thoughts...

Good-luck...BCB
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Offline us920669

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Re: Flying Insects in the Casting Room?
« Reply #7 on: April 17, 2012, 03:29:34 AM »
Well, I don't know.  Someone was saying just a drop of sweat will cause incredible havoc.  Steam expands in all directions and it seems like a bug would displace quite a bit of lead.  I think I had a small incident many years ago when I foolishly plunged a ladle into the mix.  I read somewhere they can retain some moisture when they get all grody, and something sure happened deep in the pot - a few small droplets may have splashed but nothing got me.  When we saw the boiling mud at Yellowstone a few years ago I immediately thought of that day.
I made a little cage out of hanger strap and aluminum screen yesterday, fits on top real nice.  You have to leave an opening for the valve.  I was going to take a picture but it's such a poor job I was embarrassed.  Don't laugh till you've tried it.  Cutting and bending screen is not fun.
I had a visitor yesterday afternoon - a big fat bumblebee.  I waved the mold at him and backed off real fast.  I think they can sense the temperature very quickly, and that's what usually saves you on bugs.  He started exploring the exhaust fan and had a fatal accident.     
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Offline Anduril

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Re: Flying Insects in the Casting Room?
« Reply #8 on: April 19, 2012, 06:10:53 AM »
While I tend to side with BCB on this, your window screen cover seems like a good idea to me.
..
 
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Offline 45-70.gov

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Re: Flying Insects in the Casting Room?
« Reply #9 on: April 19, 2012, 06:16:36 AM »
Quote from: BCB on April 16, 2012, 12:56:31 PM
My opinion is, there would be no "explosion" of molten lead flying anywhere if a bug fell on top of the molten lead...

The critter would simply boil away...

The "explosions" occur when water or some other liquid is forced down into the melt...

I have done this with old lead water pipe.  Had a good melt of lead in a 20# Lee and I was adding pieces of the pipe.  Well, some must have had moisture inside and it was pushed into the melt.  When it got hot enough to turn to steam--well, the lead flew then...

As far a a bug on top--I doubt any problem at all short of producing an annoying smell...

Just my thoughts...

Good-luck...BCB


ditto
i think  it was a spider in a lead pipe that got me
a bug in a dipping laddle might be bad news too
the moisture must be encapsulated to blow upwards
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Offline S A Webbx1

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Re: Flying Insects in the Casting Room?
« Reply #10 on: April 24, 2012, 05:04:15 AM »
I used to cast on the porch of my apt. in CA, using a propane tank for my smelting pot, 2 burner stove, BBQ, and a propane lantern, all run off a tree type manifold with the lantern on top of the tree. Warm night, bugs aplenty drawn by the light, and casting from an electric pot. Saw the moth, a big one, go into the pot from the corner of my eye, and I got a good amount of spatter. Didn't empty the pot but it got my attention. Started to cast during the day or on cold nights.


And I know the industrial hygiene wasn't great. And those crusty ladles are definitely a danger too. I learned to preheat them too.


Essay W
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Offline gypsyman

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Re: Flying Insects in the Casting Room?
« Reply #11 on: April 24, 2012, 03:40:55 PM »
25+ years ago, a friend of mine, who just passed away a couple months ago, was teaching me how to cast. It was summer time, and a warm night. A good size miller moth, flew into the back room of his garage, flew around the overhead light, and did a kamikazee dive into the lead pot. My buddy pushed me one way, and he dove the other. It didn't empty the pot, but there was enough that it would have left lasting scars if I had been right over the pot. There were still marks in the ceiling tile when I was there a few months before he died. Flying insects, you betcha. watch out for them. gypsyman
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Offline Steve P

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Re: Flying Insects in the Casting Room?
« Reply #12 on: April 26, 2012, 08:42:08 AM »
I guess consensus is that bug flux suxs.   ;D
 
Steve :)
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Offline S A Webbx1

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Re: Flying Insects in the Casting Room?
« Reply #13 on: May 16, 2012, 05:14:30 AM »
Dried bugs work all right if you can get past the smell.
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Offline dakotashooter2

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Re: Flying Insects in the Casting Room?
« Reply #14 on: May 29, 2012, 09:29:14 AM »
So consensus is....bugs do not make a good flux?......................................
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Offline us920669

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Re: Flying Insects in the Casting Room?
« Reply #15 on: May 30, 2012, 03:25:10 AM »
I think that about sums it up.  After reading some of the posts, I've decided to suspend casting until the temperature goes down.  I spent a lot of years without ever considering it and never had a volcano incident, but even one is one too many.   
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