The boiling point of pure lead is 3180F. The melting point is 621.43F.
Vaporization will not occur at the melting point as you yourself pointed out
with your comment about the microchip industry.
What you sampled, IMHO, was lead dust, not fumes. Did you measure the
particle sizes present?
What was they're method of melting the lead? If they were using a welding
torch, they could very well be exceeding the 3180F temps. This won't happen
with a stove.
Macho Man thump thump thump (sound of beating my chest ;) )


"Rosalie B." wrote in message
...
"Gordon" wrote:

How does melting lead expose you to lead? There are NO lead fumes and
you

There ARE lead fumes. I once sampled in an old garage where they were
melting lead to make flower arranging frogs (those things with the
spikes in them that sit in the bottom of the vase so the flower stems
don't fall over). The whole place was so permeated with lead that
they could not even tear it down without making it hazardous waste.
Great overexposures to lead.

Welding, even on mild steel can create a problem, and also of course
using red lead paint, or doing construction on steel that has been
painted with lead paint. Even children who live near a construction
project on a bridge which has been painted with lead paint can lead
overexposures.

can wear gloves. If melting lead was a problem, every person that ever

Gloves only protect you from the heat. The danger with lead is
inhaling the fume.

soldered would have a problem!

I've also sampled in radiator repair shops - lots of lead exposure
when they solder the radiators. Respirators required and periodic
blood testing. Ventilation helps.

Most people that use lead-tin solder don't do enough of it to have a
problem. The amount of solder is small, and they heat it just barely
hot enough to flow. The amount generated in the microchip industry
for instance is not hazardous.

That said, old tire weights are covered with dirt, grease, rubber and
everything else off the road and will certainly smoke and smell bad when
melting the lead and that stuff, I would not breathe!
I melt the stuff outside in a coffee can on an old camp stove.
Gordon

Dirt, grease and rubber may smell bad, but the lead itself is the
biggest hazard.

I realize that this goes counter to the macho culture, but it is the
truth.

"Rosalie B." wrote in message
.. .
"Skip Gundlach" skipgundlach at earthlink dot fishcatcher (.net)
wrote:

If you're making your own, go to the tire shops and get their used
lead.
See
Glenn Ashmore's site about how he built his keel!

Is there that much lead in a sounding lead?

In any case, I really do not agree that melting lead is the way to go
because lead overexposure is no joke, and it can occur even outdoors.
If you were doing it on a very limited basis, it probably would be OK
provided that you were not also exposed in other ways (like removing
lead paint or making your own lead shot).

grandma Rosalie


grandma Rosalie