Today I was casting some balls and the bottom pour pot got down a bit, I had some large downrigger lead fishing weights that was given to me over a decade ago. The oblong weights weigh around three pounds each with a copper wire ring cast into them, I have melted down several over the years and they have been stored under the bench in the garage out of the weather, and this is Arizona.
Well, to make a short story long, I put one of the weights in the pot and went across the garage to clean things up a bit. Suddenly there was a loud bang with steam and lead flying all over the work bench, needless to say I was very lucky not to have been close. The best I can calculate is that when the weight was cast, there was a void left inside, when it was used down deep, the high pressure allowed the water to infiltrate the void and the water became trapped when it was brought back to the surface.
Amazing that the water did not evaporate out, as 120 degrees plus is not uncommon during the summers here. I guess the moral is, never ever take anything for granted, complacency can get one hurt.
Well, to make a short story long, I put one of the weights in the pot and went across the garage to clean things up a bit. Suddenly there was a loud bang with steam and lead flying all over the work bench, needless to say I was very lucky not to have been close. The best I can calculate is that when the weight was cast, there was a void left inside, when it was used down deep, the high pressure allowed the water to infiltrate the void and the water became trapped when it was brought back to the surface.
Amazing that the water did not evaporate out, as 120 degrees plus is not uncommon during the summers here. I guess the moral is, never ever take anything for granted, complacency can get one hurt.
