sifu128 Posted April 8, 2008 Share Posted April 8, 2008 Hey guys, I have a fast question. I know that when you shoot you are always at risk for lead exposure. Outdoor range is better than indoor range because of the ventilation, etc. Now my question is after you tumble your brass how much of an exposure do you think there is? The reason why I am asking is that I use my kitchen counter to sort out my brass after it is clean because it just happens to be the one place in my house where I have the most light and the biggest counter. I always use Windex followed by Clorox Disinfecting Wipes to clean the counter very well. Do I need to be concerned? TIA Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Boudrie Posted April 8, 2008 Share Posted April 8, 2008 I run the tumbler in my basement workroom, but I take it outside for sifting for just the reason you specify. Doing so inside is not a great idea; doing so in a food area is a terrible idea. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sifu128 Posted April 8, 2008 Author Share Posted April 8, 2008 Woooops, I forgot to mention that I do run my tumbler outside. I also do all the sifting there. I then seperate all of the brass out and put them in a bag when I am done. I had like 8000 pieces of brass that have been sitting in bags for the last few months and just seperated them inside (9, .45, 357, etc). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carlos Posted April 8, 2008 Share Posted April 8, 2008 Hi Sifu128! The most common cause of high lead levels is ingestion (eating lead dust) - which is my the NRA Range at HQ asks shooters to wash their face after shooting (to take lead dust off the lips and mouth). When we tumble fired brass, the fine black dust comes in part from the primers, which contain an eplosive compound call "lead styphnate" - a form of lead. That dust tends to land everywhere and often makes its way into food. I am sure you will be fine, though I agree that its best to tumble, sift and sort brass outside or at least in the garage. Regards, D. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sifu128 Posted April 8, 2008 Author Share Posted April 8, 2008 Excellent. Now with the warm weather coming I will be able to do this outside. Thanks all for your help!! Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
03k64 Posted April 8, 2008 Share Posted April 8, 2008 I live in the upstairs condo in my complex so I can't tumble outside. I clean my tumbling/reloading area with a lead specific detergent and have my levels tested regularly. So far so good. http://www.ledizolv.com/index.asp Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrisStock Posted April 8, 2008 Share Posted April 8, 2008 I tumble my brass in the garage and toss in a pair of dryer sheets, and these tend to grab hold of lead and carbon nicely. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cat355 Posted April 8, 2008 Share Posted April 8, 2008 I've always tumbled brass indoors on a concrete basement floor which I clean regularly. I also keep a lid on the tumbler, and always wash my hands after handling components. I'm not going to lose any sleep worrying about lead poisoning. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Keen Posted April 8, 2008 Share Posted April 8, 2008 Brownell's also sells lead wipes, and lead solvents in concentrate form. I would recommend using them to clean any areas in your house & especially in your kitchen that you have contaminated with lead dust. Remember not just your gun & bullets have lead dust on them ...... your range bag, shoes, and range clothes do too. Not to mention that if you don't wash up before leaving the range so do your steering wheel, car keys, and cell phone. Still think your doing enough to reduce your lead exposure ??? Think again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scout454 Posted April 9, 2008 Share Posted April 9, 2008 Brownells carries a product called "D-lead". It comes in both a wipe that can easily be carried in your shooting bag (I have a can over my loading bench) and in a bottle with a squirt nozzle that is to be used with water. Both work and they remove over 90% of the lead contamination if used as directed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shred Posted April 9, 2008 Share Posted April 9, 2008 The dust in your tumbler consists of a large percentage lead.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GW45ACP Posted April 9, 2008 Share Posted April 9, 2008 GLEN FRYXELL has an article that touches on this subject. I use a spray bottle of water and add just enough to the tumbling media so that it doesn't make it clump. I also like ChrisStock's dryer sheet tip, too. I've been using them for the past year and it even helps extend the life of the media. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UW Mitch Posted April 17, 2008 Share Posted April 17, 2008 I do the dryer sheets. I also wear a resparator when taking the dryer sheets out of the tumber and throwing them in the garbage., and take the whole deal outside to separate (I didn't used to, and I think this contributed to my elevated levels). I wonder if instead of adding a shot glass of water to the tumbler if it would help to add a shot glass of properly dilluted ledisolv? I just ordered a sample that should make a quart and will give that a try. Hopefully it doesn't destroy the brass but if it does, it'll only be a few hundred pieces, and I can throw away the media. ~Mitch Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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