I had a very nice web link on how to make Field's Metal at one time but now I can't find it. I've been googling and have found much of it for sale but nothing about making it. Anyone have details on how to make it?
Wikipedia gives - "Field's metal, or Field's alloy, is a fusible alloy that becomes liquid at approximately 62 °C (144 °F). It is a eutectic alloy of bismuth, indium, and tin, with the following percentages by weight: 32.5% Bi, 51% In, 16.5% Sn."
No answer for your question but... what browser or news reader/writter are you using? The text of your question shows here in short lines (about 50 charactors wide rather than 80). Do you know the purpose?
well, as a boilermaker who works in a lead mine, i can tell you; there are steps and there are steps ;-) in this town, where the problem is obviously much larger than it is for someone working with lead in small quantities, people have to have their children checked for lead blood levels pretty often, as do all the workers. the mines employ a 'clean in, clean out' policy, where you are not allowed to go home wearing your work clothes. you must shower at the end of your shift, and leave the clothes you wear at the mine, where they will be washed for you. while washing your hands is a logical step, in smelting areas, facial hair of any kind is not allowed, since it promotes settling of lead vapours and prevents proper sealing of respirators which must be worn at all times. despite these safety precautions, wearing gloves, respirators, protective clothing, and the constant watering of the entire minesite to prevent airborne dust, we are still encouraged to wash not only our hands, but our faces, and if in a high risk area are required to shower before eating lunch.
you would think that all this seems like overkill, but when someone shows up high in a lead blood test, which is pretty often, they are removed from their work area and taken to a no exposure area until the lead blood levels drop, so clearly these precautions are not enough. if you choose to melt down lead sinkers in a pot for casting, do you think that washing your hands is sufficient? If so, please take a moment to consider your children, if not yourself. dont touch or come into contact with them until you have washed your clothes thoroughly and separately from any other clothes, and washed your entire body. also remember that lead is readily absorbed through sweat, and very easily through ingestion. children are by far more susceptible to the effects of lead intake than adults are, as many families in this town can attest.
I believe everything you said, and it makes sense.
But I couldn't help being reminded that as a kid, say about 60 years ago, I used to play with an over the counter A.C. Gilbert lead soldier casting kit like the ones sescribed on this page:
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Gilbert was the same company which made toy "chemistry sets", which I bet contained lots of stuff you couldn't even buy without a license now.
Guess I was just lucky to escape serious poisoning while making those lead soldiers back then. I still have a set of soldier molds and about a dozen years ago I melted down a bit of salvaged lead roofing flashing in an old ladle and showed our youngest son (50 years my junior) what kind of toys we played with when I was his age.
On Sun, 18 Feb 2007 12:04:37 +0000 (UTC), with neither quill nor qualm, Bruce Barnett quickly quoth:
Aw, all I had was the top of the line Erector set, compliments of my dad's coworker (who was trying to move in on Mom after the separation.) Loved the gift, had only contempt for the pockfaced bastid who would -never- replace Dad. Dad had taught me a lot about physics from his college days at U.C. Berkeley.
-- This would be the best of all possible worlds, if there were no religion in it. - John Adams
Not only does it not 'sort out all the problems' it doesn't even address the primary problem.
Despite its high molecular weight and corrosion resistance molten lead readily oxidizes and lead oxide readily volatilizes. The primary route of exposure for people who melt lead and lead alloys is inhalation. (The same is true for exposure to reduced mercury.)
Washing your hands does little to protect you from inhalation hazards.
MSC is having a sale on fixturing metal or fixturing alloy which is basicly what you are looking for. I think you will find it much easier to buy the stuff already mixed rather than hunting up the different elemental metals and combining them. The sale was listed on the flyer that they pack in with an order. I believe the price was 25 dollars a pound.
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