I swapped for a bunch of lead last fall, already ingoted. Made from shipping containers for chemotherapy drugs. Any thoughts as to wether this stuff is safe?
It's a little too late to start worrying about it. Been in my garage for a year!
Andy
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I swapped for a bunch of lead last fall, already ingoted. Made from shipping containers for chemotherapy drugs. Any thoughts as to wether this stuff is safe?
It's a little too late to start worrying about it. Been in my garage for a year!
Andy
Dont worry about it! I started using that stuf years ago, long before my hair and teeth started falling out and I am just fine.
In all seriousness, the stuff is really no different than any other lead- it simply was shielding for some form of radioactive agent that was being used medically.
Lead does not "store" the radiation. It simply blocks it from exiting the container and make it safe to ship and handle.
The same is true for lead shielding from x-ray equipment- use it and feel lucky that you got a cheap source of bullet making material.
Gary
Isotope lead makes good bullets.
Especially for night shooting, since they glow in the dark.
Seriously, that is what I use exclusively for my bullets. I get large quantites, pretty consistent alloy, good price. I sell locally what I don't hoard.
I guess they dont do chemo in Cal. then ah?
Fear not Farmall the stuff is safety checked before it is released to John Q. Public by medical staffers with radiation checking equipment to make sure it`s safe. I`ve been using this form of lead for over 25 years. I compare it to be close to wheel weight in hardness. Besides I enjoy the free tracer show I get when shooting them at night!Robert
Hardcast nailed it. Here in the Rocky's isotope lead puts off about half the rads that the mountains do. You will get more radiation walking around looking for stuff to shoot than you will casting the lead into bullets.
Thanks guys. Forgot I posted this. Guess that shows how worried I was! I was pretty sure lead blocked the radiation, not absorbed it.
Andy
Re-read the shipping container part. Yup probobly close to pure lead.
I'm a Biomed and I get lots of my lead from work bi products so I know what alloys are used for what and why mostly. Since I have to do equipment installs and assists with physics and such.
The same department IE: By Chemo I think you mean Radiation therapy's moulding compound. Save it since its an amazing supply of tin and antimony. This stuff melts at 140* since they use it with heavy foam dies.
The ratio is roughly 95% tin, 3% antimony, and 2% lead.
This stuff is ok for fishing weights but is frosty at 200* so it sucks for casting as is. I tried a few and mould fill out was poor and they fragmented even at very low pressures.
So go make friends with your dental office foer thier X-ray strips that are soft and mix 10-1 or so and go to it.
BTW:
Dental film is soft like pure, most shielding for X-ray is pure from 1960 and earlier and harder like WW after that. Past about 1990 lead rated Alluminum became the standard. Nuclear medicine sheilding cups, bars, boxes, canisters, etc are all hard like WW. Dont play with old drainage stuff from any of it. Dont waste your time on lead impregnated suits, gloves, aprons...more time then its worth. Never mess with impregnated glass...ever. Roll around shields can be had sometimes in the "you haul it" catigory. All of it is Hazmat and it takes an inside source to get it legaly usualy. Get to know the Biomeds I get about 2K a year from de-installs.
Dam I just had chemo today and forgot to ask about the lead I really hate ms I can never remember s%#@
I am visiting my wife's sister and her husband for Thanksgiving. I asked him yesterday about their x-ray scrap. He had to run to the office this morning, and returned with a 5 gallon bucket full of the little lead foil strips. They aren't packed, but it is still about 30 lbs. He says they will save it for me from now on.
Those containers are great stuff...
15 BHN air cooled.
22 BHN dropped.
Last edited by Hiaboo; 12-13-2009 at 03:36 AM.
Do the containers look anything like the left hand one of this pic. Lead radiation shielding containers are almost pure soft lead and it's my favorate material for making soft swaging cores.
X-rays are another kinda of "light". Ultra-violet rays (UV) are past (longer than) the violet end of the visible light spectrum and infra-red is before (shorter than) the red end. They both can burn your skin but if they are stopped by something, that something is never continuosly sending it back to the environment.
I doubt any shielding material sends the x-rays back to the environment. Heavy particles are absorbed by the lead and not released back into the environment.
If those using the lead containers or shielding material give it to you you can rest assured it is safe to use (unless it is stolen and still contains radioactive materials).
Bob
I was always taught to respect my elders, but it's getting harder and harder to find any!
Μολὼν λαβέ; approximate Classical Greek pronunciation [molɔ̀ːn labé], Modern Greek [moˈlon laˈve]), meaning "Come and take them" is a classical expression of defiance reportedly by King Leonidas in response to the Persian army's demand that the Spartans surrender their weapons at the Battle of Thermopylae.
Au contraire. UV has a shorter wavelength than visible light, and IR has a longer wavelength...Originally Posted by Bob Krack
Echo
USAF Ret
DPS, 2600
NRA Benefactor
O&U
One of the most endearing sights in the world is the vision of a naked good-looking woman leaving the bedroom to make breakfast. Bolivar Shagnasty (I believe that Lazarus Long also said it, but I can't find any record of it.)
I knew that, I was just testing ya'll.
Anyhow they fall outside the normal range of visible (to human eyesite) light but are of the same general energy type.
Bob
Last edited by Bob Krack; 12-15-2009 at 05:11 AM.
I was always taught to respect my elders, but it's getting harder and harder to find any!
Μολὼν λαβέ; approximate Classical Greek pronunciation [molɔ̀ːn labé], Modern Greek [moˈlon laˈve]), meaning "Come and take them" is a classical expression of defiance reportedly by King Leonidas in response to the Persian army's demand that the Spartans surrender their weapons at the Battle of Thermopylae.
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