Casting Bench Design

[Jeff Garrett]

If you were to design/build a brand new casting bench/station (inside a heated garage in a very cold climate); what height off the floor, dimensions, ergonomics, construction material, misc. design considerations, smoke/fumes exhaust, fire safety, etc. tips would you employ/recommend based on your personal experience to date?

My bench is high enough that I can sit in front on a bar stool and be comfortable, not reaching up to the bench. Not many people spoke to the smoke/exhaust so here's what I did. We were moving and needed to replace the range hood just because it looked terrible so this became the casting hood in the garage at the new location. There was a electrical circuit close by that also powers the pot, PID, etc., so I ran some flex conduit from there up to the range hood to bring power to it then picked up a typical hard dryer vent hose setup with the same venting used on the outside of the house and modified a reducer (like is used for floor heat registers) bought at home depot to tie the round exhaust pipe to the rectangular exhaust port on the range hood. I then sealed the joints with aluminum ducting tape. Once I close the doors to the garage so there are no cross drafts, everything exits through the hood nicely.



Cheers

 

[Dale53]

When I had my Casting Barn built, the builder incorporated a built in hood with a furnace squirrel cage blower. It was very effective when fluxing, etc. However, in the winter time it was too effective and sucked all of the heat out of my barn. My electric wall heater couldn't keep up with it. Then Things went south during some construction, and my blower motor died, along with some other damage. I bought a new, in the box, kitchen vent hood off Craigslist and had it installed. It is two speed, does adequate venting and I now stay warm.

So, You might say I was handed a lemon and made lemonade with it?..

Dale53

 

[Jeff Garrett]

The hoods are cheap, a entry level model at Lowes or Home Depot is about 50-60 bucks as I recall, hard to beat. I've considered cutting metal or wood panels to close in 3 sides and possibly place a small piece of plexiglass int in the front, enough that it would shield my eyes and make for more positive venting, less influenced by cross drafts if the doors were open in the summers. It would be simple enough to do.

 

[RicinYakima]

Question. Is there a reason you guys are doing this? Other than dust control for tin and antimony oxides, what are you trying to do? Not being nasty, just want to know your reasons. Ric

 

[Jeff Garrett]

Question. Is there a reason you guys are doing this? Other than dust control for tin and antimony oxides, what are you trying to do? Not being nasty, just want to know your reasons. Ric

No offense taken. I'm assuming you are referring to the fume issue? Pretty simple, there's a lot of argument on both sides of the isle about whether or not it's necessary as far as fumes go, given the temp you are casting at, etc. As I've had a kidney transplant and am on immunosuppressants, I feel like I should err on the side of caution and not do anything that might jeopardize that.

From another perspective, It I were to have the tinsel fairy visit, I would have the 'disaster' confined to a smaller area. I always have on my long sleeve welding shirt and gloves, glasses, etc., but too many other things in the area that don't need lead on them

 

[RicinYakima]

OK, I understand now. My last job in my work life was as an Environmental Chemist, so I was just curious. Ric

 

[Jeff Garrett]

I appreciate it. Very interesting job you had there. Since the transplant, I have to go to greater lengths in a variety of areas to not risk loss of the kidney. I gave up motorcycle riding after 28 years, but still do martial arts. My doctors don't have a problem with that, mainly because I am staying fit, but I also don't take direct blows to the kidney either.

 

[Brad]

Question. Is there a reason you guys are doing this? Other than dust control for tin and antimony oxides, what are you trying to do? Not being nasty, just want to know your reasons. Ric

I think some guys do it because they flux with things that can generate smoke.

 

[RicinYakima]

Thanks Brad. I smelt into ingots outside and only used them for casting bullets in my shop. Since they are clean it requires just the window above the bench and an open door for great cross ventilation. And with clean ingots, it doesn't take much wax, or my favorite, old smoked cigar butts for fluxing material. Especially if attached to your house, the family may not like to have the smell inside with them.

 

[Brad]

My wife can easily tell when I cast, the smell gets into the house from fluxing. I use just a bit of sawdust and ignite it but the smell gets into the house anyway.
I don't use any exhaust system but do open the garage doors unless really cold outside.

I worry about the odor but certainly not any health concerns other than a whack with a wooden spoon.

 

[KHornet]

I set up and tear down each time I cast. I use a folding table, in the garage. Takes me maybe 5 min to set up and less than that to tear down when the pot and the mold(s) cool. Have a lousy back, so I sit to cast. I bottom pour with an RCBS about 90 percent of the time. For hollow points however, I am prone to ladle. I keep a hot plate and a separate ladle only 10 pounder for ladeleing HP's. When using single cav molds, and sometimes double cav molds, I go back and forth with the one that's full on the hot plate, and then switching. Works well for smaller cal bullets. The garage is by no means air tight, and when casting I have a fan running behind me over my shoulders. My kilns are in the garage, and we get more odor in the house from them when I am glaze fireing, but keep the fan on until the kilns reach temp.