Clint M Posted September 18, 2011 Report Share Posted September 18, 2011 So today my wife and kids are gone and I decide its the perfect time to melt some lead. Turn on the fan, and pot and while im waiting I decide that im going to try fluxing my lead for the first time. Yeah well everything is melting and I go and get one of my wifes candles out of the kitchen. Knowing full well im in trouble the minute she gets home. I bust the candle into four pieces. Its one of the short fat ones. I take a quarter of the candle throw it in the lead and thats when all hell breaks loose! First the freakin thing ignites sending flames shooting about four foot up in the air. Next thing not to do is blow on it when its on fire. Apparently i spit when i was blowing, and sent lead shooting all over the wall. Then to top it all off my fan and my light were right in the flame. Did you know it takes somewhere in the neighborhood of a minute for the flames of a good fluxing to go out. Well i do now. So the moral of my story is always flux while your wife is away!! Oh and probably should read up on exactly how much candle wax to use. Apparently a fourth of a candle is overkill. Also probably a good idea to have 911 on speed dial when you are fluxing. This way the fire department, and the paramedics can get there in time before your wife gets home. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vodkaman Posted September 18, 2011 Report Share Posted September 18, 2011 I know I shouldn't be laughing right now, but your writing was brilliant and graphic. It is an excellent post, in that others can learn from your experiences. You obviously know what you did wrong, so enough said. I like the bit about more reading too. Did you enjoy the adrenaline rush? Beats mushrooms I bet. Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smalljaw Posted September 18, 2011 Report Share Posted September 18, 2011 I knew I should have looked at this topic in the afternoon because I just spit coffee on my monitor! I'm sorry about your experience but that has to be one of the funniest stories I ever read! Yeah, a 1/4 of a candle is a bit much especially at one time but spitting in the lead, and I know it was an accident, that is just funny, sorry for laughing but you just put a smile on my face that will last all day maybe even a week. I know for a fact when I pour later today it will take longer as I'm going to have to stiop laughing before I can begin, that is the best, thanks guy een though you didn't mean it. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bassnbrad Posted September 18, 2011 Report Share Posted September 18, 2011 Oh, so this is the underlying statement that "LEAD MAY BE HAZARDOUS TO YOUR HEALTH!" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
psilvers Posted September 18, 2011 Report Share Posted September 18, 2011 Clint, I am glad that you are OK - and that you are in good enough shape that you can laugh about it. Be careful- this stuff is dangerous! You might want to check out some of the hobby stores for beeswax (Michael's , Hobby Lobby). It is good flux and will save you from being in trouble with the other half. I bought a big bar at Hobby Lobby a week or so ago because they had a 40% off sale. Beeswax will generally be fairly expensive, but try to pick it up on sale. Oh yeah, and just use a small bit. Be safe. Pete Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clint M Posted September 19, 2011 Author Report Share Posted September 19, 2011 (edited) Thanks guys. Yeah apparently those little candles should come with some sort of warning. You know like, Known in the state of California to burn down houses, cause third degree burns, and possibly cause a divorce from your wife, use with caution. Also you will know when youve used too much when it sounds like space shuttle endeavor is taking off in your den. Edited September 19, 2011 by Clint M Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vodkaman Posted September 19, 2011 Report Share Posted September 19, 2011 My wife liked those big, chunky candles. When the wax got too low and the wick failed, I would add a chip of balsa, which would act like a floating wick. It worked great and so I would save all the candle scraps for this method. One day, the wax got a bit low in the dish and the whole lot burst into flames. It seemed to take forever to get to the kitchen, soak a towel and return to the inferno. Maybe I should have tried spitting on it like you did. I should have left the ceiling stained, trying to wash it just made it worse and I had to redecorate the whole room. That'll learn me. Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rhahn427 Posted September 19, 2011 Report Share Posted September 19, 2011 What's you wife's email address ............ I want to offer $10 for her to pay me to take your lead pot off your hands and save you major medical bills Glad you're ok ............ but DANG ....... that was funny ....... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RayburnGuy Posted September 19, 2011 Report Share Posted September 19, 2011 (edited) That was frighteningly funny. Haven't poured any lead in a long time, but still remember a couple boo-boos. Things can go from hunky dory to catastrophic in the blink of an eye. Glad your OK and hoping the wife hasn't hired a divorce attorney. Ben Edited September 19, 2011 by RayburnGuy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clint M Posted September 20, 2011 Author Report Share Posted September 20, 2011 Thank God I married a very good country girl. She just laughed. I showed her the lamp and the fan that had soot and burn marks on em. It has been very interesting to say the least. I have always been pretty lucky. You wouldnt think a harmless little candle could cause so much devastation. I pulled a similiar stunt at my dads house about ten years ago when we were dating. He cheaped out on a set of gas logs. The only way to start em was to put your freakin arm way in the back of the fireplace. I couldnt keep a match lit and apparently had the gas too high. When i finally lit the logs it had built up gas in the fireplace and when it ignited it burned all the hair off of my arm and singed an eyebrow. So me an flame have always had a love hate relationship. HAHA Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RayburnGuy Posted September 20, 2011 Report Share Posted September 20, 2011 Thank God I married a very good country girl. She just laughed. I showed her the lamp and the fan that had soot and burn marks on em. It has been very interesting to say the least. I have always been pretty lucky. You wouldnt think a harmless little candle could cause so much devastation. I pulled a similiar stunt at my dads house about ten years ago when we were dating. He cheaped out on a set of gas logs. The only way to start em was to put your freakin arm way in the back of the fireplace. I couldnt keep a match lit and apparently had the gas too high. When i finally lit the logs it had built up gas in the fireplace and when it ignited it burned all the hair off of my arm and singed an eyebrow. So me an flame have always had a love hate relationship. HAHA Having been in the fabrication trades I can relate to being on fire. Have a similar story to the fireplace except mine was a gas furnace. It's funny how little you think about things like fingernails and eyebrows until you burn them off. lol Glad everything turned out OK. Ben Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blazt* Posted September 28, 2011 Report Share Posted September 28, 2011 Thanks for the informative write - up. I have been looking on information on how to innovatively ignite my house into a blazing inferno but didn't know where to look. You have saved me a lot of frustration! But seriously, this reminds me of the incident when I was 12 or so and, on the large, wooden front porch of my parents' house somehow the jack-o-lantern I was messing with (complete w/ candle inside) starting burning out of control pretty fast. It took about 2 seconds to spread about 12 ft wide and starting crawling up the walls of the house. I was mostly worried about my parents seeing - I finally got it put out but I can't remember how. I had several pyromaniac incidents like this happen to me through my early youth. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hillbilly1 Posted September 29, 2011 Report Share Posted September 29, 2011 Im glad every thing is all right. Reminds me the time my dad blew the hog off the still and set the woods on fire the sheriff asked my dad if the fire started at the still my dad replied what still. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clint M Posted September 30, 2011 Author Report Share Posted September 30, 2011 I have always wanted to build a still. I might better not. I could probably start the next world war. Just one giant mushroom cloud where my house used to be. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pabassman Posted October 6, 2011 Report Share Posted October 6, 2011 Great story, I can laugh because I had an incident a couple months ago.Mine wasn't quite as intense but my family was home. Haven't poured since. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
R Glover Posted October 10, 2011 Report Share Posted October 10, 2011 That was the best post I've seen on here. Glad your ok. I used to store my lead outside, under the awning on my old shop. I dropped a folded piece in my big pot & wow, I found out that it had some condensation on & in that piece. A pop & Lead went every where. From then on, I stored it inside. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fatman Posted October 11, 2011 Report Share Posted October 11, 2011 Glad to hear you're ok. Any old lead pipe or any lead for that matter, after I put it in I put a lid on it just in case, and you'll know when there's any moisture cause it will rattle the pot. And as the others have said cut back on the wax. Again glad you're ok. Fatman Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
psilvers Posted October 12, 2011 Report Share Posted October 12, 2011 Hmm, the lid sounds like a good idea - I hadn't thought of that. I just let my lead melt in the pot while I am not in the shed. I will have to try the lid- but I do want to make sure that it is properly vented, so that pressure couldn't build up. Pete Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
basskat Posted October 15, 2011 Report Share Posted October 15, 2011 Being a fire fighter Clint M = job secuirty! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clint M Posted October 15, 2011 Author Report Share Posted October 15, 2011 Absolutely BassKat!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RayburnGuy Posted October 15, 2011 Report Share Posted October 15, 2011 I'm just wondering if there will be a fire extinguisher in Clint's Christmas stocking this year? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crankpaint Posted October 31, 2011 Report Share Posted October 31, 2011 i use to use lead sinkers i found while diving and had a bucket of it till i put one in the melting pot that had water in it,it emptyed the whole pot(about 2 lbs) of hot lead all over the place i was lucky i was bent over getting more lead from the bucket and it went over the top of me,no more river lead gos in the melted lead!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RAWJigs Posted November 4, 2011 Report Share Posted November 4, 2011 Dude, I don't mean to laugh, glad you are okay and still married. I had a friend come over to drop some stuff off and I had just started to flux it at that time and it caught fire and he started blowing and tried to dump water on the fire ... needless to say the least, he got a few drops and got burned ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clint M Posted November 4, 2011 Author Report Share Posted November 4, 2011 It warms my heart to know that other people are as accident prone as I. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RayburnGuy Posted November 4, 2011 Report Share Posted November 4, 2011 It warms my heart to know that other people are as accident prone as I. I've had that exact same thought many, many times Clint. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
