Cleaning a Monotype Metal Pot

[KPMartin]

John,
That would not have been me, unless I was railing against the overblown hazards of lead.

Indeed, the smoke occasionally rising from the pot is just plain smoke, a mix of carbon (soot) particles and recondensed oil vapours. Just like the smoke over a frying pan in the kitchen.

The biggest potential health hazard for type casters is the dust from the dross. This is so fine that it floats up in the slightest of air currents if disturbed. Although (I understand) it is primarily oxides of antimony and tin because the lead resists oxidation more, there are also some lead oxides there, and none of those oxides are safe to breathe so I use a dust mask when handling dross. Even then, only when doing so for extended time (like transferring it to another container), not when I'm just cleaning the pot.

[KPMartin]

Jason,
I don't have a super caster, just a comp caster, but they seem to use the same pot and geometrically compatible pumps (that is, the piston and nozzle have the same relationship to the mounting points). The only oddball pump I know of is the one for strip casting, which has the nozzle about an inch away from the other pump styles.

[John Cornelisse]

Dear @KPMartin

The smoke from the pot made from the burned oil is quite dangerous too.

The oil is burned not completely and sure contains some poisonous elements, even carcinogenic...

Smoking cigarettes makes your lungs also quite black.

[Keri Szafir]

Basically, volatile organic compounds from the thermal breakdown of the mould oil. Not a nice thing to breathe.