Lead in Cast Iron

SJLuzum

Member
I recently had a buyer do a lead test on a pan. Is this a good idea? Should I as a buyer start doing that? Is it even a good test if there is still crud in the pan? Is there other tell tale signs that lead might have been melted in a pan?

so many questions....

Thanks.
 
The reason for a lead test is the off-chance that someone used a piece of CI to melt lead for casting into bullets or sinkers or whatever, and that left a lead residue. Maybe someone else knows better but I have never heard of needing to test for lead in the actual casting / metal composition.

If you need to do the test, that depends on your level of paranoia. The possibility someone used any random piece to melt lead is very unlikely but non-zero. The more you know about a piece's individual history, the more confidently you can assess the risk.

If you do choose to test, the best timing would be after stripping it, but obviously you can't do that at point of purchase. So, at that point, you can either take your chances or you can test and take your chances.

Either way, you can find simple lead test kits in the paint isle at the home improvement stores, aren't too expensive. But not free, either.

EDIT - I will say that I believe the buyer who did the lead test was more likely going off of theory than practice...
 
I used a pan to melt lead to cast an aileron counter weight. At the time i bought a new cheap Taiwan pan. I destroyed the pan when the project was finished. So it does happen.

---------- Post added at 09:48 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:37 PM ----------

I wonder what happens to the lead. The iron has not reached the temp to alloy with the lead. Also the surface was not tinned by the melted lead.Or maybe I should ask what happens to the iron after the lead is pored out.
 
My great uncle used to evaporate mercury from gold in iron pans, CI. When I was a kid visiting him I remember droplets of mercury on the bottom of the bread warmer on the cast iron stove.
 
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