Workshop safetyWash hands after handling typeVentilate for solvent and powderKeep both hands behind the bladeNo lead dust — never dry-sweep

WORKSHOP & SAFETY

Lead Type Handling Kit

Tray, tongs, wipes and a wash bottle, for handling lead alloy without taking it home.

1Composition stage Rank 27 of 28

Line drawing

Specification
Alloy	Roughly 70 per cent lead, 20 antimony, 10 tin
Exposure route	Ingestion of dust from hands; inhalation of fine dust
Tray	Lipped, dedicated to type work
Tongs	Spring steel, 150–200 mm
Wipes	Damp, disposable, single use
Wash bottle	Soap and water, at the bench
Cleaning	Damp wipe only; never dry sweep or vacuum with a domestic vacuum
Waste	Type metal is recycled, not thrown away

Working parameters
Alloy composition	70 lead, 20 antimony, 10 tin
Primary exposure	Hand-to-mouth transfer of dust
Suitable stock	Not applicable
Processes	Type handling, case cleaning, forme planing, distribution
Compatibility	Worn type is the main dust source; segregate and recycle it
Bench practice	No eating, drinking or smoking at the bench
Hand washing	Before breaks, before eating, before leaving the room
Recycling	Worn type has scrap value; a foundry will take it

Overview

Lead type is an alloy, and solid alloy is not the hazard — lead dust is. It comes from worn sorts, from a type case that has not been cleaned in years, and from planing a forme. The route into the body is hand to mouth, so the control is a set of habits rather than a piece of equipment.

The kit is a tray to work over, tongs to avoid handling loose type directly, wipes for the bench, and a wash bottle. It is a way of making the rules easy to follow: work over the tray, do not eat or drink at the bench, and wash your hands before you leave the room.

1Composition: Setting type, character by character, to a measure.

Safety

Before you use itLead dust is the hazard, not the solid metal. Damp wipe benches and cases — never dry sweep, and never use a domestic vacuum cleaner, which will blow the fine dust straight into the air you are breathing.

Before you use itNo eating, drinking or smoking in the workshop. Wash your hands with soap and water before every break and before you leave. This single habit is the whole control.

Before you use itWear gloves when cleaning a type case or handling worn sorts, and wash your hands afterwards even so.

Before you use itAnyone who is pregnant, planning a pregnancy, or has young children at home should avoid lead type work, and should discuss it with their doctor rather than relying on a website.

Before you use itDispose of worn type through a metal recycler. Do not put type metal in general waste.

Using it well

Keep a dedicated tray for type work and never put food or a mug on it. Physical separation is more reliable than remembering to be careful.
Clean a type case damp, with a wipe, one compartment at a time. A dry brush raises exactly the dust you are trying to remove.
Segregate worn type in a marked tin and take it to a foundry or a recycler. It has value, and it is the dustiest material in the room.

What it works with

Papers and substrates

Not applicable

Type and fonts

All lead alloy type

Processes

Composition
Distribution
Case cleaning
Forme planing

Note. Specifications are conventional working ranges for this class of tool, not a measurement of any particular machine. Follow the instructions that came with your own equipment, and treat every figure here as a starting point to check rather than a limit to trust. Nothing on this page is for sale and no manufacturer had any input into it.

SafetyPrint

Nitrile Gloves

Disposable gloves for handling type, ink and solvent — the simplest control there is.

Printing stage

Presses & TypeCompose

Letterpress Type Set

Individual sorts of metal, wood or resin, set by hand, one character at a time.

Composition stage