bdill wrote:This type of stuff scares me. Is there any other way to clean our cans without causing cancer?
A few known carcinogens from
cancer.org:
Alcohol
Leather dust
Diesel exhaust
Human papilloma virus
Processed meat
Salted fish
Wood dust
Glyphosate (Round Up)
Do you drink, have sex, build things out of wood, drive a diesel, wear leather, eat processed meat, and/or kill weeds in your yard? Sounds like probably 99% of this forum.
Most definitely lead acetate is not good for you, but its dangers have been way overblown around the shooting forums. It's even FDA approved for use in hair coloring products such as Grecian Formula. Yes, you can walk into any supermarket and buy a lead acetate product to apply to your head.
Wear gloves, don't drink it, and you'll be fine. When you're done, allow the liquid to evaporate, then properly dispose of the small amount of remaining solid. One option would be to scrape it into an old car battery that will eventually be recycled.
Edit: When you're done, add an Epsom salt solution to precipitate out the lead as lead sulfate. Barely soluble in water, must less dangerous. Then allow to dry and dispose of properly.