Hi All,  With regards to 'lead dust', I must admit to sharing the
same concern expressed by Bruce Grimes.  However, I've often wondered
if what we're dealing with is oxidized lead, lead oxide, or something
entirely different.  Looking through some pictures, after searching for
'lead oxide', and reading Wikipedia, it seems that lead oxide is red in
color -- or some shade of red.  The 'dust' I've encountered has always
been either white or white with a slightly greenish or bluish tint.

Since the vast majority of lead tubing that I handled was replaced 30+
years ago when players were selling like hot cakes, it seems most
likely that if my brain or internal organs were going to be adversely
effected, it would have happened by now.

So, is the dust dangerous?  I can tell you that I don't plan on eating
it to find out, but I'm also not going buy a hazmat suit "just to be
safe."  I do suppose a face mask or, in an extreme case, a respirator,
is probably all that's necessary.

Musically,
John A Tuttle
Player-Care.com
Brick, NJ, USA

 [ lead tubing
 [ http://www.mmdigest.com/Attachments/16/03/04/160304_131455_lead_t01.jpg