SEARCH FINESCALE.COM

Enter keywords or a search phrase below:

acrylic safety

1088 views
11 replies
1 rating 2 rating 3 rating 4 rating 5 rating
  • Member since
    November 2005
acrylic safety
Posted by Anonymous on Thursday, January 22, 2004 8:28 AM
After a 20 plus year hiatus of model making, I've revived a much loved hobby and plan to introduce my sons to the craft. However, overexposure to toxins in a past career in the film industry have left me with a chemical sensitivety and limit me to using only non-toxic materials with plenty of ventilation (probably a practice everyone should follow). My question is has anyone had any trouble airbrushing acrylics and using non-toxic cements with exhaust fans or equipment that weren't 'explosion proof'. Testors stated under normal use there would be no problem and I plan to use Tamiya acrylics as well.
  • Member since
    May 2003
  • From: The flat lands of the Southeast
Posted by styrene on Thursday, January 22, 2004 10:05 AM
Welcome to the forum family, ausf!!

As an industrial hygienist I can tell you that exposures to toxins are based on many variables, the most common being the frequency and duration of use, what you're using (ingredients), the concentrations the ingredients represent in the process, and how the process is performed (e.g., what controls are in place, if any).

As a general rule, spraying acrylics should be relatively safer than spraying enamels or lacquers; however, even acrylics and their thinners may contain alcohols, certain glycol ethers, or other solvents that may tend to aggravate or exacerbate your sensitivity, so good ventilation is still a must for you--and everyone else, too.

Explosion-proof equipment is not required, and is more cost prohibitive than you can imagine. A good ready-to-go spray booth is certainly one option, and can be purchased from places like Artograph, Badger, Paasche, and Micromark. You can even build your own. If you do, it is recommended you use a brushless fan for your exhaust. Spray booths have been heavily discussed on this forum, and I encourage you to do a search on this forum for any questions you may have. Afterwards, if you have specific questions, come back here and we can give you all sorts of advice. Risk increases as concentrations in air increase. Although the reports of problems are few, I would discourage the use of a spray can of paint into a homemade booth containing a bathroom or kitchen exhaust fan.

Paracelsus (an old Greed dude) said that (basically) the dose makes the poison. I do not know of any glues for bonding styrene or aftermarket parts that would be considered non-toxic, unless you consider something like Elmer's white glue. But here's where process and frequency/duration come into play. Typically, when you use liquid cement, you are only using a couple drops at a time, and then only infrequently. In addition, it's usually being applied with a small brush, so there's not too much risk of skin contact. If you glue with your nose close to the process, there's a reasonable risk of inhalation to occur, but because of the amounts used, exposures should be minimal at best. Keeping a window open, or a fan running further reduces the potential for inhalation to occur.

Superglues are a little different actor. Ethyl- and methyl cyanoacrylates have the potential to sensitize an individual so that repeat exposures could cause symptoms consistent with an effect called "chemical asthma" (this would be worst case). The hydroquinones used in accelerators are not real good for you either. If you notice any difficulty breathing, or any signs of coughing/wheezing, etc. you should stop using the stuff--for good. Again, the use of minimal amounts, good ventilation, and process controls (keeping your nose as far away from the source as possible) reduces the potential for exposures and subsequent sensitization.

Finally, if a spray booth isn't in your future, I would consider a good 1/2 mask respirator equipped with organic vapor cartridges and some room fans to dilute vapor concentrations in air (such as they are). These respirators are about $20 at a good hardware store. Cleaning of the mask after each use, and storage in a sealable plastic bag will prolong both the respirator and cartridge life.

If you have specific questions, don't hesistate to ask them! And if you want to shoot me a personal e-mail, please feel free to do so.

Hope this helps some.
Gip Winecoff

1882: "God is dead"--F. Nietzsche

1900: "Nietzsche is dead"--God

  • Member since
    November 2005
Posted by Anonymous on Thursday, January 22, 2004 12:34 PM
I'd say, as long as you are using good ventilaiton, and you are not bending too close the the project you should be ok.

I think I have a decent spray booth, but I try to watch the fumes anyway. If for nothing else, I where glasses and would rather they stay clear of spray.
  • Member since
    April 2003
  • From: Hayward, CA
Posted by MikeV on Thursday, January 22, 2004 5:22 PM
QUOTE: Originally posted by styrene

Welcome to the forum family, ausf!!

Superglues are a little different actor. Ethyl- and methyl cyanoacrylates have the potential to sensitize an individual so that repeat exposures could cause symptoms consistent with an effect called "chemical asthma" (this would be worst case). The hydroquinones used in accelerators are not real good for you either. If you notice any difficulty breathing, or any signs of coughing/wheezing, etc. you should stop using the stuff--for good. Again, the use of minimal amounts, good ventilation, and process controls (keeping your nose as far away from the source as possible) reduces the potential for exposures and subsequent sensitization.


A question for you Gip in regards to this.
I have on one or two occasions in the past, sprayed a large amount of acrylic airbrush cleaner through the airbrush and inhaled some of the atomized particle cloud that it produced and I had symptoms of asthma (wheezing) almost immediately. Is this what you are talking about also? I did NOT like that feeling at all, and since I was diagnosed several years back with mild COPD that didn't make matters any better.

Mike

Wisdom is the right use of knowledge. To know is not to be wise. Many men know a great deal, and are all the greater fools for it. There is no fool so great a fool as a knowing fool. But to know how to use knowledge is to have wisdom. " Charles Spurgeon
  • Member since
    November 2005
Posted by Anonymous on Friday, January 23, 2004 9:14 AM
Thanks for the timely and detailed response Gip!
Being new to the forum, I was hesitant to be too detailed in my query. My past exposure was to the usual art materials i.e., turps, alcohols, epoxies and resins as well as methyl-methacrylics and isocyanates (as far as I know there is still no respirator approved for the isocyanates). I employed these while creating makeup effects, miniatures and r/c systems in the film industry during the late 70's and early 80's. Most of the hazardous work was done in an industrial basement which probably, if lucky, had an air exchange rate of once a month. Couple that with the fact I can't remember a time of my life I didn't have a brush or tube of cement in my hand and it's a small wonder I found myself at NYU medical center with the third largest operable spinal cord tumor to date. So much for that career.
22 years later and I am putting the finishing touches on a shop mainly for using water soluable oils for portrait work. I am ducting to the outside and using a pretty strong,quiet, but residential, exhaust fan. I was concerned about the airbrushing with a residential fan because of past experience; It was a normal practice to use denatured alcohol or acetone to smooth plastilene while sculpting. A colleague took this a step further and regularly used acetone to clean his shop floor. Well the heavier than air vapors found their way down the stairs to his hot water heater and whoosh, he had to wait some time for his facial hair and eyebrows to grow back. The ammount and type of both solvent and ignition are vastly different in that episode and what I want to do, but you can see my pause. I want to work as a miniature artist, not a pyrotechnician.
MSDS from Testors shows their orange solvent based cement is not too bad an actor, nor are their acrylics, but they are listed as flammable. I will use an OV respirator while airbrushing but still want the vapors exhausted, preferable without a fire-ball.
I'm going to check out the spray booth topics next to gather more info.
Thanks again for the input and I look forward to more discussion.
Jeff
  • Member since
    April 2003
  • From: Hayward, CA
Posted by MikeV on Friday, January 23, 2004 10:11 AM
QUOTE: Originally posted by ausf

(as far as I know there is still no respirator approved for the isocyanates).


Jeff,

All of the people spraying these nowdays, especially the catalyzed clears are wearing a full suit and hood along with a fresh air system.
Isocyanates can enter the body not only through the nose but also through the eyes, and skin, but I am sure you already knew about that. Wink [;)]

Welcome to the forum. Smile [:)]

Mike

Wisdom is the right use of knowledge. To know is not to be wise. Many men know a great deal, and are all the greater fools for it. There is no fool so great a fool as a knowing fool. But to know how to use knowledge is to have wisdom. " Charles Spurgeon
  • Member since
    May 2003
  • From: The flat lands of the Southeast
Posted by styrene on Friday, January 23, 2004 11:14 AM
Jeff, I agree with Mike, and yes there is no air purifying respirator approved for isocyanates (the component use in most urethane and polyurethane paints).

As far as flammability is concerned, I wouldn't get too worked up about the acrylics and a fireball, as you say. As you probably are aware, flammability is directly related to the vapor/air concentrations in a given area, and the flammable range of the solvent in use. For example, if you use a paint containing MEK (methyl ethyl ketone), the lower flammable limit is about 1.9% in air. You can smell MEK at about 10ppm, and be overexposed at about 200ppm (you get sleepy, nauseous--kinda like being drunk). The concentration considered "immediately dangerous to life and health" is about 2,000ppm. Still not as high as the lower flammable limit of 19,000 ppm. Still, good practice would dictate that you not spray near spark, open flame, or points of static discharge. During airbrushing, a residential fan would certainly add a hefty dilution factor, and with adequate makeup air, would provide a sufficient environment for spraying. This coupled with a respirator should provide adequate protection for your projects. Of course, a spray booth is optimal. Notice I haven't mentioned spray cans....yet....
Keep us posted on your progress, and hope everything goes well. We're still here to answer your questions.

Gip Winecoff


Mike,
I haven't forgotten the question you posted above. I need to do a little more research. Not sure about the effects of organic solvent-based exposures on pre-existing conditions like COPD. If you haven't heard anything in a couple days, e-mail me. BTW, I also have sick family at home, and they're taking up quite a bit of time after working hours.

Gip

1882: "God is dead"--F. Nietzsche

1900: "Nietzsche is dead"--God

  • Member since
    April 2003
  • From: Hayward, CA
Posted by MikeV on Friday, January 23, 2004 11:30 AM
Gip,

Thanks for taking time out of your busy schedule to help us here. Wink [;)]

Your expertise is appreciated as always my friend.

Mike

Wisdom is the right use of knowledge. To know is not to be wise. Many men know a great deal, and are all the greater fools for it. There is no fool so great a fool as a knowing fool. But to know how to use knowledge is to have wisdom. " Charles Spurgeon
  • Member since
    November 2005
Posted by Anonymous on Friday, January 23, 2004 3:05 PM
My previous exposure to isocyanates was in expandable foams I used to fill out latex heads and bodies. Trust me, I'm not going near anything more heinous than acrylics with the exception of very limited use of super glue.
Gip, I break out in a sweat just looking at a can of spray paint.

Thanks again guys.

Jeff
  • Member since
    November 2005
Posted by Anonymous on Monday, January 26, 2004 3:19 AM
I thought I might ask this here. Just how bad is MEK? I'm using it as plastic cement, and I'm definitely breathing in the vapor. I know it breaks down in the body pretty fast. Am I risking long term nervous system damage?
  • Member since
    May 2003
  • From: The flat lands of the Southeast
Posted by styrene on Tuesday, January 27, 2004 6:53 AM
Probably not. Remember that the dose makes the poison. I would imagine the dose you are receiving is minimal, given how you are using the product. As with most organic solvents, you can smell MEK long before it becomes a toxic issue. In addition, the small amounts you (and I) are inhaling (the frequency and duration of use) should be giving the body ample time to metabolize the solvent and excrete it from your body; there should be no accumulation.

If you are still concerned, however, you can further reduce any potential exposures by keeping the top on the bottle when you're not using it, maintaining some good general ventilation (no small, closed-off closets), and keeping your mouth and nose a respectable distance while applying the material.

Just for additional information, MEK has not been implicated as an animal, human, or experimental carcinogen.

Hope this helps.

Gip Winecoff

1882: "God is dead"--F. Nietzsche

1900: "Nietzsche is dead"--God

  • Member since
    November 2005
Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, January 27, 2004 11:24 PM
Thanks for the info. It's pretty assuring, although I think I do get headaches sometimes from inhaling.
JOIN OUR COMMUNITY!

Our community is FREE to join. To participate you must either login or register for an account.

SEARCH FORUMS
FREE NEWSLETTER
By signing up you may also receive reader surveys and occasional special offers. We do not sell, rent or trade our email lists. View our Privacy Policy.