Resin safety

[Weaver]

Quick question:

I know that you have to wear a mask when cutting/sanding resin because the dust is 'orrible, but what do you then do with the dust? Leave it on the workbench? Vacuum it up, then forget about it and let it out into the world again when you empty the bag?   In other words, just how careful do you have to be with this stuff?

[Av8fan]

To be honest,
I do not know.

I read this on Hyper scale a bit back.

Sorry the link doesnt work.

Swanny posted this

"The whole issue here is to not breath lots of dust. Wet sanding means no dust. Even if you do inhale some dust chances of anything bad happening are slim. If you inhale resin dust on a regular basis over a long period of time you could be in for some serious health issues. As modelers we place ourselves in environments where we could inhale these dusts over long periods so the use of proper safety equipment is neccessary. Wet sanding will do the trick. If you do not want to wet sand or find that you need to use a power sander then you need to use a dust respirator. This is nothing as complex as your paint mask. It can be as simple as an N-95 mask with exhale valve."

Me, I'd rather err on the side of caution.  For example when the weather is nice, I cut the molding blocks off outside.  

[nev]

For me the issue has always been the dust itself rather than the chemical nature of that dust.  If the resin dust IS more dangerous than styrene dust, the the resin manufacturers are probably breaking enough safety laws to get themselves sent to prison!  I have yet to see anything remotely resembling adequate hazard warnings from a resin producer.

As for me  - I wear a dust mask (properly), and sweep/hoover up afterwards.

[B777LR]

I've only ever done a single resin build, the cockpit for an XP-55. Horrible smell.

[sequoiaranger]

I have gotten a snootful of resin dust and it was unpleasant. I avoid it with careful monitoring.

I recently built a resin kit (Heinkel/Aichi 119) and was careful to avoid large volumes of dust when I power-cut or sanded. I cut (Moto-tool + rotary blade) outside, being careful to be upwind, and when sanding inside, held the object low so the dust wasn't at "lung level", and often held my breath until the sanding was finished, then got up and moved an arm's length away to let the dust settle.  (With sunlight streaming in, you can tell when the dust is "clouding" near you. Avoid it.) Then I vacuumed up the dust (but not immediately, and not every time).

So I don't think you have to go overboard, but realize that the dust is much worse for you than, say, paint fumes, and react accordingly. Shouldn't stop you from using the material, with all its benefits for modeling.

[nev]

, being careful to be upwind, and when sanding inside, held the object low so the dust wasn't at "lung level", and often held my breath until the sanding was finished, then got up and moved an arm's length away to let the dust settle. 

Hate to tell you this, but you're pi$$ing in the wind doing this.  There's so much more dust than you can see.  I have to handle chemical powder as part of my job, and trust me, there's no substitute for a proper dust mask properly fitted.  If your glasses start to get condensation on them, you're not wearing it right.

And the problems of dust particles in your lungs take years, decades even to show up.

[Weaver]

Would the cheap disposable paper masks be adequate?

[Hobbes]

I've found that cheap disposable masks are difficult to fit correctly, ie you get lots of leakage. I tried these masks for spraypainting, the paint showed up as a nice trail down the outside of my nose and going up the inside. That's when I switched to a real dust/fumes mask from 3M.

I agree with Nev on the dust issue; it's best avoided altogether. I always wetsand resin. I even do sawing and drilling with water: a few drops of water on the sawblade or drillbit and in the cut will catch all of the dust and contain the problem in one place.

[Martin H]

another option to help keep the dust down to to sand/file the parts while keeping the resin damp or even better emerced in water. Ive made a point of keeping the sanding surface damp when working on resin at home....Ive not used the the meathod of sanding in water but I have seen it done.

[NARSES2]

For minor work I always wet sand and as stated above dampen a blade before sawing. For more serious sanding/cutting/sawing then I wear a face mask whilst still doing it wet

[Aircav]

I've been wearing a MCU 2/P Gas mask and filter to do mine lately but then again I was using a power file on the resin.  

[Weaver]

Okay, thanks folks: looks like wet & a mask is the way to go. Don't have any masks other than the paper ones for DIY and not sure what I can afford, but will have a look when I can.

[Mossie]

I'm with Nev, it's dust itself rather than the polyurethane chemical.  I've previously worked in chemical environment too & with polyurethanes.  They are not particularly hazardous, the Material Safety Data Sheets & the dust is usually classified as a nuisance dust.  If the resin dust was particualrly hazardous then the kit manufacturers would be breaking the law by not declaring it.  I think some of the hangups come from the hazards associated with PVC (PU has largely replaced it) & the fact that you have to sand resin kits more.

That said, any dust is a health hazard if breathed in often or in large quantities.  This includes polystyrene for our more dedicated kitbashers.  Like Nev said, it builds up over time.  More recentley I've worked in hospital & biologgy labs & I've seen coal miners lungs post mortem, it's not pleasant.  For dust, I'd say the mask that Steve has is overkill, generally you only need a mask like the piccy below even if working with large quantities of dust.  There is another major type, that has a filter on the front that should reduce your exposure even further.


These are better than the type you get from DIY/hardware shops.  Those tend to be low quality with a single strap & leave a gap around the sides which renders them virtually pointless.  The 3M type Nev mentioned have two straps, a metal strip around the nose (nip it to fit) & a rib seal around the mask itself.  You can usually get them from trade suppliers that open to the public such as ARCO in the UK, some larger DIY/hardware stores may stock them & they shouldn't be ridiculously expensive.  I just want to add that these masks are no good for spraying enamel paints.

[Weaver]

Never worn a mask for paint spraying (on models) yet.........

[nev]

I do know of modellers who spray paint wearing just a dust mask.  Like Mossie says, almost pointless.  For that you want a respirator like Steve posted (although the facemask is overkill ).  Just make sure you've got the correct filter fitted in the cannister for filtering organic solvents.