PR, Acrylester and all other plastics

[dansills]

Posting this for my wife - I am venturing into plastics and my wife is concerned so I need some help.

Are the fumes given off during turning dangerous or unhealthy at all?
Are Plastic fumes safer than wood sawdust and CA finishing fumes?

Thanks in advance for your replies

 

[PTsideshow]

Fumes from plastics would seem to indicate that it is getting to hot. There might be a smell form some versions while you are working it.
The short answer to the CA part is yes there are fumes and you can become sensitized to CA by the fumes or skin exposure.
If you or any one in your family is respiratory compromised. Then an exhaust system, or a mask is a minimum. We have a number of threads on this forum dealing with the problems some people can have with CA, also if you will be pouring blanks of assorted resins or just turning them.

You have to remember that our lungs aren't designed to filter out the material or fumes that can be in the air.

A wise man my welding teacher told me in the late 60's "God gave you a nose for a purpose, that is if you smell it get your head out of the stink now! It's not to make you look pretty."

There are also a number of threads on the trend air powered units, and other brands.

The search function on this forum is pretty good. The tools and finishing forum are generally the spots to look.

We have a number of members that are respiratory and CA sensitive and I'm sure they will chime in.
:clown:

 

[frank123]

I'm pretty new and have only worked with PR and Urehane (casting and turning), and commercial acrylics (turning), and not much of that.

As far as turning, including commercial acrylic blanks, I haven't noticed anything notable while turning or finishing any of them. You can tell they are plastic from the smell, but it is mild. I'm sure the amount of heat you generate while turning is a factor.

I hate CA fumes so I avoid using it as much as I can. I'm pretty sure very much of it is is bad for you.

MSDS data is available for everything imaginable, even water, to provide a definitive answer.


As far as casting:

PR has a rather nasty odor, and an odor indicates "fumes" even inf not in the form of visible smoke or something. For me it just sort of smells up the place, I haven't noticed any ill effects from it but that doesn't mean there aren't long term ones (something I'm starting to think more about, but at my age "long term" is less of a worry than for someone younger).

Alumilite urethane resin is pretty much odorless and I think I recall reading it is completely non toxic.