silmar 41--just how dangerous???

[ZanderPommo]

just wondering how dangerous this stuff is to use.
id be using fairly small amounts in a basement with gloves and a respirator.Is this good?
will the smell/vapors make it all the way up stairs???

 

[penmaker56]

an exhaust fan is a big help, also make sure your respirator is rated for organic vapors, not just dust.

 

[bitshird]

Don't expose it to open flames, and google for the MSDS, the worst part is the catalyst the MEKP warm the resin in a container sitting in hot water if your basement is cool, It's really not dangerous if used with common sense,

 

[NewLondon88]

Vent and fan help with fumes, as does a box turned upside down over the mold.
It might smell upstairs, though. it can be pretty strong.

 

[dogcatcher]

I would not even consider it without a good exhaust system to get the fumes outside. Same goes for the other types of resins that do not have the odor. Just because you cannot smell some of these fumes does not mean they cannot possibly kill you. Read the MSDS fact sheets.

 

[GoodTurns]

i have found the major danger to be using it inside with the wife still in the house. this can cause a spontaneous combustion of sorts with potentially disasterous results!

 

[DozerMite]

I would not even consider it without a good exhaust system to get the fumes outside. Same goes for the other types of resins that do not have the odor. Just because you cannot smell some of these fumes does not mean they cannot possibly kill you. Read the MSDS fact sheets.

I've been saying this forever, but apperantly no one listens.
ANY chemical is dangerous, especially to your health. Just because you can't smell it, doesn't mean it is safe. Just because you use a respirator, doesn't mean the fumes don't travel through the environment and cause issues with EVERYONE else in the area. That is why there is a mandate for the MSDS. Read it!

 

[Daniel]

i have found the major danger to be using it inside with the wife still in the house. this can cause a spontaneous combustion of sorts with potentially disasterous results!

Not to mention concussion and contusions, with the back of your skull starting to resemble the shape of a frying pan.

 

[Glass Scratcher]

These really should be put up at the top of the forum as a sticky.

If you don't have the MSDS's then download them and read them. If you don't understand them, call the numbers listed in the MSDS's and ask for guidance. Google the terms in them and learn what it means. Don't trust other casters to explain it to you. Learn for yourself from the manufacturers.

 

[hunter-27]

These really should be put up at the top of the forum as a sticky.

If you don't have the MSDS's then download them and read them. If you don't understand them, call the numbers listed in the MSDS's and ask for guidance. Google the terms in them and learn what it means. Don't trust other casters to explain it to you. Learn for yourself from the manufacturers.

Kinda makes me all warm and fuzzy about getting my new PP set up.

 

[dogcatcher]

These really should be put up at the top of the forum as a sticky.

If you don't have the MSDS's then download them and read them. If you don't understand them, call the numbers listed in the MSDS's and ask for guidance. Google the terms in them and learn what it means. Don't trust other casters to explain it to you. Learn for yourself from the manufacturers.

This sticky would also need to include all of the other types of resins that are being used along with the silicones for mold making. Need them for the different types of Smooth-On resins and different types of Alumilite, along with every silicone mold making product. The problem is there are so many and then so few people will actually take the time to read it, and percentage of them will not beleive what they read and do it their way.

It is each individuals responsibilty to know what can/will kill them.

 

[DennisM]

I am sorry, common sense and reading the directions should also be a sticky then.

I mean this stuff is sold at Hobby shops! Well at lease CC is and it stinks just as bad!

Advising everyone to read the sheets and learn to understand them is a little to much like having to tell people that coffee is HOT.. I don't want to be a chemical engineer here just want to cast a little.

 

[Glass Scratcher]

This sticky would also need to include all of the other types of resins that are being used along with the silicones for mold making. Need them for the different types of Smooth-On resins and different types of Alumilite, along with every silicone mold making product. The problem is there are so many and then so few people will actually take the time to read it, and percentage of them will not beleive what they read and do it their way.

It is each individuals responsibilty to know what can/will kill them.

While I agree with you that on the whole it is the individual casters responsibility. As an aid in safety we could build a good reference library of MSDS's of the more common used resins and silicones. I would be happy to contribute all of the ones I have on file. As someone uses some new resin or moldmaking material and if unlisted they could submit it to the MSDS library. An accurate titling format would also need to be decided on as well as product subdivisions.

 

[NewLondon88]

While I like the idea of MSDS being in the libray, we should look into the legal aspects
of making sure that they are all current and who is responsible for that. We don't want
to add another headache for Jeff

 

[ZanderPommo]

ok folks thanks for all the suggestions i'll find a better ventilated place and use gloves/respirator

 

[hunter-27]

While I like the idea of MSDS being in the libray, we should look into the legal aspects
of making sure that they are all current and who is responsible for that. We don't want
to add another headache for Jeff

Pfft, you act like this is hard to maintain.
Seriously, just kidding. My hat is off to Jeff, this must keep him awake at nights sometimes.

 

[NewLondon88]

Pfft, I volunteer to do it myself.
Seriously, I'll do it all. I wear many hats, I like hats sometimes.

I think that's a great idea!

 

[rjwolfe3]

Quote:
Originally Posted by hunter-27
Pfft, I volunteer to do it myself.
Seriously, I'll do it all. I wear many hats, I like hats sometimes.

I think that's a great idea!

Thank you Landon for volunteering!!!!

 

[ZanderPommo]

:biggrin:

 

[MesquiteMan]

I know I can speak for Jeff on this one...The only way we would want to do it for liability reasons is to have a link to the manufacturer's website page where they have their MSDS. That way, if the manufacturer updates the MSDS with pertinent info, we will not have any liability for missing information. If someone wants to put together a thread with links to the various MSDS pages on the web, I would be happy to make it a sticky. We will not, however, allow a pdf or such with the actual MSDS data for each product.

Curtis O. Seebeck
IAP Head Moderator

 

[hunter-27]

Originally Posted by hunter-27
Pfft, I volunteer to do it myself.
Seriously, I'll do it all. I wear many hats, I like hats sometimes.
I think that's a great idea!

HMMMMMMMMMMM, I sure don't recall hitting those keys in that order.

 

[ZanderPommo]

man it melted through my cups when warming in a bowl of warm water for like 5 minutes.
and i think i needed a couple drops more catalyst.
still tacky 24 hours later

 

[Glass Scratcher]

man it melted through my cups when warming in a bowl of warm water for like 5 minutes.
and i think i needed a couple drops more catalyst.
still tacky 24 hours later

Silmar 41 is an air inhibited laminating/casting resin. This means the surface will remain tacky for some time so one can add another layer of resin and the new layer will bond. Time and or postcuring will eliminate this problem.

You can also use the correct amount of catalyst (the MEKp bottle should clearly state use at 1%) and you will not have a tacky layer. Contrary to many peoples belief that S41 will become brittle with more than 4 drops of catalyst, this is not true. I personally like .75%MEKp to S41.

 

[ZanderPommo]

thats + or - the amount i used i think. maybe tomorrow then.
oh and it don't smell anymore

 

[NewLondon88]

thats + or - the amount i used i think. maybe tomorrow then.
oh and it don't smell anymore

.. or it burned out your nose :tongue:

You don't warm the resin with the catalyst in it, do you? That could
give you some trouble getting it out of the cup if your timing isn't
good.

If it melted the cup, you want to change the cups. Melted cup mixed
in with your resin might not set. The plastic could inhibit curing.

 

[DurocShark]

A garage with an open door and a fan blowing works great. Every so often I get tired of working in the cold and shut it, but then the smell permeates the house. The wife screaming about the stink is how I know I screwed up.

 

[Daniel]

I deal with filing cabinets, yes plural, of MSDS Sheets. One thing is they are created for each individual product and are not changed. basically changing an MSDS means you had to change the product you already manufactured and distributed. If the products formula is changed at a future date you then create a "New" MSDS that is sent with that product. sort of very strict and to the letter. We now have an MSDS for every chemical that has passed through our warehouses for the last 10 years or more. even if it was only one tiny bottle of Brasso we have the MSDS. Except for me and one other person their is really not much information on an MSDS sheet to help the average person. MSDS sheets are for taking to the hospital with you if someone is hurt from a product, you start feeling dizzy after using it and that sort of thing. I am not saying that you cannot get some idea of the proper use of a product or wether you should have ventelation. if a product says to use ventelation, they consider that a thing like a screw driver. what adequate ventelation is is regulated in other places of the book. but it is actually very specific about just what ventelation is as well. For all of us. a bit of common since is in order. So when the directions say use in a well ventelated area my bet is your basement does not qualify unless you did something very specific to make it that way. Lucky for most of us a lot of the dangerous stuff is made to stink to high heaven. usually this is done to save us from ourselves. but when you get into manufacturing materials, bulk products and some other quarters of the industry. supplers begin to expect you to have a little more knowledge of what you are doing and do not add the deterents reliably. What I am saying is that the stuff you buy at the hobby shop may smell like crazy only to give you lots of reason to not use it in unventilated areas. but if you managed to find 5 gal buckets or 55 gal drums of the very same stuff it may not smell at all. so thinking no smell means safe may leave you in a very dangerous situation.