Balsa dust vs lungs

[Paul Taylor]

I have to wear one of these now every time I pick up a piece of sand paper.
I also got a eye infection for a few days.



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[Ken Culbertson]

 I start coughing just looking at the sandpaper.  Got me one of those too.  Only problem is answering the phone.  Should be one in every shop.

Ken

[redout]

For 3M masks you can get dedicated particulate filters, an example in photo. I know you probably have particulate pre-filters over those solvent cartridges, but if you are only protecting your lungs against dusts, the round filters are very light and hence comfortable to wear compared to the heavier solvent type cartridges.

[EricV]

To add to the above post, the MDS on most organic vapor cartridges I've seen says they are good for 48hrs of use. I see people using them in place of respirator for years when shooting 2 part paint. Not good! If you keep track of the hours and put it back in the foil ziplock right away after first opening, you might stretch that out over a few days, but the clock is ticking from the first use. For dust, yeah,  save yourself some money and get a good particulate mask.

EricV

[Paul Taylor]

I learned something today. Pink filters ordered.


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[Dave_Trible]

I didn't think balsa dust is particularly toxic,   just irritating.    I would think a simple dust mask would be adequate for most.   Only in the past two or three years have I noticed that or dope fumes bothering me much mostly just sneezing.   After 60 years in balsa dust I don't have black lung yet.  I do work with carbon more and more-that concerns me some when cutting fresh carbon and especially sanding as in balancing props.   Here i am wearing an N95 mask and usually have a fan blowing the dust away from me.   I do have a mask with filters as shown above.   That I acquired to spray automotive clear which IS a very toxic material.

Dave

[Ken Culbertson]

That I acquired to spray automotive clear which IS a very toxic material.

Another reason to back off of this shiny finish fetish we seem to be on.  Dope is bad enough, good for a quick high (why do you think they call it dope), but the stuff in automotive paints is seriously Toxic.

Ken

[Paul Taylor]

I didn't think balsa dust is particularly toxic,   just irritating.    I would think a simple dust mask would be adequate for most.   Only in the past two or three years have I noticed that or dope fumes bothering me much mostly just sneezing.   After 60 years in balsa dust I don't have black lung yet.  I do work with carbon more and more-that concerns me some when cutting fresh carbon and especially sanding as in balancing props.   Here i am wearing an N95 mask and usually have a fan blowing the dust away from me.   I do have a mask with filters as shown above.   That I acquired to spray automotive clear which IS a very toxic material.

Dave

I have tried the dust mask and they are about as effective as stopping Covid.
The respirator gives a good tight fit, and no dust gets in.

I know the dust is not toxic but sure made my lungs hurt afterwards and I sneezed a lot.

[Ken Culbertson]

I know the dust is not toxic but sure made my lungs hurt afterwards and I sneezed a lot.

I know that the balsa dust is not toxic but what about the dust from primer, filer and dope sanding?  Do the solvents that are dangerous completely gas off?

Ken

[Lauri Malila]

I think, that from chemical point of view, most of the resins we use are not very dangerous after they have hardened - providing that they are correctly mixed and well polymerised. A bigger problem is the vapour and aerosol before hardening.
I have also tried the so called water based bicomponent car paint products, and I have a bad feeling about them. I think they are equally toxic but give an illusion of safety due to lesser smell.
Many hard woods, also balsa, are are referred as irritant in dust form. The worst are oily tropical woods, but we don't really use them. L

[EricV]

I know that the balsa dust is not toxic but what about the dust from primer, filer and dope sanding?  Do the solvents that are dangerous completely gas off?

Ken

Well, think about all the radiation warnings now on baby powder (talc), deodorants etc and think about the common fillers in dope and primer. You definitely don't want carbon fibers in your lungs either. Finishing a raw Ether prop is a mask wearing occasion, not just sanding matt as a covering. Isocyanates are probably most people's biggest worry, but my theory is I don't want anything in my lungs except clean air, everything else is suspect.

EricV

[John Carrodus]

I do most of my painting, doping and sanding outside and always try to sit upwind. Anything sets me off coughing, wheezing and runny eyes followed by fixational behaviour browsing any CL material I can find till the last coat dries!
Sanding outside sitting upwind in a gale certainly clears the sinuses

[Steve Thompson]

A common 20x20" box fan in a window blowing out works very well, in the summer.


From West Systems web site:
www.westsystem.com/safety/shop-hazards/


Common Shop Dusts

Shop dust from partially cured epoxy can cause respiratory problems if inhaled, and dermatitis if allowed to settle on your skin.

Dust from fully cured epoxy is chemically inert and considered nuisance dust from a health hazard standpoint. However, enough cured epoxy dust suspended in the air could create a combustible dust atmosphere.

Shop dust or sawdust from woods commonly used with epoxies, such as cedar, redwood, mahogany, and teak, can cause allergic skin and respiratory reactions. Wood saps and oils contain irritants. These allergens are reduced as lumber dries, so it is always better to work with seasoned wood.

Dust from minerals, such as asbestos and crystalline (not amorphous) silica are dangerous because of their shape, which makes them difficult to expel from the lungs. This is also true of airborne glass, carbon, and similar fibers, coming from cutting and handling glass tape or cloth, or from sanding or grinding a fiberglass composite. Use these materials only with adequate ventilation and appropriate respiratory protection, such as an approved particulate dust mask. For comfort and safety, avoid inhaling this dust!

Preventing Overexposure to Shop Dust
The following sensible shop suggestions may help to reduce exposure to epoxy dust, wood dust, and fillers.

Use personal protective equipment if you handle wood that you suspect that you may be particularly sensitive to.
Sand only in shop areas with adequate ventilation. If dust levels in your shop are high, or if you are sanding in a confined space for a long time, wear an approved dust mask. If the entire shop is dusty, make sure everyone—not just the person sanding—wears a mask.
When you have a choice, use a cutting tool, a chisel or plane, rather than an abrading tool, a polisher or sandpaper. Wear safety glasses.
Use wet, rather than dry, sanding techniques on epoxy. When sanding fresh epoxy, wait for several days to ensure a complete cure. If you can’t wait to sand, wear protective clothing, eyewear, and a dust mask.
If you must sweep your floor, wear a dust mask and use a sweeping compound. It is safer to vacuum or mop because less shop dust goes into the air.
Use dust collectors on major dust-producing machinery.
Take steps to prevent fires. Store solvents safely and make rules about smoking. Dust, solvent vapors, and an ignition source can make an explosive combination.
Prevent conditions that could create a static electrical charge. If handling large quantities of dust or filler, ground equipment properly.
When handling fillers, try to keep them from becoming airborne, where they can remain respirable for long periods.

[Brett Buck]

Well, think about all the radiation warnings now on baby powder (talc), deodorants etc and think about the common fillers in dope and primer.

    Let's outlaw post-1945 steel, too!

      Brett

[Rusty]

I have been breathing balsa dust for 63 years.  My lungs are clear and I am able to walk 2 miles every day.   In fact just this week I have been sanding a model for hours and use a shop vac to get the dust off the bench and floor.  I do have good vision, so my face is not close to the work.  Maybe that helps?

Now painting 2 part paint is another story.  I use a 3M mask even when mixing that.   

[Dwayne Donnelly]

It comes down to if you're sensitive to the dust or not, I am and have been using a asbestos rated  respirator for about 10 years.

[EricV]

    Let's outlaw post-1945 steel, too!

      Brett

LOL! Yeah, well, I don't know or care about outlawing anything. I still have small halon extinguisher in my shop, I keep it next my set of Jarts. They always outlaw the good stuff that works, yet worse stuff gets a free pass. Makes you wonder who's on the take. All I am for is informing people to be cautious with stuff in a hobby application, where you may not have access to the same protection and information as in an industrial situation. When I ran a shop waaay back in the day, we put in a waterfall spray booth and still used respirators. Since I got out of it, over the years I've had 2 friends die of liver and pancreatic cancer in their 40's... the one thing they both had in common... both were painters and did a lot of urethanes and enamels painting mobile homes. My older brother who worked in a factory when he was in his 20s making brake pads wore a bunny suit and had to decontaminate, shower and change clothes every day before leaving. His lungs are still clear thank God. Following precautions doesn't guarantee safety, but it usually doesn't hurt.

EricV

[Ty Marcucci]

My shop is now 27 years old.. Now when I walk through the door I start sneezing..  Broke out the vacuum and got rid of about 90% of the accumulated dust,, Found missing bell crank and many nuts and bolts . Now I have raccoons crapping in the attic.. ..

[Brett Buck]

LOL! Yeah, well, I don't know or care about outlawing anything. I still have small halon extinguisher in my shop, I keep it next my set of Jarts. They always outlaw the good stuff that works, yet worse stuff gets a free pass. Makes you wonder who's on the take. 

    There is a market for steel from sunken WW II ships for use in shielding for radiation  experiments, because any steel made after 1945 is substantially more radioactive than before.   I will believe people are serious about radiation safety when they outlaw tobacco, which is maybe 10x as radioactive as post 1945 steel and comparable to radon gas in the worst case basement. It's one of the primary actual causes of lung cancer, far above any chemical that appears in smoke.

Since I got out of it, over the years I've had 2 friends die of liver and pancreatic cancer in their 40's... the one thing they both had in common... both were painters and did a lot of urethanes and enamels painting mobile homes. My older brother who worked in a factory when he was in his 20s making brake pads wore a bunny suit and had to decontaminate, shower and change clothes every day before leaving. His lungs are still clear thank God. Following precautions doesn't guarantee safety, but it usually doesn't hurt.

     Certain types of asbestos is extremely dangerous in a industrial amounts, where it used to be blown into the hulls of ships by a big blower, with a 3 foot diameter flexible hose/duct, and a guy holding it with his hand and aiming it around. No protection, I have seen a movie of it any you could barely see across to the other side if the room, there was so much of it floating in the air. It doesn't necessarily follow that everyone has to tear out their popcorn ceilings wearing a space suit.

   Industrial epoxies and urethanes are the only things I take precautions about, a real unfilled epoxy/hardener is super-nasty stuff. I am more-or-less certain that the late Jim Tichy got of his ailments making carbon tanks with Epon or something like it, and I know that he took no precautions at all, despite David and I cautioning him about it. Everything else, you count on infrequent small exposures (like Global System Clear for 45 minutes every 5 years) to make up for the substandard PPE.

    BTW, I also have an allergy to balsa, if I get dust on me, I get a itchy breakout on the inner skin of arms.

      Brett

   

[Paul Taylor]

I just got some JB weld 5 minute epoxy. I normally use a different brand. This stuff has a pretty bad smell. So bad that I have to throw out the mixture right after I use it.
I’m thinking about going back to my original brand.



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