Thread: Acrylic fumes or smell are they harmful?

Amos, are your referring to acrylic resin blanks or PR (polyester resin) blanks?

The first one is a thermoplastic resin, ie softens when getting hot and emits a smell, these are the type of pen blanks sold by the majority of sellers, including the 1mtr long ones.

The PR blanks (thermosetting resin) are mainly produced by the hobby caster and some of the speciality blank makers, ie clear cast over whatever, eg snake skin.

Then there is actually a third material, Alumilite resin, more rarely used here in Oz because of cost/availability, but popular with some of the US hobby/semi professional casters.

I have used all of these and don't find any of them objectionable, but I don't turn with my lathe at top speed either.

Amos I do make resin and acrylic pens but have to limit myself as i used to when doing fibreglass resins. Fumes can cause serious health problems for some.

I recall a case of a surfboard maker who had been overcome by fumes.

Those acrylic nail stores wives, girlfriends and daughters frequent, have now been made to improve their extraction of fumes for staff safety. My daughter and I had a number of discussions re-health and artificial nails.

This is an interesting read.

http://www.doityourself.com/stry/hea...n#.Uvr4xIXBbbw

The main problem has been with blanks purchased at the major resellers, lovely colours and mixes but awful smell. Amos

Generally the ingredients are dangerous so I'd have a guess that the fumes cant be too good for you.

I use P2 dust masks but they do not get rid of the smell. Next time I will get charcoal impregnated ones (welding ones) to help with the fumes.

Cheers

Shawn

Looks like I will set up an extraction system at the shop. Amos

Amos

If you are mixing the resins the fumes are poisonous, particularly the catalyst. Like a lot of chemicals when they are set they may not be dangerous or as dangerous. A DC over the lathe will remove the odours and the cut resin. I have never had a problem with set resins but I have had ripper headaches when mixing them - the reason I hate resins and love timbers which don't give you a headache but merely lung cancer over a period

Greg, my inquiry is to the smell of the acrylics when turning them, in particular the acrylics purchased at most of the resellers. Amos