Safety Thoughts

[crockett]

We talk a lot about a lot of chemicals. Soldering often involves lead. Birchwood Casey Browning solution has mercury. I have read that continuous exposure to hardwood dust and metal dust isn't all that great. So...... Just a thought but how many of you use air filters, etc.

 

[Doc Arroyo]

Well, my 10x16 shop has a 9' door on one end and a ridge vent the whole length. The wind, or a fan is usually blowing, so I feel that makes for the "use outside only" caution.

I use a face shield and chemical resistant gloves when I use muriatic acid, and only use it when wind is blowing! :shocking:

I don't get into the shop enough for the "continuous exposure", but I am trying to build the habit of using a dust mask while sanding. It is one of the reasons that I love planes and scrapers: the shavings are too heavy to float in the air! :hmm:

 

[Zonie]

I think the operative words are "continous exposure".
This, for me is a hobby so it isn't like I'm sitting under a sanding machine breathing its dust all day.

The truly obnixious materials like Hot Browing solutions, Casting Lead, using Muratic and Sulfuric acid, brazing, degreasing with Acetone, MEK, Lacqure thinner, brake cleaning fluids, etc I do outside and try to stay upwind from the process.

I also think the News media tends to HYPE the danger far beyond what it truly is just to sell papers (and products which allegedly will save you from horrid things like lead paint on your walls, asbestos on your pipes, mercury from a broken thermometor and second hand smoke from the driver in the car next to you at the stop light).
I guess my feelings about the News media explains why I do my soldering indoors even with the fumes off of the lead and the flux. Here again, it's not like I was doing this every day.

 

[Birddog6]

IMHO, not only are some of the chemicals harmfull with entensive expossure, so it the dust from scaling barrels, soldering, cleaning, sanding , etc.
One big thing is the airborn microscopic dust particles that you don't see in a shop. I have installed a large air filter unit in my shop made by Jet and it does a remarkable job. (Woodcrafts @ about $ 200.) It is really amazing how much stuff it traps in that unit that you didn't know you were breathing.
I am alergic to the dust from Walnut & it is amazing how much this filtration has helped, plus connected a vaccume to my saws & sanders & etc.

 

[crockett]

I have to agree with birddog6. I have been pretty lax about safety issues. I make both guns and knives and some of the knives have certain woods with harmful dust. I wear protective gear when working with them but am not so careful with other jobs. It is a PITA to have to wear all the protective gear but years ago shops were a lot more drafty. Today a lot of us are in closed surroundings without much free air and I thought I would just mention that being safety conscious on at least a few tasks around the shop probably is a smart move. :imo:

 

[Ohio Joe]

I too am lax in safety issues. I keep a box of nose & mouth filter masks, but I seldom use them anymore since I need to wear my glasses for the close up work, and they fog up when I put the mask on. Course, my safety glasses did too.

I do wear the thin clear rubber/vinyl gloves when working with chemicals. When silver soldering I leave the door to the shop open and turn a small fan on to help exhaust fumes. Whether this really works, only time will tell?

I do keep my sawdust and shavings swept up, and my power tools unplugged when not in use. I guess I'm not too far gone? There's always room to improve. :shocking:

 

[noahmercy]

With regards to lead...under most normal conditions, you will never have to worry about inhaling lead "fumes" while casting or soldering. Lead vaporizes at a temperature far beyond what those procedures involve. You would be far more likely to get lead poisoning from handling lead and then eating, drinking (direct ingestion of lead), rubbing your eyes or nose, or discharging a firearm in a poorly ventilated area (where it is possible for the flame front to vaporize some of the lead at the base of the bullet). I cast tens of thousands of bullets in my (unventilated) garage before going in for a blood lead level test. My doctor told me my levels were lower than most folks living in big cities. This is not to downplay the potential hazards of lead, but "fumes" just aren't a problem most of us have to worry about.

Wood dust is another matter altogether. I wear a quality respirator while doing any serious sanding. Some folks find out they're allergic to a wood dust during the visit to the ER.

And I always keep a few pairs of vinyl and latex gloves around for chemical dealings. Some chemicals will eat through one material or the other, so I recommend having both kinds on hand (no pun intended).

And eye protection is a fine idea for 99% of shop chores, folks. You only have the one set...protect them or you might find yourself reading "Crow Killer" in braille and trying to remember the good old days when you could go out and shoot! :m2c: