Tony,
As I mentioned in our e-mail and as I have said elsewhere in various posts and e-mails, the Material Safety Data Sheets or MSDS* for MagicSculpt, Duro or Elastitite, Milliput, A+B, Apoxie, Pro-Create and other 2 part resin and hardener type air-drying putties** indicate that the putties contain a chemical which is a skin and eye irritant. It is a progressive sensitizer. If you work with the putties without gloves, initially (if you have a normal immune system and no existing skin problems or allergies) you may get no skin reaction at all. But over time, the more you use them, the more likely you are to develop an allergic reaction. If you continue to use them without gloves, in most people, the reaction will only get stronger and more bothersome. There is a wide variation in the reaction to this stuff. Some people may never get a reaction, but most will over time and continued unprotected use.
What can you do to prevent it? Wear thin nitrile or neoprene rubber gloves when handling uncured putty. Wash your hands and face thoroughly with soap and water after each sculpting, sanding, carving session. Why wash your face? The eyes are particularly sensitive to chemical. Be quite careful to keep your hands or gloved hands away from your eyes when handling putty.
The dust created from sanding hardened putty should be minimized and your workroom cleaned up periodically. I also use a fan in my hobby area to keep the air circulating and prevent the build-up of vapors from the resin-hardener chemical reaction.
If the skin reaction continues or worsens, see you doctor and bring the MSDS for the products you are using with you.
*What's a material safety data sheet? - It's a statement provided by the manufacturer of the chemical components of the product and the measures you need to take to use it safely. If you need one, send me an e-mail to
dpzpmorton@cox.net and I'll send it to you. I don't think I have all of them mentioned, but I have most.
**The heat-setting 1 part epoxy sculpting materials do not use the same chemical.
No - I'm not a physician. I'm a 30 something year experienced board-certified industrial hygienist with a background in chemistry and working with industrial chemicals. And I still made some really stupid mistakes myself when I first started working with these materials. Duh.
All the best,
Dan