Respirators

[JOEYR]

Hello,

as a beginner i want to ask you about suitable protection gear while working with RESIN miniatures, acrylic paints (Valejjo, Tamiya etc.), standard chemicals like superglue (cyanoacrylate) and spray primer (Tamyia).

I have bought the 3M 6000 respirator and a pair 6055 A2 filters

So my questions are:
- is this adequate gear for work with primer in spray (i use Tamya fine surface primer), acrlylic paint and paint thinner?
- i dont have a airbrush yet, is it necesarry to use respirator while working only with brush and water thinned acrylic paints?
- what kind of filter should i use for sanding resin miniatures is the P1 5911 ok?

Thank you for all your advice.
Joey

 

[Landrotten Highlander]

Hi Joey,
welcome to Planet Figure.

As for your questions:

working with resin can cause respatory problems when it is ground to dust so fine it can penetrate your lungs. Normally, when I work with resin and I have to use power tools I do use a face mask (as I have a (fine) beard, any resparator is wasted on me) and aim the exit of the power tools well away form me (both the exit of the cutting devices as any exit from the power tools itself). A file will make fine dust, but does not impart so much energy to it that it remains airborne for very long (power tools however do).

If you only use files and brushes you will need not fear too much, as long as you ventilate your area - a minor drafti is enough, you do not need a huricane.

With regards to spraying paint, same thing really - good ventilation, and do not spray in your own direction (or towards other people). The ony time you need a mask is when you are working inside a spray booth - and most model spray booths are a wee bit small for that purpose, and come with their own fume extraction which is usually sufficient for the purpose. And with most modelling, the pressures used for spray painting is quit low, and no more harmful than using a spray can (unless you intend to spray a lot, and I mean a lot).

As with all Health and Safety measures, a good amount of commen sence will take you a fair bit down the line.
Hope this helps

 

[JOEYR]

Thank you verry much for your advice L.H.,
i try to ventilate but since it is winter i cant have the window open all the time while i work on the mini and because i have respiratory problems i want to take extra precautions just to be safe.

Joey

 

[Landrotten Highlander]

If you already have respiratory issues, then taking extra precautions is only sensible.
Do take into account that you will have to adjust your filters depending on the application.

For instance, when working with resin, your biggest danger is fine dust particles, so you should use a dust filter suitable for very fine dust particles.
On the other hand, if you are spray painting, your biggest issues are fumes from any solvent you are using as well as very fine droplets of liquid paint, so you need chemical filters to take away any dangerous gasses and chemicals found in the fumes - a dust mask will filter out the finer mist, but will miss out significantly in the other (and I think more significant) hazards. Do some research once you know what paints you will be using (will indicate which fumes to look out for) - and never shy away from asking tough questions to the sellers, if they cannot answer, leet them find the answers, or no sale. It is your health they might be affecting with providing inaccurate information.

 

[theBaron]

You could also use the wet-sanding technique when sanding or filing resin, to reduce the amount of dust that becomes airborne.

Prost!
Brad