Painting Indoors, Avoiding Cancer and Others

[shiyao]

A health question:

I live in a one-room studio apartment in Manhattan. Painting "outdoors", i.e. downstairs in the lobby of my apartment is out of the question; apart from finicky doormen, my building also has a regular stream of loutish visitors from the street (I'm near a dodgy neighborhood, though not quite in it).

So - I'm looking for some ideas to help dispel the fumes from painting indoors. I usually paint with the windows wide open, but I still consistently get headaches.

Also: what paints are non-toxic? I know acrylics are perfectly fine for your health, but other than that, what else is viable? Acrylics don't adhere so well.

Lastly: some models are also made out of harmful materials, like resin. So one should be careful sanding/sawing those kits. Does anyone know of other harmful materials? Polystyrene is ok, I hope?

I have 3 kits waiting to be built - but I'm not sure if they're worth risking cancer for.

[bhop]

I live in an apartment in Los Angeles, so i'm in a similar situation. Basically as far as fumes go, it's important to get them out of your place. Just having the windows open isn't enough. Also since you're indoors, another thing that's VERY IMPORTANT is a respirator mask. Unless you like poor health.

For fumes, I just use a fan facing out the window. I know some people that use a spray booth with a hose sticking out a window that sucks the fumes out as well. My windows are pretty big so the fan works for me, but I still use the respirator when i'm painting.

As far as paint types, Acrylic is pretty safe. Enamels and Laquers have more fumes, but if you ventilate and wear your mask it shouldn't be a problem. I'd recommend keeping your fan on longer for those when you're done though, to get out lingering fumes. If you have roommates, you may want to stick with Acrylic or else be prepared for smell complaints.

my setup:

Edited February 20, 2005 by bhop

[Major Johnathan]

Yeah, I've been meaning to get a spray booth or install a vent for about 15 years now... I'd make a good human lab rat as far as paint fumes go. Where I live is often sub zero in the winter so cracking the window is a bit tough (iced shut).

Most paints don't bother me too much, but I'd say beware the metallic ones the most and the clear coats. I paint almost exclusively enamels because acrylics peel so easily.

The only trick to sanding resin, in fact sanding any plastic, is to wet sand. Just dip the sandpaper in a cup of water and you'll have no particles in the air to worry about, that also has the benefit of partly removing any lingering mold release. i wet sand everything, injection molded plastic/styrene and resin. You don't want to breath the putty either.

[jonwayne]

try building one of this:

http://s96920072.onlinehome.us/tnt1/101-20...Phua/tnt121.htm

not mine.

[shiyao]

thanks bhop - your apartment certainly looks smaller than mine! i guess if you can manage, i should be able to as well.

major - ah, so that's what wet sanding is! thanks.

jonwayne - man. it's at times like these that i actually feel proud to be singaporean. *jaw drop*

[bhop]

thanks bhop - your apartment certainly looks smaller than mine! i guess if you can manage, i should be able to as well.

major - ah, so that's what wet sanding is! thanks.

jonwayne - man. it's at times like these that i actually feel proud to be singaporean. *jaw drop*

Heh.. that's just a part of my kitchen, my work corner. It probably looks smaller than it really is because of all my junk too... chairs in the corner, bicycle, car exhaust, cat's litter box, art easle, plus all my modeling supplies piled up... I have a 1 bedroom apartment, so i'm guessing overall it's bigger than a Manhattan studio, but I dunno, yours might be roomy.

[shiyao]

bhop - i've just checked out your website, and, *wow*.

do you only do commissions for friends, or friends of friends? i have a (variable) cyclone kit that i'd love to see put together by someone more qualified than myself.

[bhop]

bhop - i've just checked out your website, and, *wow*.

do you only do commissions for friends, or friends of friends? i have a (variable) cyclone kit that i'd love to see put together by someone more qualified than myself.

I've been doing them for whoever can pay me, although i'm putting commissions on hold for a while. My backlog of unbuilt kits is pretty big, plus i've been extremely busy with my work. Thanks for the compliments though.. heh

[Vince]

try building one of this:

http://s96920072.onlinehome.us/tnt1/101-20...Phua/tnt121.htm

not mine.

that's a good idea. I live in a one bed room too, I made a spay booth from project boards and cheap picture frame. and set up on top of my dryer. Works pretty well so far, since the exhaust share a outlet with the dryer. Its just a little far cause I work in the sunroom, and have to walk to the other side of the house. Other than the exhaust fan, the booth itself cost me $12 only, and 15 minutes to make.

But it all mean nothing without a good respirator.