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March 2, 2006
stopmo safety - initial notes
by sven at 8:11 am
[This is another long post that I made to stopmotionanimation.com. The context was a discussion about using lead wire in armatures. The person I was responding to had just written, "I've heard it works very well. I've never used it though. But don't forget, um... lead is poison!"]
Of all the poisons we're working with, lead is probably just the one with the most notorious reputation -- not necessarily the most dangerous.
You can wear gloves to avoid skin contact, and use snips to prevent creating particulates. The wire's going to be buried inside of the puppet, so the period of contact is fairly limited.
...There are many dangerously toxic materials that we're working with in puppet construction. I've been working on a full analysis of safety hazards and how to protect ourselves. I'm not done yet, but here are a few initial notes:
epoxy putty (including Milliput, Apoxie, and Magic Sculpt) - used for the armature, and sometimes for sculpting heads, etc. Epoxy putty is basically epoxy resin mixed with talc. With enough exposure over time, all people develop a sensitivity, which involves (minimally) a nasty rash. Over time, epoxy putties can cause nerve death in the fingers. Neither latex nor vinyl gloves are fully protective; nitrile gloves are recommended.
epoxy glue - used for glueing wires of armature into body parts. Same toxins as epoxy putty, but with powerful vapors. In addition to getting as much forced ventilation as you can muster, it's a good idea to wear an organic vapors respirator -- a face-mask with carbon cartridges. You can find these for about $30 at Home Depot and paint stores. I recommend 3M brand as being probably the most comfortable.
barge cement or spray glue - used for attaching cushion foam (urethane) to armature. Barge contains tuolene; I'm not sure if even an organic vapors respirator can protect you -- but I'd wear one. Most organic solvents attack carbon (hence "organic"); the cartridges basically contain charcoal -- concentrated carbon. Since spray glue also creates a cloud of floating particulates, I only ever use it outdoors.
rubbing alcohol (isopropyl) or turpenoid - used for smoothing polymer clays. These are powerful solvents which are just as happy to dissolve you as whatever you're working on. Gloves and an organic solvents respirator are recommended.
liquid latex - used for puppet skins. Liquid latex cures by releasing ammonia. In the quantities that we work with, the fumes usually aren't concentrated enough to do more than cause irritation. However, it's not a bad idea to wear safety goggles -- ammonia can cause blindness. If you do decide to use a respirator (I don't), you'll need cartridges that are specially made to deal with ammonia -- carbon filters won't help. Fortunately you can generally fit ammonia filters onto the same mask.
brass and aluminum dust - created while grinding K&S tubing or metal strips used in armatures that have removable parts. If metal dust gets into your lungs, it may be with you for life -- wear a dust mask. The ones that have a little plastic box on the front are much more comfortable to use, which will increase the chances that you'll actually wear them. Aluminum has been associated with Alzheimer's disease (technically the studies have only demonstrated this link when the aluminum is carried in water). Brass may have other metals in it that pose special dangers. ...There are concerns about how to clean up dust without putting it back into the air -- but I haven't found safety recommendations yet.
solder - used for making armatures that have removable parts. Typically solder is a combination of lead and tin, used with an acid flux ("rosin"). During soldering, all three release fumes which are toxic. One can buy a desktop fume extractor: a small desktop fan that sucks fumes through a carbon filter. I recently purchased one from xytronics via amazon.com for $64 (including shipping).
A word about ventilation: Particularly given the nasty glues we use, ventilation should a big concern. The ideal is to have air being forcibly sucked away from you, to be vented outdoors. As animators are often working in dungeon-like cellars, the ideal's probably not possible.
...But do as much as you can! With the powerful stuff, do the job outside and wear a mask. Minimally open a window. Put a fan in the window to push the air outside. Try to put your table in front of the window, so fumes don't have to go past you to escape. Personally, I've just put together a system where I've attached dryer ducting to a table-top fume extractor so I can vent fumes out the nearest window.
A few things that are relatively safe:
Polymer clay - used especially for sculpting puppet heads. Polymer clays such as Super Sculpey, Cernit, and Fimo have vinyl in them. However, these materials have recently gone through rigorous testing, and it's been proven that absorbtion through the skin is negligible. The fumes released while baking are judged to be noxious, not toxic; diluted in a normal room full of air, they shouldn't pose any harm. (Avoid taking a deep breath as you open the oven perhaps, though.) If you're sanding baked polymer clays, however, be sure to wear a dust mask.
Acrylic paints - used for painting the puppet. So long as you use good hygiene, you're pretty much OK. Do NOT put brushes in your mouth to point their tips! Avoiding getting paint on your skin is a good practice. Different pigments are based on different chemicals -- each one varies. Be particularly mindful when you're working with Cadmium Red, Cadmium Orange, and Cadmium Yellow.
posted by sven | March 2, 2006 8:11 AM | comments (5) | categories: stopmo
Comments
[Here's a follow-up post I made.]
That part about "nerve death in the fingers" is a shocker, alright. I trust that info, but should do more to find documentation...
My recommendation to use nitrile gloves with epoxy, however, is solid. Here's the source that I consider authoritative: http://dermnetnz.org/dermatitis/epoxy-allergy.html
...The portion about "nerve death" comes from a friend who is a professional sculptor -- who has recently left the special effects / fantasy industry in order to escape the toxics. She wrote this in response to some questions:
"Magic Sculpt, Apoxie and Plumbers putty are all Epoxy that has been loaded with some powders like talc. The resins can seep into your skin, and over time cause nerve death in your fingertips. If you are only using this stuff once or twice a week you will be fine with just gloves, but if you are using it constantly, all the precautions are a good idea. A good rule of thumb is if you can smell it, you are sucking it into your lungs.It is the liquid form of Epoxy that will give you some real trouble. That and the volatiles used to thin it, like paint thinner, Lacquer thinner and Acetone. These are the most deadly and the ones that lead directly to the deaths of those people. These substances shred cells and do it quickly. All of the precautions should be in place every time you use them! Lacquer Thinner and Acetone are the most dangerous. Their purpose is to breakdown molecular bonds aggressively. The two people that I knew, and I hesitate to call them friends, did some downright stupid things. I watched in horror when one of them used acetone to wash his face and hands like it was water! The other was a professional fiberglasser and refused to wear a respirator, even when I bought him one, because it was uncomfortable. His job was to spray epoxy gel coats onto furniture. In order for epoxy to be put through an air gun it has to be cut 30 to 50% with acetone. Essentially he was atomizing this toxic brew and breathing it wholesale into his lungs. True, you will not be handling epoxy in quantities that will hurt you immediately, just be warned that this stuff resides in fat cells and can stay in the body for years. It is the accumulated damage that can get you."
Posted by: sven at March 3, 2006 1:11 AM
A further afterthought. All the safety equipment I mentioned is available via Amazon.com...
Nitrile gloves= $6.43, an inexpensive brand
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0006ULL3E/qid=1141374738/sr=8-1/ref=pd">http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0006ULL3E/qid=1141374738/sr=8-1/ref=pd_bbs_1/002-7731589-6066443?%5Fencoding=UTF8&v=glance&n=3760901">http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0006ULL3E/qid=1141374738/sr=8-1/ref=pdbbs1/002-7731589-6066443?%5Fencoding=UTF8&v=glance&n=3760901
(or call a local medical supplies store)
Safety goggles= $2.49
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0001IPCEA/qid=1141374938/sr=8-2/ref=pd_bbs_2/002-7731589-6066443?%5Fencoding=UTF8&v=glance&n=228013
">http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0001IPCEA/qid=1141374938/sr=8-2/ref=pdbbs2/002-7731589-6066443?%5Fencoding=UTF8&v=glance&n=228013
(available at a hardware store or Home Depot)
Dust mask = about $2 each
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000BU572K/qid=1141374849/sr=1-5/ref=sr_1_5/002-7731589-6066443?%5Fencoding=UTF8&n=3760931&s=hpc&v=glance ">http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000BU572K/qid=1141374849/sr=1-5/ref=sr15/002-7731589-6066443?%5Fencoding=UTF8&n=3760931&s=hpc&v=glance
(you can usually buy these masks singly at a hardware store)
Organic solvents respirator = $23.60
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00079FOK0/qid=1141374616/sr=1-2/ref=sr">http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00079FOK0/qid=1141374616/sr=1-2/ref=sr_1_2/002-7731589-6066443?%5Fencoding=UTF8&v=glance&n=15684181">http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00079FOK0/qid=1141374616/sr=1-2/ref=sr12/002-7731589-6066443?%5Fencoding=UTF8&v=glance&n=15684181
(available at Home Depot or a house paints store)
Fume extractor = $59.95
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0002VJ7TC/qid=1141374386/sr=8-2/ref=sr">http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0002VJ7TC/qid=1141374386/sr=8-2/ref=sr_1_2/002-7731589-6066443?%5Fencoding=UTF8&v=glance&n=228013">http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0002VJ7TC/qid=1141374386/sr=8-2/ref=sr12/002-7731589-6066443?%5Fencoding=UTF8&v=glance&n=228013
(This isn't built to attach to ducting; I've modified mine to do so. An animator needs a small, powerful desktop fan -- this particular product serves the purpose better than anything else I've found so far.)
...I'm including prices here just to give you a sense of the initial outlay. Note that since Amazon is simply acting as a convenient middleman for the companies that sell these products, there will be additional shipping costs.
None of this stuff makes you safe. If you're working with toxics, then they're probably contaminating your workspace. But getting this protective gear -- and using it -- is a very good start toward taking care of yourself.
Posted by: sven at March 3, 2006 1:18 AM
That's just PERFECT. I don't think anyone had touched that subject before. I'm definitly linking this post to my page! Bye! Ale StopMotion
Posted by: Ale at March 3, 2006 7:09 AM
Thanks Ale! I'm really trying to do a good job on this topic -- but it's difficult, given how sketchy safety info is for a lot of art media. I worry that someone's going to get defensive about one of their favorite products, and give me grief. ...So thanks for the vote of confidence!
Posted by: sven at March 4, 2006 3:17 AM
[I wrote this as a response to someone who pointed out that Apoxie claims to be non-toxic.]
I cannot authoritatively say that Apoxie, Magic Sculpt, or Milliput are toxic. And I certainly don't mean to tell anyone not to use them!
I'm interested foremost in figuring out what safety precautions I can take for myself. How to work with materials safely seems to be a much neglected topic; if my research can be useful to other people, then I want to share it, too. This research is still in progress.
If the Art & Creative Materials Institute ( http://www.acminet.org/index.htm ">http://www.acminet.org/index.htm ) certifies a product as "non-toxic", then I am prone to trust that it is indeed safe. Apoxie, Magic Sculpt, and Milliput do not seem to have been certified. On what basis do these companies make the claim that their products are non-toxic? Has there been independent testing -- or do the people who sell these products simply not notice any harm? The companies have a vested interest in downplaying safety issues, so I feel a skeptical stance is appropriate. Caveat emptor!
The Apoxie website FAQ ( http://www.avesstudio.com/FAQ_s/faq_s.html ">http://www.avesstudio.com/FAQs/faqs.html ) says this:
The best part about Aves products is that they are non-toxic, non-flammable, user friendly, and non-hazardous synthetic clays. Keep in mind that individuals can have reactions to any product, including milk, kiwi fruit or stawberries, wheat, latex, nuts, etc. Also, individuals can become sensitized to ingredients in certain products, and Aves® products are no exception. If you have any doubts, always test a little bit first to see if you have any individual reactions to a product.
(Is it just me, or does this sound like spin? As I understand it, a person may be born with an allergy to kiwis -- but epoxy allergies tend to develop because epoxy has built up in the body. Am I right?)
The Milliput website FAQ ( http://www.milliput.co.uk/how.htm ">http://www.milliput.co.uk/how.htm ) says this:
In the putty state (ie before setting) Milliput, like most chemicals in domestic use, may cause irritation to sensitive skins. When mixing the two components it is advisable to use rubber gloves or throw-away polythene gloves. When rubber gloves have been used wash them immediately after use, and whilst still on the hands, using running water. If the hands have been used for mixing or manipulating Milliput wash them immediately after use with toilet soap and warm water.
The Magic-Sculp website FAQ ( http://www.magicsculp.com/faq's.htm ">http://www.magicsculp.com/faq's.htm ) says this:
Q: Is Magic Sculp toxic say compared to other A&B epoxy putties? I wear gloves when I work with such putty but do I need to wear my respirator? Is it toxic to the touch, fume smells, or both? Thanks, Pete A: I understand some people are more sensitive than others. If you are using those protective devices with A&B, I would recommend you continue with MS. For myself, I moisten my fingers with my own saliva to smooth MS, but I don't recommend it. I handle the stuff unreservedly. Chuck
The one medical website I've found that speaks authoritatively about epoxy allergies ( http://dermnetnz.org/dermatitis/epoxy-allergy.html ) mentions this:
Allergy is more likely to liquid (low molecular weight) epoxy resin systems used in paints and coating material than to the those used primarily for structural bonding, which have a higher molecular weight.
...Which suggests to me that these epoxy putties are probably somewhat safer than liquid epoxy glue.
Everyone can make their own judgment call, given this information. Given how nasty epoxy is in other forms, I want to wear gloves. What kind should I use? The tub of Magic-Sculpt only says "If sensitive skin use surgical gloves." The Milliput site says polythene. The medical website says Nitrile. ...I gotta go with Nitrile!
(And just to say it again: the notion that epoxy may cause "nerve death in the fingers" was passed on to me by a professional sculptor friend -- I have no substantiation for that claim at present.)
Posted by: sven at March 4, 2006 3:27 AM