which auto paints are safe with a standard filter respirator and which ones require a fresh air supply? It seems like Urethanes require fresh air? something about isocyantes? I'd like to paint an old truck for fun - and trying out my technique - not really caring about using the best paint available.
which auto paints are safe without a fresh air sys
- Thread starter tomcat27
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I think plain acrylic enamel is probably the safest, as long as you don't put the hardener in it, which has the isocyantes. A few years ago I painted a 56 chevy with plain enamel without the hardener, and it seemed hard enough to me, but then I am no body man, just a a diyer. I think next time I will use implement enamel
Isocyanates are a real problem but they can be used with care. I always use the blanket statement to use a fresh air mask because its the only way to insure that the painter safe every time.
For years 3M and other respirator manufacturers recommended a chemical cartridge for the respirator and it worked fine but there is a catch. The activated carbon loads up quickly with isocyanates and once saturated become ineffective.
The only way to be sure it is still functioning is to change it ever 5 hours of painting or 2 weeks after you first subjected the cartridge to the isocyanate laced paint.
I did a lot of research on this stuff and came up with change recommendations of 30 hours, 15 hours, 10 hours and so on. I decided that 5 hrs would be the amount of time i would work one myself with these paints, the stuff it just too nasty to take a chance on.
The reason OSHA concluded they should not be used for isocyanates is not that the respirator didn't work, it does but there is no way to insure the operators would follow a short change interval and throw out a cartridge that looked clean.
If you use a 2K clear just make sure you toss the cartridges after your done and you will be fine, if used properly using the equipment like this the 2K is no more dangerous than a solvent based enamel or lacquer.
An acrylic enamel with hardener could also contain isocyanates as can some 2K primers so don't get lulled into a false sense of security by using enamels, Imron was one of the most dangerous paints on the market back in the day, it was a single stage that was in fact a urethane but thought of by many as in acrylic enamel family.
A good base/clear system that doesn't cost a fortune is Nason, it is a quality paint and a great clear. It does not match and blend as well as Chroma base so its better suited to total paint jobs.
Some of the single stage paints have clear blended in and can contain isocyanates so paint type is no guarantee that one type is "safer" than another.
Use a good respirator and change the cartridges often, use a disposable tyvek suit, nitril gloves and goggles and the risk is minimal.
One test of a respirator is if you smell the paint you either have saturated cartridges or a leak in the mask.
http://multimedia.3m.com/mws/media/77784...0TechUpdate.pdf
For years 3M and other respirator manufacturers recommended a chemical cartridge for the respirator and it worked fine but there is a catch. The activated carbon loads up quickly with isocyanates and once saturated become ineffective.
The only way to be sure it is still functioning is to change it ever 5 hours of painting or 2 weeks after you first subjected the cartridge to the isocyanate laced paint.
I did a lot of research on this stuff and came up with change recommendations of 30 hours, 15 hours, 10 hours and so on. I decided that 5 hrs would be the amount of time i would work one myself with these paints, the stuff it just too nasty to take a chance on.
The reason OSHA concluded they should not be used for isocyanates is not that the respirator didn't work, it does but there is no way to insure the operators would follow a short change interval and throw out a cartridge that looked clean.
If you use a 2K clear just make sure you toss the cartridges after your done and you will be fine, if used properly using the equipment like this the 2K is no more dangerous than a solvent based enamel or lacquer.
An acrylic enamel with hardener could also contain isocyanates as can some 2K primers so don't get lulled into a false sense of security by using enamels, Imron was one of the most dangerous paints on the market back in the day, it was a single stage that was in fact a urethane but thought of by many as in acrylic enamel family.
A good base/clear system that doesn't cost a fortune is Nason, it is a quality paint and a great clear. It does not match and blend as well as Chroma base so its better suited to total paint jobs.
Some of the single stage paints have clear blended in and can contain isocyanates so paint type is no guarantee that one type is "safer" than another.
Use a good respirator and change the cartridges often, use a disposable tyvek suit, nitril gloves and goggles and the risk is minimal.
One test of a respirator is if you smell the paint you either have saturated cartridges or a leak in the mask.
http://multimedia.3m.com/mws/media/77784...0TechUpdate.pdf
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