Dangerous in Enclosed Spaces

What has your experience been with random combinations of toxic fumes that you may never have been warned about? It might be helpful to others to know about them. Of course, common sense would tell you to ventilate adequately, but the degree of effects that these combinations might have could possibly disable you before you could react. For example, I had a fire going in a wood stove in a closed garage and spilled a can of formica adhesive. I immediately developed a severe headache and became so dizzy I fell to my knees and had to crawl out the door. Bad combination. And everybody knows enough not to use a kerosene heater without ventilation, I hope.

Reply to
BUB 209
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There's a list of ingredients and cautions on that can, and an MEDS for the ingredients if you're not sure what they do.

Generally speaking, contact cements of the old type feature some real light ketenes and dainties like toluene as solvents and to speed tacky time. They can get to you quickly, especially if you're not drawing a lot of air through the chimney (and replacing it from outdoors) with that woodstove.

Reply to
George

Of course that would be MSDS, not what Bill Gates says.

Reply to
George

the worst experience I had was when I naively used a cutting torch on a large sheet of galvanized metal. Not until much later did I find out about heating galvanized metal would produce poisonous fumes. I got immediately nauseated. Live and learn.

I've also been exposed to phosgene gas on a number of occasions, but that's an issue I KNEW was hazardous, but unavoidable!

dave

Reply to
Bay Area Dave

My dumb one was cleaning a shower (no chance of ventilation) with C-L-R to get rid of the lime and scale and then following up with bleach to get rid of the skin oil stains. Hmmm, why are my eyes burning? Hmm, acid and bleach? What does that produce? Why, chlorine gas, of course.

Now I always wear a respirator when I clean the shower (boy do I look stupid; starkers with rubber gloves and a respirator), although I try to avoid using the bleach anymore, too.

- - LRod

Master Woodbutcher and seasoned termite

Shamelessly whoring my website since 1999

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Reply to
LRod

Bay Area Dave wrote in news:QCTGc.88491$ snipped-for-privacy@newssvr29.news.prodigy.com:

Or not. I think that BUB's point was, "If I can learn without the toxic consequences, I'll be better off."

Some folks don't recover from these 'learning experiences'.

Patriarch, who doesn't want to win a Darwin...

Reply to
patriarch

quite right. I had NO idea how toxic heated galv is! That's just not something that comes up in everyday conversation. Nor is it a part of public school curriculum.

dave

Reply to
Bay Area Dave

Favorable.

JP

Reply to
Jay Pique

You learned the same lesson a woman on a recent call I had learned - dried up cleanser residue containing bleach, in her case, and ammonia to wipe the glass. Was the bluest person I had ever seen who was still alive. Still is, but it was touch and go for about 15 minutes.

Bleach is an acid, of course. As is the CLR (HCl, is it?) lime is a base.

Reply to
George

Heating galvy isn't a health risk. Using a cutting torch on it can be. It's zinc that is the galvy part. Melt it and it gives of zinc oxide fumes. Inhale those fumes and the zinc gets into your system at much higher levels than is good for you and hard to purge.

I did lost wax casting of jewelry and small sculpture. Learned very early on that brass has zinc in it and bronze doesn't so you don't melt brass. There are also some bronzes that when melted give off toxix fumes - berylium (sp?) bronze gets very fluid and will let you cast very delicate details - BUT the fumes can mess you up.

In general, the better the ventilation, the lower the risk of fumes doing you in. If you have to have fumes in an enclosed space - WEAR A MASK that's capable of filtering out the bad stuff or better yet - a hood with air from outside.

And remember that a lot of fumes are flammable. In an enclosed space with an exposed flame like a Water Heater or room heater you're also creating all the ingredients for a BIG BOOM! Even a spark from a window fan can set things off. And this isn't limited to volatile liquids creating explosive fumes. Fine airborn saw dust - in sufficient concentrations can be just as explosive. If you're lucky, it'll only be a flash fire and you'll end up with the sun burned look rather than the shredded and charred look.

It ain't just the sharp stuff that can get you so let's be careful out there - please

charlie b

Reply to
charlie b

I used an oxyacetylene torch. Mucho fumes. I was working in a fairly open area: 2,500 square foot shop with one wall open completely to the outside (roll up doors).

Thought of you when I scary sharped a chisel today.

dave

Reply to
Bay Area Dave

Wed, Jul 7, 2004, 12:16pm (EDT+4) snipped-for-privacy@aol.com (BUB=A0209) queries: What has your experience been with random combinations of toxic fumes that you may never have been warned about?

Over the years, a lot, of course. Including a bit of Agent Orange. =

I've always tried to be careful about stuff like that, reading the labels, and not buying things that really scared me, like some of the automotive spray paints. But, for the last dozen or so years, been even more cautious about that, and stopped using some things entiredly, use plastic gloves to handle others, and been checking on alternative (non-toxic) products.

I use mostly water based paints now. For oil-based, usually kerosene clean-up, or cheap brush and toss it. Gone to water-base finishes, so far so good; but probably shellac some "delicate" stuff. Been trying vegetable (cooking) oil finishes, for maybe 7-8 years - good results - check the archives. Also tryed "natural" stains a bit, and tea stain works great, lots better than coffee. As a color "wash", thinned latex paint works well.

JOAT What we see depends mainly on what we look for.

- Sir John Lubbock

Reply to
J T

I did a sand cast to make a new latch for my microwave and I used brazing rods for the material. That works pretty well without any bad stuff happening. They are designed to be melted.

Reply to
Greg

photos on apbw? j4

Reply to
jo4hn

Consider this my supreme humanitarian act for the sake of the wreck:

NO!!

- - LRod

Master Woodbutcher and seasoned termite

Shamelessly whoring my website since 1999

formatting link

Reply to
LRod

Was that exposure to phosgene gas a result of spending time on a nuclear submarine???

rob

Reply to
Rob Jones

nope. Freon unavoidably run through combustion process.

dave

Reply to
Bay Area Dave

I've had people stare at me while I'm mowing my yard but since I'm over 40 I don't care. My outfit: - Pants tucked into army boots. (Why have something catch in your pants leg while operating something that wants to take your toes off?) - Safety glasses. (About once a month in the summer something flies up from the mower & hits me in the face. Why risk the eyes?) - Mining hard hat (Hard hat with muff-style hearing protectors.) (When mowing around low-hanging branches I'll often bang my head. Wearing the hard hat keeps blood out of the eyes. ;-) Hearing protection keeps my head from ringing after I'm done.)

If it is dusty I'll wear a nose & mouth filter too.

I'm honestly surprised I haven't seen my picture in the local weekly wipe. ;-)

-- Mark

Reply to
Mark Jerde

I wouldn't laugh at you. A couple of years ago (or was it last year?) I hit a 6" long bolt laying in the grass with my power mower. It flew about 40 feet before it broke the kitchen window. I found glass in every corner of the kitchen and dining area. We were lucky SWMBO wasn't standing by the sink. After that, I don't want my dog or wife outside when I'm mowing.

dave

Reply to
Bay Area Dave

On Wed, 07 Jul 2004 16:57:03 +0100, LRod vaguely proposed a theory ......and in reply I say!:

remove ns from my header address to reply via email

Now that's a nice way to refer to your partn.....oh...sorry.

Reply to
Old Nick

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