Dunno about you guys, but health and environmental saftey is a big concern of mine, especially with modeling. My question is- what type of metal are Friulmodel tracks made of (ther than “White Metal”)? Is it lead? I read somewhere that its Pewter- is Pewter dangerous? Whats the safest way to handle Friulmodel links?
Thanks
Im not sure which they are made of, but I would think that as long as your not eating them and wash your hands when your done handling them that the risk is probably minimal. You could proabably use some latex gloves if your were still worried about it though.
Pewter is harmless; a mixture of 85-99% tin, with the rest made of copper, antimony, bismuth, and in the cheapest form, lead is sometimes used. This pewter has a bluish tint.
Pewter is used in plates and jewelry, so I wouldn’t worry much about it.
So far all i’ve ever used is Friuls on my models. They are not as soft as pure lead but not as hard as wheel weights. Every now and then a few of the links will be bent a little and you can straighten them but if it’s bent enough they will break.
I always wash my hands before and after I work with them and I would think the vapors would be more dangerous for the workers at the factory than working with them as a modeller.
Glues, paints and thier thinners are more apt to get you before the white metal tracks do.
Just use common sense Tony the Mutt
Agreed that these tracks are probably the least concern out of all of the other things you come in contact with over the course of a day. The whole “lead danger” is extremely overblown according to many friends who are physicians, chemists etc. Kids would have to consume large quantities of most of this stuff (or you would have to make a steady diet of Friul links) to really be any sort of issue.
I wash my hands regularly whenever using Blacken-It or the like, and do so as a matter of course when handling most modeling supplies, but I wouldn’t be too concerned about getting poisoned from handling and assembling these tracks. As said above, the paints are far more hazardous.
Alright guys. Thankyou!
Most white-metal contains lead, which can be absorbed thru the skin—I would wear cheap rubber surgical gloves that you can get from most drugstores, or, as in my case, someone you might date in the medical field…I also wear them when handling certain other things and also when handling finished models and figs so as not to get oil and prints from the skin on the finish…
Depends on the grade, lay grade can contain up to 15% lead, but handled carefully (no thumb sucking while building the tracks!) is pretty safe. Typically Pewter is now lead free and can be used safely.
Compewter, on the other hand, can waste time and cause people to post strange and random things on forums, and should be used very carefully! [:-,]
As a chemical engineer if I was to list all the health and environmental caution chemicals on you bench…you would quit modeling.
Then again almost every hobby has the same problem…
Don’t eat it, drink it, inhale it and wash up when you are done!!
Rounds Complete!!
Haaaaaaaaahahahhahaaaaaa…I’m cryin’ over here! [(-D][(-D][BH]
Jeeze, about time someone thought that was funny! Thanks! [:D]