I finally got some decent putty, I had been using the tube of testors crappy stuff and just couldnt deal anymore. I got the squadron white and was very excited…and then I read the warning label that takes up ohhh I dont know, The entire tube! I usually work in my recliner right next to an open front door and that vents everything(paint,thinner,testors putty etc) well enough but with the way the warning is on the squadron stuff it makes me feel like I should have a full resperator and hazmat suit working in a sealed room with an industrial ventallation system when working with this stuff. How bad is it really? I live in a one bedroom apartment with my wife and 3.5 month son, I cant take chances with stuff that is potentially deadly anymore.
See whether or not you can find the MSDS, that wil tell you.
As an alternative, why not try Aves Epoxy Sculpt? Or just learn to use CA for that. I almost never use putty anymore.
What may I ask is Aves Epoxy Sculpt, I really would be happy with any product that would out perfom testors putty and safe to use in my home. I use CA a lot for filling but sometimes I just feel I get better results with putty. Especially for shaping
Try a tube of Elmers Carpenter’s Wood Filler. It’s as good as any putty IMO and it has no hazardous fumes. Just use the moist cloth to wipe off the excess and sand when it dries. [:D]
I got that from ModelNerd. He has many good tips here.
Most modeling putties such as Squadron White or Green (and others, I’m not picking on Squadron!) contains a witch’s brew of solvents that are know carcinogens or can cause brain cell injury. I would prompt you to NOT use them in such a small area with your child, as young children are even more susceptible to such things. I use the stuff, and am always careful not to breathe in the fumes, but I also have the luxury of a dedicated man cave, away from the rest of my family.
Sculpting putty, CA and wood filler would be much less hazardous, and I will be looking at these as alternatives when my supply of putty is exhausted.
A little reason goes a long way in these matters. Are you exposed to what ever is in the putty for long periods of time? More than an hour at a sitting in an enclosed air tight chamber? I wager not. Driving your car is more hazardous than using any manufacturer’s putty, and you wouldn’t stop driving.
Enjoy the build and stop worrying about what could, possibly, under the most dire circumstances kill you. Believe it or not your going to die eventually anyway!!!
The sky isn’t falling.
I do understand the irony in these matters, I have been known to when it is raining, smoke a cigarette while driving in my car with the windows up. If I were sitting by myself in the apartment I wouldnt ask, however with a small child all these questions now make themselves apparent. I do agree with you, we are all dying the only question is how fast. I would just like it to be slower with the most important thing in my life.
hey TLP - I sent you a box with some stuff (and even MORE putty 
it included couple paper facemasks and gloves. The “bad” part of putty is when you cut it/smooth over using acetone-based nailpolish remover. The fumes given off are toxic. I mask my model (Swammys method), then go to my AB booth to apply the putty and smooth over with acetone-polish remover. Use it whenever you use your AB, outdoors and ventilated. Put your model in a large box to dry off, that way you can take it inside. Also dont forget the putty is also flammable, careful smoking around that
cheers, jim
I would not get overly excited regarding the hazardous fumes from the putty. As an added precaution you can place a fan near you to blow or suck any modeling fumes out the open door. You are using such small quantities that there really isn’t that much fumes to be concerned about, unless your baby is sitting in your lap, which I hope not.
I’ve worked in the automotive industry for many, many years as has many people. I have been in both a body shop and a garage longer than 8 hours a day working with putty, filler, sanding dust, paint fumes, exhaust fumes, asbestos brake dust, degreasers, you name it, I smelt it and wore it. All with no ill effects. So what I glow in the dark and don’t have a clue who I am… just kidding. [8-]
Do a test if you want to make yourself feel a bit more comfortable. First can you smell anything from the putty? Set yourself up at your open door with the fan going. Dab some putty on something disposable. Have your significant other walk into the room and see if any oder is detected.
Or you can always work outside. [:P]
Ha, I dont know how much I can trust my significant others nose. The other night I tested my new putty on a couple of small sinkholes and she was across the room on the computer, we had both read the warning label. I filled the sinkholes, smoothed it out and then placed the piece in a tupperware container and put it away. Then sealed up the putty put it away. Bout ten minutes after I got a call from across the room “Honey I dont think you should use that anymore, im getting a headache”. Hypochondriac much?
Jmart, I am pretty good about not smoking around kids and flammible things, allthough I was cleaning out my AB the other day shooting some thinner through and realized I had a lit cigarette in my hand. Gonna blow myself up one day if im not carefull. I am looking forward to that box. It sounds all full of goodies I can use.
No. She’s not. It takes that long for the brain cells to be affected by the Toluene in the putty. This is not a case of being over protective. It’s one thing to use it yourself, as I do, and expose yourself, or your wife. It’s quite another to expose your baby, who can’t tell you they are getting a headache. If it was just you and Pink, I would recommend good ventilation. Since you say you live in a small one bedroom apartment with an infant, I suggest putting the putty away until you can use it safely. There are less toxic methods. Please consider using them.
http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/HEC/CSEM/toluene/physiologic_effects.html
http://www.inchem.org/documents/icsc/icsc/eics0078.htm
You can consider me a fear-mongerer if you want, but the risk of Toluene exposure are many and well documented. Put another way, right now Pink is supportive of your hobby. Would you risk changing that?
Bgrigg, I do not consider you a fear monger by any sense and am subscribing more towards your train of thought regarding all this one due to you are confirming my own fears and also due to your advice is always trusted on my end. That said my wife is a hypochondriac, maybe not clinicly but she sure is close, she is always sick or in pain from something or another, generally due to something she just learned about. Cant say I am any better though.
In this case though I was sitting there using the stuff right next to the door and she was 15ft away. I would be inclined to believe if she was not giving herself a headache through worrying she was attempting to use examples rather than just say “I dont feel comfortable with you using that in here” either way between her “having a headache” and my own erring on the side of caution I think I will save the putty for times when I can work outside(been storming pretty good around here lately. well for california at least). I think we will head down to michaels tomorrow and seek other alternitives.
Just irritates me that the better quality something is the more toxic, I use testors putty all the time and dont smell a thing. Tis the way of life, yin and yang, pros and cons, every action equal and opposite reaction…all that jazz
Well, you know your woman better than I do! Women tend to have a keener sense of smell than men. Toluene tends to “spread” faster at room temperature, so I can see it affecting someone across the room. My wife can tell if I’m brush painting or using putty from upstairs!
Treading on the side of caution is always a good idea with a baby. I have teenagers now, and I often wonder if solvents are at fault for the way their brain works, but I suspect it’s just being 13 and 16! After all, I seem to recall a period of time during adolesence when certain parts of my own brain seemingly shut down!
I found some irony in your comment about smoking in the car with the windows rolled up and your concern about putty [:)] I agree with the comments on toluene, and using chemicals in well ventilated areas away from others. Smoking dulls your ability to smell. I have alergies and when I smoked they went away, now after over 30 years of not smoking, my wife still smells things I don’t. My wife picked up some sculpting clay which is very easy to work with. No odors etc. I am going to try using it when I do some zimmerit applications. I would think most artist supply places would have it. You probably will have to seal it with Future as I don’t know how good it will take to paint.
Ed
wow…lotta reading to get up to speed. But 20-odd years ago when I had 2-3 tubes of Sq. Green with all the !!!Toluene!!! warnings…fuselages, wings etc. laying around…no one ever detected a scent from the putty unless within 2-3 feet of my bench…and that was when the tube was open.
I’m not saying it’s all safe…but ventilate your area. That’s the best preventative. Try not to sniff from the tube…and TLP…prolly not good to have the kid near it. Or Chinese toys
Nam
Hey fenderman, In another post I am pretty sure you said you were a HVAC tech. Do you still work in the industry?
First off, a thanks to Bill for carrying the torch! Heed his advice—ignore it at your peril, and the peril of those around you.
A few things I’d like to add. They’ve been said before, but not in this thread:
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Smell (by humans) is the worst indicator of the presence of any chemical. If you can smell it, you need better ventilation. Furthermore, some very nasty chemicals deaden your ability to smell them after brief exposure. Some have little or no odor.
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Carcinogens are like bullets. It only takes one molecule at the wrong place at the wrong time to kill you.
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Toxins have a threashold limit for adverse effects. Concentrations below that limit are not necessarily harmless, but are less likely to be harmfull either long or short term. The threshold limits are much lower for infants and children than for adults and are generally unknown.
There are less dangerous alternatives to body putty, many have already been mentioned.
Eternal vigilence is not merely the price of liberty. It is the price of life, itself.
With that and an infant about, best to use less toxic products.
Better to be safe now than sorry later. [;)]
Yes Ross I realize that a sniff test is not a proper way to detect toxic fumes. But if my wife can smell my farts before they leave my butt… [8-]
I worked half of my adult life in biomedical researchand laboratories… I want to strongly DITTO what Ross posted… all three points… mostly the “smell” part, many modelers equate “bad smell” with “toxic” and no smell with “non-toxic” (as in enamels vs acrylics)… and how very VERY susceptible infant lungs are to airborne toxins and particulate matter… hope all this information helps!
One thing I’d like to point out after reading these responses thus far concerning Squadron Green or White putty is this…UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES INHALE THE SANDED DUST!!!
I know from experience that when we modelers apply putty and wait for it to dry…(we just can’t wait to start sanding it!). When we sand we get a little dust and generaly just blow it off the surface and that airborne dust has to go somewhere.
The dust is just as toxic if not much more toxic than the fumes are.
[xx(]