Okay I may be crazy but - I just airbrushed for the very first time (with Tamiya Flat Earth) and did not wear my respirator mask (duh!). I did use my Pace 24" spraybooth but at one point had the model a little far outside. I got a few strong whiffs of paint smell and I sense some irritation in my lungs (might be imagining this). My concern is the “may cause cancer” warning on the Tamiya bottles. Do you know what it is that causes cancer in there? Cadmium? Does anyone know if they use cadmium in Tamiya paints?
Ummm, I don’t know what’s in it. But I have to ask, does it matter? I mean seriously.
Just don’t breathe it. Atomized paint, no matter the flavor, probably isn’t a good thing for the lungs. Unless ofcourse the user is a smoker and the lungs have that nice black coating sealing out all the paint impurities that might cause harm.[:|]
If you are really curious google “tamiya paint MSDS” or something of that nature.
I used IPA (70%). Cadmium is a known carcinogen and yellows reds and oranges typically has it. I am just wondering if any of the Tamiya colors contain it and if not, what does it contain that can cause cancer. It has the label for a reason and knowing what hell people with cancer go through, I would like to prevent that.
Even IPA is cancerous in the State of California. The amount of paint fumes one must ingest to “catch” cancer is an awful lot. I wouldn’t be too worried about it, but do remember to use a respirator!
If anyone is interested, I’ve dowloaded several Material Safety Data Sheets on Tamiya paints and thinners, and can provide a list of ingredients if needed or wanted. Most of the chemicals are run of the mill alcohols and some glycol ethers (used as surfactants). Pigment consists of titanium dioxide and carbon black. No heavy metals were noted. Used correctly and in small quantities (ie, airbrushing), these materials should not cause any problems, as Hawkeye has already pointed out.
I’ve been doing some research and have PM’ed wtih Vivian over the last several days. The issues in his OP have been resolved to his satisfaction.
I stand corrected. I thought I had seen PG listed, but perhaps I was mistaken, or what I took to be PG might have been a derivative.
MSDS’s for Tamiya’s paints are certainly difficult to find online - I’ve only seen a small handful and there has been nothing of particular note.The blend can vary, but as you mentioned, the alcohols, PG (and water) make up over 60% of the content and in the low volumes we use when painting a model, should not have any appreciable toxicity.
Phil, the PG listed was indeed a derivative. What’s interesting is that many people assign chemical guilt by association (ie, if PG tert-butyl ether is hazardous, then all PG must be hazardous–when in truth, pure PG is used as a food preservative…). Also, I found out–finally–that carbon black is the Tamiya label culprit on the P65 list (!) This material is used as a pigment in the Tamiya blacks and darker browns. I hate P65. [:@] Like I told Vivian, all this does is create problems where none formerly existed. It has to be one of the biggest knee-jerk regulations I’ve ever seen. But then, what do you expect from the Peoples Republic of Kalifornia? [;)]
Even though I’m over here in Australia, I can see that the P65 labelling has become so ubiquitous that its usefulness as a serious advisory has been well diluted.
I beleive they would probably try to label the air if they could find a way to make such labelling stick. Then they would label the label itself… [;)]
I don’t wear a respirator when I spray, but then I’m spraying in my garage with plenty of ventilation, high ceilings, and I very rarely turn the airbrush around and spray it into my mouth, nose or eyes.
I thin with lacquer thinner and have had zero problems. Where I DO every so often feel a bit less than great is after spraying into the cleaning pot, which always makes like dry ice. I’m seriously thinking about engineering something better, just not sure what approach I want to take with it yet. Anybody ever built a cleaning pot/box with a chimney?
The problem is not so much how you feel right after you paint - the problem comes in (if it has carcinogenic ingredients), when you lie like my father, suffering a slow excruciating death from incurable cancer perhaps due to exposure to a chemical 20-30 years ago. If you ever knew anyone dying from cancer, you’ll know why I’m scared of anything that can cause it.
" There is a little bit of poison in every medicine", as the good doctor on Fox news has said many times.
If you ingest a large enough amount of ANYTHING, it will kill you. (Even water.)
To be safe, use a NIOSH approved vapor respirator- (I found a nice one made by 3M for about $30 at Lowes-) whenever you spray anything, and you’ll be OK. They really work well.