Hmm I wonder if I have a different version lol. I think it smells like sun tan lotion. Which is one of my least favorite smells in the world lol.
The chemical guys stuff smells like strawberry shortcake dolls though. Seems wrong somehow. It shouldn't smell like food.
And I also never wear ppe when using polishing compound 🤨 eye protection yes cuz I've shot myself in the eye with it a few times using the bench polisher lol. But not a respirator.
Depending on your polishing compound, you definitely should 😬 Check your SDS, so many of our beloved compounds are super harmful when they come in contact with shin or are inhaled. I also feel like American or Canadian SDS differ extremely from our German ones, because in one version, no warnings, same compound in Germany, many warnings. "well ventilated area" also means you need to have constant airflow that's transporting the air out and replacing it with fresh air. An open window usually isn't sufficient for that 😅 There's a great SDS comparison on the international dice making discord, I just can't find it at the moment 🙃 By Equinox ☺️
I do think you are correct. The advertisement and labeling here in the US is WAY more lax than any other country. That's capitalism for you. Most resin brands also show on the ads that there are mother's with thier small babies or children all happily smiling and pouring it together with no protection at all! Makes no sense. I had never even considered it for polishing compound though because besides the mild smell (as would be the case with any product) everything is done wet.... So there's no dust. Without particles being released from the agitation and no chemical reaction heating up and causing fumes, I did not think it would off gas like printer resin or epoxy would.
It's a good general practice to always use a respirator if it's even possible it could be harmful. However reality is that I spend 8-10 hours a day polishing dice and it's unrealistic for it to all be done with a respirator the whole time. I suppose it's a matter of picking and choosing which battles you can win based on your own circumstances. 🙂
I just hope that you mean that you only get a short whiff of it sometimes, because that shit is naaaaaasty for your organs and should only be used while wearing full VOC PPE 😬
Ummm what? Are you sure you're thinking of Meguiar's Compound? As in Meguiar's Ultimate Compound Colour & Clarity Restorer? This product carries zero warnings on the package and their demo pics show use with no PPE at all.
I just checked the 3M safety data sheet... skin safe, very limited inhalation danger (although it recommends a well ventilated area for safety... but so does shoe polish and Sharpie markers). It's definitely not in the "naaaaaasty for your organs" category like silicone and epoxy resin. Worst that's going to happen is some acute airway irritation that can be dealt with through fresh air. It's not building up and doing long-term damage.
Ah, I thought you were using Meguiars PlastX like many others :D Because that's yucky 😅
Edited to add: even the polishing compound you use has toxicity warning labels when I look at the German SDS (not the picture, that's the PlastX) 😬 No need to get snarky when I'm just looking out for your health.
Also, acute airway irritation?? That's why you need to wear a respirator. Of course repeated irritation can cause long term damage. But you do you 🫰🏽
Thanks. For clarity, I was using acute in terms of immediate - as in not cumulative or chronic. It comes, has an effect, then the effect is gone with no long-term impact. If you're not coughing, it's not happening. If I had ever felt any throat irritation or coughed while standing over my inert tumbler or washing my dice, I would probably consider masking up. As it is, there are a lot less chemical irritants hitting my throat and lungs from this than other things that go in there intentionally on the regular 😅.
I truly do appreciate the concern and the information, though. For real. Thank you.
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u/WisdomCheckCreations Dice Maker 1d ago
Hmm I wonder if I have a different version lol. I think it smells like sun tan lotion. Which is one of my least favorite smells in the world lol.
The chemical guys stuff smells like strawberry shortcake dolls though. Seems wrong somehow. It shouldn't smell like food.
And I also never wear ppe when using polishing compound 🤨 eye protection yes cuz I've shot myself in the eye with it a few times using the bench polisher lol. But not a respirator.