3d printing, resins and health

[Darkest Star Games]

With home printing becoming more prevalent I am sure there are people out there that may be encountering health issues related to resin exposure.  I myself have developed issues due to skin exposure, and let me tell you it is BAD!  I have mostly used the classic Anycubic Grey as it gave me the best results with my Epax 1x.  It is very odoriferous, and of course very messy having to be very thoroughly cleaned if it gets anywhere it isn’t supposed to be.

For me, the issues from physical exposure take a day or 2 to set in.  It begins with my fingers tingling as though they are asleep, then moves to them swelling and feeling very tight, hampering bending.  Then the pain begins and deep bruising appears, followed by the skin peeling from the inside out (bottom layers first).  I know this sounds disgusting, and it sort of is, though there is no oozing or the like.  As they heal the tingling begins to fade and 3 weeks after exposure things are mostly normal.  Some tingling/neuropathy has remained and I feel there is also a cognitive component that goes with the healing cycle.

It took me 3 reaction over the course of a just more than year to figure out what was causing it because there are other things that could have induced the reaction, such as pulling weeds and vines and having Poison Sumac soak through the gloves.

This week I finally got a line on a resin that a lot of people have said causes them no issues, the Eco-Resin from Anycubic.  I gave it a test run the other day, double gloved and with a sleeved apron on just in case.  Next day my hands started to tingle just a little and suddenly lost grip strength and could fully ball, as if they were over fatigued from heavy work.  Today (day 3) they are much better, and no pain.  The only thing I can figure is that I did get a good whiff when I first poured the resin into the tank, so maybe just inhaling it has an effect as well.  Time to buy a gas mask!

Have any of you, or people you know, had any issues with 3d printing and resins?

"I saw this in a cartoon once, but I'm pretty sure I can do it..."

[willz]

This any good. https://salvagesecretsblog.com/what-kind-of-respirator-do-i-need-for-epoxy-resin/#:~:text=There%20are%20a%20few%20different%20types%20of%20respirators,gas%20mask%20to%20protect%20your%20lungs%20from%20fumes.

https://www.mostcraft.com/best-paint-respirators-fumes/

Oh and don’t forget gloves.

[Not Connard Sage]

If you’re going to buy a respirator, get the correct filters. The 3M website gives the details of all of their filter cartridges, and there’s a downloadable pdf.

Don’t bother with disposable gloves, get some lab gloves. Like these
https://www.safetygloves.co.uk/polyco-nitri-tech-iii-chemical-resistant-gloves.html

and

WEAR SAFETY GLASSES

Obvious contrarian and passive aggressive old prat, who is taken far too seriously by some and not seriously enough by others.

[Darkest Star Games]

Ya, after I figured out hat was going on i started wearing latex over nitrile disposable gloves, and that seemed to work.  Thank you guys for the suggestions, going to get that mask pronto.

 

"I saw this in a cartoon once, but I'm pretty sure I can do it..."

[willz]

Whilst in the RN one of my jobs was chemical, biological and nuclear training instructor.  so if you want I could build you a complete clean citadel and provide the training in clean routines but be warned it would involve me waking you up at 0300 to do a cleansing exercise😃👀.

[Steve Johnson]

For the filters for the face mask, you need the ones rated ABEK1, which will cover you as that’s what we used to use at work. Two layers of Nitrile gloves are a must IMHO, in case one glove splits. Eye protection an absolute must too. If you can, have doors and windows open when loading the machine, processing parts etc to minimise the build up of fumes.

[OldBen1]

As I buy quite a few larger resin pieces from you, I must salute you!  Talk about putting yourself in harm’s way for the hobby.  Thank you!

[Deleted User]

Haven’t had any health issues so far but I’ve only had the printer for about a year. How long after using the printer before your reaction started?

I have a little ritual where I have my fingers and parts of my hands under UV lamp for 1-2 minutes as I cure the print, then wash my hands. Don’t know if this affects it at all but despite any gloves I wear I get resin on my skin anyway especially when taking said gloves off.

I guess I’ll have to hold my breath when I handle resin form now on.

[Darkest Star Games]

OldBen1 wrote:

As I buy quite a few larger resin pieces from you, I must salute you!  Talk about putting yourself in harm’s way for the hobby.  Thank you!

  I appreciate it.  Lucky for you the production resin is totally different stuff!  The printing i do at home is mostly for personal projects but also test masters for new product before I send out to a high-end printer for the real master.

Deleted User wrote:

How long after using the printer before your reaction started?

  The reactions started to happen next day, so say 24hours later?  I didn’t have issues for over a year, then they started up probably after I had put my fingers into the vat without gloves in order to pickout some flotsam so I could keep printing without straining out the pool.  Just dumb move on my part.

Made several (failed) prints over the weekend and no reactions yet.  Hopefully we’ve cracked the code on safety measures for me.  (I mean, it was actually all common sense, I’m just too dense to have followed it!)

"I saw this in a cartoon once, but I'm pretty sure I can do it..."

[Kitfox]

Just remember that respirators of any sort are only effective if they fit properly and this can be difficult if you have facial hair (or stubble) which can affect the seal between the face and the rubber of the mask.  It’s also important to check the and replace the filter regularly as they can become saturated without warning, if you start to smell solvent / resin it’s past time to replace the filter.

I’d tend to recommend sticking to nitrile gloves where possible as latex are a known skin sensitiser and can cause sever allergic reactions with prolonged exposure (you may need to check the breakthrough times for different glove types though to be sure you pick the right ones for the substances being used.)  Double-gloving may be advisable and if possible use two different colours of glove to make it a little easier to spot tears and holes.  Also remember that disposable gloves are splash-proof on a good day and for the most part should be removed and replaced when they become contaminated, if you’re fishing round in reservoirs, tongs are probably a better bet.

I’d also strongly recommend taking a look at the Safety Data Sheet for your resins and solvents, they can be awkward to read until you’re used to them but do provide a lot of excellent safety information and legally they should be supplied along with any chemical purchased.  In particular keep and eye out for substances listed as skin and respiratory sensitisers which can over time lead to exposed individuals becoming hypersensitive and starting to react to any exposure to the material.  Where this is the case it’s best to take additional precautions to avoid developing the sensitivity in the first place.

Death to all fanatics!

[Deleted User]

Read your original post again, sounds like Eco-resin is less toxic, I might give it a try.
I’ve been using EPAX water washable resin and haven’t had iritation issue so it’s another you could try out.

[Les Hammond]

I think I’ll just stick to buying lead figures…

6mm France 1940

http://les1940.blogspot.co.uk/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/386297688467965/

[John Treadaway]

You do sound like you’ve really been through it with the printer: I had no idea. Gosh it sounds awaful. You have my greatest sympathy matey

John Treadaway

www.hammers-slammers.com
http://www.hammers-slammers.com

"They don't have to like us, snake, they just have t' make the payment schedule" Lt Cooter - Hammer's Slammers

[Fred B]

Sorry to hear about your experiences.

I was thinking on and off about getting a resin printer for the last few years, but safety concerns are my biggest stopping point. After reading your story I think I will wait a bit longer. Not only I wouldn’t have a dedicated place for it, I would have to print in a bedroom (I live in an apartment) so I would have the lingering vapors to deal with on top of skin exposure.

I’m kinda hopeful for this new kind of resin printing solution that prints inside a transparent container as developed by UC Berkeley. The technology will be open sourced later this year according to one of the authors so I hope consumer grade printers will follow shortly. I fell like this would be much safer, as it would limit exposure to resin. In my “pie in the sky” version of that product we would never need to pour the resin, just buy it in a transparent container, remove prints with some tongs and just pop the resin container back and print again.

[irishserb]

I seriously appreciate everyone for sharing the info above.  Very good to know.  I’v never experienced any problems from any of the materials or chemicals used in model building and miniatures, so this would have scared the crap out of me.  Again, many thanks, and please take care of yourselves.

[Who Asked This Joker]

From what I gathered from what you’ve said, you are having an allergic reaction to the resin.  I say this because you compare it to poison sumac/ivy.  Most people have allergic reactions to those in some form.   That certainly explains why many people do not react as severely or at all.  If you think that breathing it in is causing your reactions, by all means, get a breather mask!  You might also try an experiment with an N95 mask.

John

"Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man's character, give him power."

--Abraham Lincoln

[Mike]

On the flip side, no issues in terms of adverse reactions here.
Though it does stink to high heaven and is noisy.

[Not Connard Sage]

Stop panicking!

I’ll reiterate:

Wear lab gloves*, eye protection and a respirator with appropriate filter. Work in a well ventilated space. A garage or outbuilding if possible.

Consider an air purifier, with activated charcoal filters.
The main hazards are contact dermatitis, and sensitivity due to exposure. The above PPE will mitigate these hazards.
Don’t eat or drink when using the printer.
Dispose of waste properly.

Buy several rolls of paper towels. I use these, because I get them free 🙂 https://www.screwfix.com/p/paper-roll-blue-2-ply-185mm-x-150m-6-pack/148jj

When resin’s properly cured it’s fairly safe. Just don’t eat it.

Plant based resin is still toxic, but contains no VOCs (allegedly) so sensitivity from breathing fumes shouldn’t be a problem.

There are other things you probably use that are just as hazardous. You don’t want to see the COSHH sheets for VOCs like polystyrene cement.

*not disposable gloves, too easy to tear/are porous.

 

Obvious contrarian and passive aggressive old prat, who is taken far too seriously by some and not seriously enough by others.

[Not Connard Sage]

Also, use water washable resin. It cuts out the use of another potentially hazardous chemical – IPA, and contains fewer VOCs.

Obvious contrarian and passive aggressive old prat, who is taken far too seriously by some and not seriously enough by others.

[Darkest Star Games]

I’ve run some more prints recently using the Anycubic Eco resin, and no further issues (so far).  My garage has gotten mighty hot (it is summer in Texas after all) so I will probably not be printing anymore for a while as the temps will be well over the resin’s “use” temp and I’m not about to print in the house again.  Maybe when the girls move out for college later this summer I can set up a temporary printing suite in one of their rooms with a dedicated exhaust to outside like I used to do when using rattlecans in an apartment.

The continuing tingle in my finger tips is still annoying, but hasn’t effected my drumming (nor is it irritated by it) so there’s that at least.  I’ll be talking to a neurologist and nerve specialist in a couple of weeks to see if there’s any way or repairing this issue.  I doubt it, but we will see.

"I saw this in a cartoon once, but I'm pretty sure I can do it..."

[Author]

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