Wear Your Dust Masks

[shtoink]

This may not come as much of a surprise to many, but is still worth bringing up.

After some chatting about leather dust created on projects with some of the regulars in the chat room a little while back, I couldn't get it out of my head. There was one thing that kept nagging my mind and I finally decided to put some research into it. It didn't take long to find and I was a bit surprised at just how serious a matter it has the potential to be. It's the possibility of nasal and lung cancer from exposure to the carcinogens in the dust created from sanding, grinding, and buffing leather.

The solution is a simple one: Dust masks.

During my searches, it was mentioned on one site that there was about 10 times fewer articles on leather crafting hazards than wood working hazards. That should not be much of a surprise, though. There aren't as many people working with leather as there are with wood.

I know that I am guilty of failing to observe the use of dust masks and many an occasion, I just had no idea just how risky it actually was. As with everything else carcinogenic, it may or may not affect you quickly. There are plenty of smokers out there who never develop a smoking related cancer after 40+ years at it, but on the opposite end of the spectrum there are those that develop a cancer within a few years of starting. Bottom line, you just never know if and when it can happen, but it can't hurt to err on the side of caution and wear some protective gear when you do things that put you at risk for these sorts of things.

This isn't scare tactic of any type. I'm not trying to make anyone stop messing with their leather or prevent anyone from starting. I just wanted to bring the potential risk, and a solution, to the attention of those that may not know. Dust masks are the way to go.

If you'd like to read a little more information on the subject, I have a link here and here. The other option is to use my original search terms and look around for yourself. "leather dust carcinogen"

Once again, this isn't to scare anyone, only educate with the risks and provide a solution for prevention.

[immiketoo]

Good post Oink. I have a respirator I use for gluing and it will be getting more use.

[George B]

Never really thought about it much, but it is definitely time to dust off the old dust mask. Thanks!

[conceptdiba]

Good post Oink. I have a respirator I use for gluing and it will be getting more use.

Could you please recommend one for me? I use leather glues a LOT. I really should be more proactive and get some sort of respiratory protection, but I'm not really sure what it is I should get exactly.

[immiketoo]

anything by 3M that is rated for VAPOR will be fine.

[Anacott Steel]

Having just airbrushed a piece and feeling light headed as I stupidly was using a t-shirt as a respirator mask, your post reminded me of a great post in this forum about how just toxic dies can be - particularly the oil based ones if I recall.

Guess health and safety is usually front of mind when we are using tools but not so when it comes to inhaling potentially damaging chemicals, so thanks or the heads up / reminder Oink.

[billymac814]

It's sounds simple enough to wear a dust mask but how many of us will wear one all day long? It is a serious issue and one I've been trying to solve but I'm guilty of not taking safety precautions. I do have a vacuum system attached to my sander so that helps although its very old and not as effecient as newer models and I recently bought a bench top spray booth for air brushing and spraying chemicals but I still have the glue to deal with. I've looked at fume busters but they are very expensive, 3-4k. I will likely be building my own soon, it will be similar to a downdraft sanding table that will suck the fumes down and then outside, Im going to build it right into a section of my work bench where i do most of my glueing and it should be comparable to the commercially available fumebusters, you can see examples of them on Shoe Systems Plus website if anyone wants to see, they are pretty simple in design. I did use a respirator while spraying before I got the booth but not for glueing.

My family spends a lot of time near my shop which is the main reason why I'm trying to improve the safety of the shop space. My customers always come in and say "I love the smell in here" and its not leather, they are smelling glue fumes more than the leather.

[immiketoo]

I made a surprisingly effective spray booth out of a clear plastic tote, a home furnace filter and a shop vac. It works incredibly well for airbrushing, but I haven't tried glue fumes due to the highly flammable nature of them. Cut a hole the size of your vac hose in the bottom of the side of the tote, with it oriented with the open top towards you. Stick the hose in the hole, put the filter in front of the hose and turn it on. I don't even put my mask on anymore when I airbrush, it works so well. It's not permanent and I have to move it every time I want my bench space back, but I can fill it up with stuff and put the lid on it. And it cost all of 11 bucks since I had the other stuff.

[billymac814]

Very good idea. My spray booth is basically a very similar design in the way it works. Its a large metal box with a filter and a squirrel type cage/motor type thing. I vented mine outside as well with flexible hose similar to dryer hose vents. I picked mine up at an auction for I think 5 bucks. No one else had an interest in it or maybe they didn't know what it was.

As for glue fumes I think you'd want it to be similar to that but have it sucking down instead of towards the back, that is how the ones that are designed for that are made. The plus to that is its basically a work bench but its either mesh or maybe even something like peg board would work. Here is the issue of flammable things so you'd want to make sure that you use the correct type of motor/ blower type thing. I believe a squirrel cage is what you'd want since the motor is outside of the area that the fumes travel in. Its my goal for this year to have something in place to get rid of the glue fumes.

[Micrez]

How about when skiving leather?

Or cutting leather in general?

Would this only be for fine particles?

I've been working with leather for about a year and didn't think twice about it. Till about two months ago when I was searching for alternative glues to use other than Barge.

[Dumfist]

How about when skiving leather?

Or cutting leather in general?

Would this only be for fine particles?

I've been working with leather for about a year and didn't think twice about it. Till about two months ago when I was searching for alternative glues to use other than Barge.

I'd imagine you'd only need a dust mask for fine airborne particles. Like any sanding, sanding leather can create tiny little paricles that can be inhaled as they float in the air. Leather being a natural product, it will biodegrade over time, so it's not as bad as say asbestos or even wood dust, but I don't know about the things that are in it from the tanning process.

Fumes are another story. I kinda like the smell of barge cement, and it's cheaper than booze

Edited March 26, 2014 by Dumfist

[immiketoo]

Dumfist, I hope you're playing because a buddy of mine just went to the doctor after injuring his lungs using that stuff. Absolutely nasty, but good glue.

[WScott]

I am stupid about airborne hazzards as well

I just finished spraying in the shop with an unventilated make shift spray booth of cardboard and no 3M mask or canister respirator.

I did put the air filter machine on and ran it for an hour after I would be done.

Hey, it will just be a quick spray, I will be ok. I do the same stupidity woodworking.

Things that don't kill us immediately are deemed ok...smoking, excessive drinking, drugs, fumes, sunburns.

Cancer is a slow growing process often caused by repetitive irritations/ exposures that force changes to skin cells.

If it developed on the first exposure to something we would freak out and avoid the activity and ban it all together.

Thanks for the reminder, will try to be more careful, especially when my kids around

[Dumfist]

Dumfist, I hope you're playing because a buddy of mine just went to the doctor after injuring his lungs using that stuff. Absolutely nasty, but good glue.

Mostly playing. Perhaps in bad taste considering the apparent seriousness of this thread.

I honestly don't mind the smell, but I know if I'm going to be exposed to it for a while to ventilate the area.

Then again, I also like the smell of gasoline. I've never used or abused inhalants, either, I'm just talking about my nose not being offended.

[needles]

i have been working with various chemicals, for cleaning and stripping finishes off leather etc for years, uptill today i have used disposable masks, when i could be bothered.... friday last i spent the second day that week using high vapour chemicals in a very well ventilated room, on friday night through saturday it effected me unlike before, raging head ache felt sick, a little short breath, dizzy irratable, etc etc....... it has now worn off, but has got to be down to not using effective protection.

i have today now ordered a proper dust and acid/chemical vapour filtrating mask.....

time will tell if any problems present themselves can only just hope it doesn't, but my fault if it does........

next week onwards, any chemicals including glue, its put on the mask......

[Northmount]

Ordinary disposable paper masks don't do any good for volatile chemicals. And the leakage around the "seal" at the nose severely reduces their effectiveness for dust. For dust, at least get the type with an exhale valve.

Get a proper respirator type mask with cartridges labeled for organic vapors, or just dust if you are sanding or such. Note that the cartridges for organics must be kept in a sealed container when not in use, else the activated charcoal will be used up next time you want to use it. As soon as you start to smell the vapors through your mask, it is time to change cartridges.

For exhaust fans, look at where the motor is in relation to the stream of flammable vapors your are disposing of. If the motor is in open "fresh" air, any type of motor is suitable. If the motor is in the exhaust stream, or in the spray booth, make sure it doesn't have any arcing contacts like most motors with a starting winding. Or use an explosion proof motor if it does. Shaded pole induction motors don't have a starting winding, and no internal arcing contacts. Most bathroom and kitchen exhaust fans are shaded pole motors.

Tom