allergic reaction to glue / varnish / white spirit or something else

[bluedepot]

hi everyone

a few times recently i have had really bad allergic reactions to something ive been using.  this has caused quite bad shortness of breath, blocked nose and coughing.  each episode has lasted a few days to a week and made me feel really ill.  its not covid btw as i went and got tested!

i've narrowed it down to either:-

superglue
varnish (acrylic spray)
weathering powders
white spirit

its really annoying and puts me off doing any modelling.  anyway i have a respirator half mask and goggles so I'll have to cautiously try out using these with different suspected products.

just wondered if anyone else has experience of this and can suggest alternative products or protective equipment?


tim

[joe cassidy]

How about a fume cupboard ?

Best regards,


Joe
Ex-chemistry student.

[Southerngooner]

In the last year I have had a lot of problems with my nasal passages when making plastic wagon kits, which I didn't have before. I got a lot of phlegm, constantly blocked nose, etc. I was using Tamiya and Humbrol Poly glues plus various superglues in a relatively unventilated area. I couldn't pin down which was the problem at the time but now I have restarted making stuff I think it's the superglue. A fan helps as well to blow the fumes away.

Dave

[ntpntpntp]

Can't say I've experienced such problems, but they do always strongly recommend use such stuff in a well ventilated area.

[N_GaugeModeller]

Some super glues do fume quite badly, I find it affects my eyes more than respiratory system though, mainly because I don't breath when using it but have to see what I am doing, yes I know masks, goggles and ventilation is the answer, but where's the fun in that. Beside swmbo quite likes the idea of me breathing cyanide fumes for some reason.

NGM

[Bealman]

Yes, I would suspect the superglue. That cyanoacrylate is pretty evil stuff, and not just cos it sticks your fingers together. The fumes are bloody horrible, too.

[Simon D.]

I bought a desk fan for CA and soldering fumes: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B085DSSYNR/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Works well and has rechargeable batteries so can be placed anywhere near the job.

[bluedepot]

thanks for the replies everyone!

seems like superglue is the most likely culprit then!

i feel less short of breath today but still coughing a bit and congested. my chest and ribs feel a bit sore from coughing.

i will take a break from doing anything and then try again in a few weeks using a mask and goggles and see what happens...

thanks for the fan link. that will be useful for when im not near the window in some parts of the room where my layout is under construction.

i will try to avoid superglue as well where i can do!

cheers


tim

[AlexanderJesse]

You could check out which one is the culprit. When you are feeling ok work for some time with one single substance. If the symptoms reappear you have found one substance. Let your body calm down and try another one...

It could be more than one substance, it could be a combination. And some allergies do not appear out of tha blue, but build up slowly. For example: 100 bee stings over a period of years and no problem. Comes along the next suicidal bee (as they die after stinging...)... and zoom, with it comes the allergic reaction

[Miek]

Not one of the items listed, but I tried track cleaning with surgical spirit (with windows open and only a small amount from the bottle) and it gave me a bit of a headache, plus seemed to linger for 2 days. Not such a problem with white spirit though.

[PWayman]

Yes, definitely superglue for me also, It is a real pain as it is so often needed with no real alternative. I get by this ( sort of ) by trying to work with my arms outstretched as far as practical and the use of a fan close by. Oh! and tissue paper bunged up my nose.
    It seems OK for short jobs but I dread extended use.

[dannyboy]

I agree with what Alex @AlexanderJesse  has said, you need to know which product is causing your reaction. The only real way to do that is use just one product and see if there is a reaction. If no reaction after, say, 24 hours, try another product. Any solvent glue fumes can be problematic, so definitely use in a well ventilated area, preferably with a fan running. I also agree with what Alex says when it comes to reactions building up slowly. I have been stung a few times by wasps and each time, the reaction has been worse than the previous one. The last time, about five years ago, I was told that I had a minor anaphylactic reaction, so if it happened again, I had to get myself straight to hospital.  . If a wasp comes anywhere near me now, I slowly walk away.

[Railwaygun]

i built a paint hood from an old Cooker extractor unit ( from local skip), which I attached to the top of a large cardboard box. Add a rotating cake stand and Voila - paint spray booth!- fan & light in one unit!

then direct vent tube out of window to disperse any fumes

[silly moo]

Polystyrene or styrofoam gives off bad fumes when cut with a wire cutter or shaped with a blow torch.

I did the latter outside because of the fire risk. This railway modelling hobby of ours can be dangerous! 

[Fardap]

Extraction is the best answer as a fan just blows the fumes around the space you are in, so could build up the levels in the whole space not just over the work.

I like the cooker hood idea, had just wondered if that was a possibility and hey presto someone has done it - not sure what the noise levels would be like - another option subject to where you are would be one of those expel air ceiling vents they use in loos or bathrooms maybe?