Saber Building Hazards

[Spencer_P]

The purpose of this thread is to bring various health hazards of saber building to people's attention, as well to provide a place to discuss such hazards.

Many forum members are probably already aware of many of the dangers associated with the construction of our favorite sci-fi weapons, but there may be some hazards yet to be brought to light for some people.

Glue fumes
Don't breath 'em. They tend to cause harm. Also, it's a good idea not to get glue on your hands.

Paint fumes
Try not to breath these either. I don't know how much of the fumes you have to breath in order for them to be really hazardous . . . perhaps someone with more knowledge of paint can expand on this subject. It's also good to avoid getting wet paint on your hands, I believe.

Chrome
Inhaled chrome dust, or at least some types of it, is actually a carcinogen. http://www.epa.gov/ttn/atw/hlthef/chromium.html . Therefore, it would be wise to take proper precautions before sanding the finish off that chromed sinktube to get to the brass beneath. As for myself, I think I'll just start buying brass tubes off Online Metals when I need a gold saber.

Silicone o-rings
I think there are some o-rings out there with little cancer warning labels on their packages. I also heard something about FDA approved silicone being cured with platinum, as opposed to tin. Perhaps the carcinogenic o-rings were cured with tin (which contains lead, a carcinogen).

Polywashers
Same as the o-rings, some of them have cancer warnings on their packages.

If anyone has anything else to add, they're welcome to do so.

[Dregan]

Solder/iron burns.

Yeaaahhhhhhhh....

[Jonitus]

I will chime in here, since this falls in my area of professional specialty. When I am not building sabers, I am a safety professional for a large research university, so I am technically proficient enough to speak on the safety aspects of our hobby.

If you want to get down to brass tacks, then each of us should have at minimum, a half-face respirator with HEPA and VOC cartridges installed to keep us from fumes and vapors and dusts. This would entail having a pulmonary function test and a respirator fit test, as well as training on an annual basis.

Simply put, for the time we are exposed to these hazards, there is really little concern. Large manufacturers need to worry about this, not you and I who are spraying a single MHS piece or buffing the nickel finish on a sinktube.

Let's all just use a bit of common sense and not huff paint or vapors for the fun of it, eh? If you're going to paint, do it outside. If you're polishing, make sure you have some fresh air coming in or at least circulate the air. If you're soldering, keep your face out of the fumes and have some fresh air. Don't use screwdrivers like prybars, and be careful in your application of the BFH-9000.

Back to your regularly scheduled programming...

[Lord Maul]

solder fumes can be dangerous as well

if you use just the standard 60/40% lead/tin solder, then only solder in a well ventilated area (not your bedroom )

[Madcow]

This should be a no-brainer for all of us but sadly it's not...

Safety goggles/glasses!!!

Dremmel, drill, saw, hand file, pliers, even solder can lead to a life changing eye injury - don't go there.

MC

[ti-el_terall]

This should be a no-brainer for all of us but sadly it's not...

Safety goggles/glasses!!!

Dremmel, drill, saw, hand file, pliers, even solder can lead to a life changing eye injury - don't go there.

MC

Cant say this enough! I had a very close call with a broken disk that flew and cut open my eye brow, half an ich closer would have been my eye.

Also, make sure you turn off and unplug tools once your done, I had my dremel plugged in and my cat knocked it down, never seen her run so fast

[Jedi-Loreen]

Also, make sure you wash your hands thoroughly after you handle solder. It's not just a breathing hazard, you don't want to ingest any lead by getting it in your mouth from it being on your fingers.

[Hasid Lafre]

well Iamnot sure if this tool even applys for saber builders but I seen one on tv a guy was using a grinder and it skipted up to his face and took a tooth out.

So becarefull with your tools.

[goldsaberwarrior]

Be sure the drill bit you're using, if you have to use one, is the right one for your tool. This being so you don't try to drill a hole in a piece of tube and drill bit fly off and well... need I say more. Never heard of that happening but probably can.

[Hasid Lafre]

Oh and when looking for drill bits besure your using the right bit for the material your using, also look for the bits that have a flat spot on the shank. will help keep it from spinning in the drill and getting fused to the metal your drilling it. Its happened to me when I used to build semi trailers but the bits I had were constintly resharpened when there not the type that can be resharpened for the work I was doing.

So make sure to get a good quality bit set.