# Acrylic Blank Fumes!



## badvlad1 (Jun 8, 2008)

I've made a few acrylic pens and though they turn out nicely they stink up my whole shop.  Even my shop vac stinks now.  Do all plastic blanks stink or do some types give off less fumes?  Am I getting the blank too hot during turning and burning the chips?  Any suggestions or should I just stick with wood?[xx(]


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## Russianwolf (Jun 8, 2008)

Every one I've ever turned smelled like plastic. I'm thinking it has to do with the heat generated during turning. I don't think it's possible to turn without any heat as any cut is going to gereate some friction no matter how sharp the tool.

But nice sharp tools and lite cuts will keep it down.


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## ElMostro (Jun 8, 2008)

Turn Alumilite, your nose will love you for it.


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## Jarheaded (Jun 8, 2008)

> _Originally posted by ElMostro_
> 
> Turn Alumilite, your nose will love you for it.


I have to agree completly with you on this. I won't even turn any other without the shop doors open and the fans cranking. We can even make our blanks inside our homes without anyone noticing.


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## txbatons (Jun 8, 2008)

I've noticed that the newest acrylics (Berea) don't stink as bad as the older ones do. I don't know if there's anything to it other than just the ones I've worked with, but I don't get a headache as bad as I used to.


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## Jarheaded (Jun 8, 2008)

Maybe your sinuses are all burnt out, brain cells collapsing in on each other, all senses starting to fail.....or you may be right.[}]

Sorry, I couldn't resist.


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## 1JaredSchmidt (Jun 8, 2008)

I never have a prob with the smell of acrylic.


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## bitshird (Jun 8, 2008)

> _Originally posted by 1JaredSchmidt_
> 
> I never have a prob with the smell of acrylic.


Jared, aren't you going to start casting soon?? pour about 8 OZ of PR like Silmar 41 and tell me about the smell, if there is any just don't do it in a closed area. [8][8][8]


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## 1JaredSchmidt (Jun 8, 2008)

LOL![8]


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## gerryr (Jun 9, 2008)

If you don't like the smell of plastic, don't even consider antler, let alone Ebonite.


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## Elliott (Jun 9, 2008)

What I have wondered is, is this smell a hazard. i.e. Carsinigentic or otherwise known to be harmful? 

Of course we use all ventilation and a respirator, but nothing is 100%. 

Thanks,
E


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## Texatdurango (Jun 9, 2008)

Actually I don't mind the fumes but my wife says I'm gonna die and hates the smell when I turn acrylic blanks and won't even come out to the shop if I'm turning them.

I worked around fiberglass and polyester resin for many many years and the odor emitted from mixing and curing resin is nothing like the odor emitted when turning the material.

I say that because I personally don't think the odor from turning is hazerdous to your health.  I think that just because something emits a strong odor, doesn't mean it's harmful to you.  I have some good friends who have lived in Vega, Texas (stockyards) all their lives and agree.


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## GoodTurns (Jun 9, 2008)

my wife will stop by the shop from time to time with a "you've been turning plastic stuff again [}]"...I don't mind the smell of the plastics nearly as much as desert ironwood!


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## woodworker (Jun 9, 2008)

It is not just the result of heat.  I put one in a small box of wood pens.  On opening the box the next day, the fumes came pouring out.  Even when I carried that thing in my top pocket, I could smell it.  Only made one and went back to turning wood.


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## Husky (Jun 9, 2008)

> _Originally posted by GoodTurns_
> 
> my wife will stop by the shop from time to time with a "you've been turning plastic stuff again [}]"...I don't mind the smell of the plastics nearly as much as desert ironwood!


I'll second that! To me, Desert Ironwood smells like an open sewer! (But I do love the look of DI on a pen though!)


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## Rudy Vey (Jun 9, 2008)

I don't mind the smell, actually I kinda like it. My better half, however, cannot stand it and stays away from the basement for the rest of the day and I get an earful when she complains about that "chemical stink". Just yesterday I cut and drilled 8 of the Penmakers blanks and the basement still was full of the scent in the morning, but tonight it is all gone.
Another tip, let the pens lay out in the open air for a day or two to "gas-out" completely. The following happened to me not too long ago. I had turned a pen for a customer and as always for custom orders, I put them immediately after I am done in one of the clear plastic tubes and put the caps on. Some three weeks later, when the customer finally picks up the pen, she took it out of the tubes and it smelled as when it was turned first. Being encapsulated in the tube kept the smell "fresh"  - she, too, was complaining, but I convinced her that the smell will be gone within a few hours, and if not, I would take the pen back - she never called back, so I guess the smell was finally gone when she made it home.


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## GBusardo (Jun 9, 2008)

This is interesting.  When I turned my first acrylic blank, the smell took me back to my JR High School days of heating plastic and shaping them into ashtrys and candle holders. I kinda enjoyed it.


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## Elliott (Jun 9, 2008)

That is funny, it took me right back to Jr. High when we cut acrylic key chains on the scroll saw. 

- E


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## GoodTurns (Jun 9, 2008)

> _Originally posted by Husky_
> 
> 
> 
> ...



these folks out in the desert laugh every time they sell us Easterners their petrified dino-dung that they call Ironwood...


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## marionquill (Jun 10, 2008)

I don't mind the smell of acrylics, actually it doesn't bother me at all. Of course, I smoked for 14 years before quitting 4.5 years ago...I think my sniffer is burned out   Well, not totally, DI makes me gag a bit.

Jason


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## nightowl (Jun 10, 2008)

When I first started turning Acrylics I felt the same way that a lot of you all do.  I thought the smell was terrible.  Now I don't notice it near as much.  What I did find to be rather annoying is when I drilled and turned my firs 'PR' pen.  Man!, did that thing ever smell.  I have only turned one, but have another blank for when I feel like braving the smell again.


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## badvlad1 (Jun 12, 2008)

Thanks for the response.  My first flaming folder post!  I did a desert iron wood pen a while back and don't remember a strong smell, maybe mine was real wood instead of the petrified dino-dung stuff.   So I guess I'm stuck with the smell if I want to do acrylics.. I'll remeber to try Alumalite when I get into casting though, I've been collecting "worthless wood" in anticipation!


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## makaiolani (Jun 12, 2008)

Just use a 3m respirator.  You won't smell anything and you can protect you lungs.


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## herbk (Jun 22, 2008)

Hello, I'm new, but wanted to add my experience.  While not minding the smell of acrylic while turning ( after a while you don't notice it) I started to develop a cough.  I didn't think anything of it, but as time and turning progress I found one night after turning an acrylic pen I had a attack or coughing and differculty breathing.  I shook it off as and allergy (pollon season). About two or three nights after I turned another acrylic pen and about 30 minutes later I almost called 911.  I then purchased a particulate and organic  vapor filter respirator and wear that when turning wood and acrylic now and no more problems.  You cannot smell the fumes if the respirator is fitted correctly. You might want to read about properly fitting the respirator so it will work correctly. The fumes in the house however, I use an exhaust fan to exhaust the fumes outside the garage (that is under my bedroom).  This has solved all the problems.  Look up acrylic and read about the possible health hazards.  Thats my input, hope it helps someone.


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