Non toxic coolant

rwm said:
As long as your Check Liver Light is not on, you are OK.
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THE LIVER IS EVIL AND MUST BE PUNISHED!


A phrase once chanted around the camp fire in a galaxy long ago and far away.

Well, OK, not that long ago.
 
But MEK is not that bad. It's a gentle metabolic process to break it down. The reason it disappeared recently is due to sVOC crackdowns from the EPA. Evaporative emissions cause acid rain and red/brown hazy smog on sunny days. Most solvents are lost completely to the atmosphere.

I'd rather breathe MEK vapor than oil smoke off the lathe, at least that's what my liver tells me. And my Casarrett & Doull's.
 
pontiac428 said:
But MEK is not that bad. It's a gentle metabolic process to break it down. The reason it disappeared recently is due to sVOC crackdowns from the EPA. Evaporative emissions cause acid rain and red/brown hazy smog on sunny days. Most solvents are lost completely to the atmosphere.

I'd rather breathe MEK vapor than oil smoke off the lathe, at least that's what my liver tells me. And my Casarrett & Doull's.
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That’s not what I was thinking of then.

The catalyst for fiberglass resin MEKP is what I was thinking.
 
The MEK I was breathing was from the Stits airplane covering process. It seems like you're pouring on gallons at a time. Is it something you developer allergy like reactions to? 'Cause I feel it for a couple days after if I get around it now.

And I definitely agree that the lathe smoke is just nasty. Especially if you're using anything with sulfur. I keep thinking about how to set up a bathroom vent fan near enough to the cut section to make a difference. Being next to the handles while the smoke is being generated means you're not breathing what is in the shop. The nasties are concentrated at that one spot.
 
Shotgun said:
The MEK I was breathing was from the Stits airplane covering process. It seems like you're pouring on gallons at a time. Is it something you developer allergy like reactions to? 'Cause I feel it for a couple days after if I get around it now.

And I definitely agree that the lathe smoke is just nasty. Especially if you're using anything with sulfur. I keep thinking about how to set up a bathroom vent fan near enough to the cut section to make a difference. Being next to the handles while the smoke is being generated means you're not breathing what is in the shop. The nasties are concentrated at that one spot.
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I’m fortunate to have a radon system running through the basement shop.

I tapped into it last year for a dust collection system that didn’t pan out, so all I need to do is run some pipe to ver to where the lathe/mill are and……. Instant ventilation.
 
MEKP doesn't get into the air, so it is probably not that. It is an irritant to skin, eyes, nose, and throat. MEKP is mixed with phthalates to reduce sensitivity to shock because it is explosive, which have long-term effects but aren't known for acute effects. I made MEKP's little brother, acetone peroxide, in a mason jar in my garage in 10th grade using commercial hair bleach, acetone, and a few drops of sulfuric acid to initiate the reaction. Highly explosive stuff, shock sensitive and unstable. Maybe I should have added phthalate, but it wouldn't have been any fun.

I don't like resins myself, they give me a headache. Most non-isocyanate 2-component paints and epoxies are considered safe when used with natural ventilation. So many additives to modify their properties, it's hard to say what set you off.
 
Shotgun said:
There is the "home shop atmosphere", then there is the air that you're breathing while turning the cranks as you try to hit the number.

Don't get me wrong. I've sniffed enough MEK to kill multiple livers, but the more I live the less I want to sniff "stuff".
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I still rue the time as an aircraft mechanic we sloshed it around like water. Ignorant kids . . .
 
RaisedByWolves said:
If you’re referring to the drill-press incident it initially smelled and burnt my eyes just like CA glue fumes.
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Was that a top coat resin product? When epoxies are advertised as being clear and UV resistant, they have acrylic in them, which would explain the smell and burning eyes.
 
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