27 replies to this topic

[panelbeaterpeter]

I painted for 3 years solid using a cartridge mask, mainly due to everyone else using one and being ill informed at the time. I now get pains in my shoulders whenever I smell 2K and feel ill if I inhale alot of it. I'm only 23, god knows what I would be like if I carried on using a cartridge. The chances are you would be ok spraying one car, but some people are more severely affected by it than others, people have been known to drop dead straight away, needless to say, it's not worth taking the risk. You need the same size compressor to run an air fed as you do a gravity fed gun, so yeah, either another compressor or one twice the size.

[The Matt]

I think that the key thing here is to follow the advice and regulations, we really don't want to be giving out bad advice on the forum. It's not a subject I know a great deal about, however I think the scuba equipment idea is probably a bad one as it's not designed for the purpose IMO.

At the end of the day, opinions are one thing, but advice about health risks etc. should be considered carefully.

[dave20046]

^^^^ there is the problem....an average home compressor wont have the oomf to power a gun and a mask together.

Know anyone who does scuba diving? a bottle of clean air and a nice tight-fitting mask. Could be ideal.


As for the dangers..well, I have sprayed 2-pack without an airfed mask and Im still alive. Does this make it ok? Well, its up to you to decide. I used an organic filter mask (iirc) and did the painting in a fairly large open shed, so not too much concentration of fumes/spray. I wore an all-in-one boilersuit, gloves, hat and eye goggles so almost no skin was exposed. I sprayed each coat, then went outside and left it to dry, minimising my exposure.

No doubt the experts will be along to tell me how silly I was, but I weighed up the risks and made my choice. IN MY OPINION spraying one car isnt going to kill you, as long as you take reasonable precautions. The toxins involved in 2-pack paint are cumulative....that means they never leave your body, so the more you paint, the more toxins you will accumulate untill they start causing you problems.

Ive done it, and I personally know several people who have done it too, with no ill effects.
Its up to you to decide.

Thanks for the advice. I think I'll get away with using a cartridge mask just for the engine bay or I might rent a airfed mask set up depending on prices. Once I've done the engine bay I can always pop the engine in and take it to a pro. Or I might risk it/buy the equipment as I'm actually thinking of doing a bit more spraying in the future if I take to it.
I do actually know a couple of sprayers who didn't use air fed masks and early this year they both have been in hospital with throat cancer

[dave20046]

I painted for 3 years solid using a cartridge mask, mainly due to everyone else using one and being ill informed at the time. I now get pains in my shoulders whenever I smell 2K and feel ill if I inhale alot of it. I'm only 23, god knows what I would be like if I carried on using a cartridge. The chances are you would be ok spraying one car, but some people are more severely affected by it than others, people have been known to drop dead straight away, needless to say, it's not worth taking the risk. You need the same size compressor to run an air fed as you do a gravity fed gun, so yeah, either another compressor or one twice the size.

There's no way I have the room/ money for another compressor that size. That pain in your shoulders doesn't sound good mate, your lungs spread suprisingly far up your chest into the shoulder area I also get pains like that, it's not nice.

[panelbeaterpeter]

I do actually know a couple of sprayers who didn't use air fed masks and early this year they both have been in hospital with throat cancer

Says it all!

[dave20046]

I do actually know a couple of sprayers who didn't use air fed masks and early this year they both have been in hospital with throat cancer

Says it all!

Oooh don't say that I'd almost decided to gamble it (on the engine bay at least) it's just weighing up whether they got it from cumulative exposure (so much building up) or whether it only takes the once and it just took 10 years to develop.
It's really not nice one of the blokes is still at it even with bits removed from his throat and tongue because he has no option than to being self employed with a wife to support. As far as I'm aware he's still not using air fed though

[panelbeaterpeter]

Well he's an idiot. It's really not worth taking the risk mate, even for a short period of time.

[Shifty]

Yup, I've just bought a new full face air fed mask, I was using a half face mask but still had problems with that.

I was painting my mx5 and about 1/2 later started coughing my guts up, binned the half mask.

The proper gear is an investment and you only get 1 set of lungs!!

[sway]

Listen to PBP! IT IS NOT WORTH THE RISK.
Would you drink a cup of tea that someone had put a dose of cyanide in?

As Peter says above, everyones tolerance is different, some people may get away with it for a while, some people have DROPPED DEAD after ONE exposure. To say nothing of the long term effects that you ultimately may have to endure. It affects the nervous system and that is irreperable. Look back to the sixties when people were ignorant of the dangers of asbestos and then fast forward and look at the same people today. It ain't pretty.

Its not just inhaling the stuff either, though that is the primary concern. It also gets absorbed through mucous membranes, eyes mouth etc and even through exposed skin.

Its all round thoroughly nasty stuff.

For the love of Gods, DON'T TAKE THE RISK!

[Shifty]

Yup, well said sway!!

Don't risk it, its not worth it.

[photographymatt]

Its these things that are the nastyiest. I mean you put your hand into fire, instant effect and you know its going to hurt. You can walk into the wrong room and you will breath in the wrong particle...ten years later, lung callopses.

[Senile Old Git]

The proper gear is an investment and you only get 1 set of lungs!!

& there are no lungs available on E bay either!

[camp freddy]

found these same as de-vilbis but cheaper

http://cgi.ebay.co.u...id=p3286.c0.m14

http://cgi.ebay.co.u...id=p3286.c0.m14