you are here [x]: Scarlet Star Studios > the Scarlet Letters > stopmo safety - initial notes
<< before
old tech, meet new tech
after >>
no rest for the wicked
March 2, 2006
stopmo safety - initial notes
by sven at 8:11 am
[This is another long post that I made to stopmotionanimation.com. The context was a discussion about using lead wire in armatures. The person I was responding to had just written, "I've heard it works very well. I've never used it though. But don't forget, um... lead is poison!"]
Of all the poisons we're working with, lead is probably just the one with the most notorious reputation -- not necessarily the most dangerous.
You can wear gloves to avoid skin contact, and use snips to prevent creating particulates. The wire's going to be buried inside of the puppet, so the period of contact is fairly limited.
...There are many dangerously toxic materials that we're working with in puppet construction. I've been working on a full analysis of safety hazards and how to protect ourselves. I'm not done yet, but here are a few initial notes:
epoxy putty (including Milliput, Apoxie, and Magic Sculpt) - used for the armature, and sometimes for sculpting heads, etc. Epoxy putty is basically epoxy resin mixed with talc. With enough exposure over time, all people develop a sensitivity, which involves (minimally) a nasty rash. Over time, epoxy putties can cause nerve death in the fingers. Neither latex nor vinyl gloves are fully protective; nitrile gloves are recommended.
epoxy glue - used for glueing wires of armature into body parts. Same toxins as epoxy putty, but with powerful vapors. In addition to getting as much forced ventilation as you can muster, it's a good idea to wear an organic vapors respirator -- a face-mask with carbon cartridges. You can find these for about $30 at Home Depot and paint stores. I recommend 3M brand as being probably the most comfortable.
barge cement or spray glue - used for attaching cushion foam (urethane) to armature. Barge contains tuolene; I'm not sure if even an organic vapors respirator can protect you -- but I'd wear one. Most organic solvents attack carbon (hence "organic"); the cartridges basically contain charcoal -- concentrated carbon. Since spray glue also creates a cloud of floating particulates, I only ever use it outdoors.
rubbing alcohol (isopropyl) or turpenoid - used for smoothing polymer clays. These are powerful solvents which are just as happy to dissolve you as whatever you're working on. Gloves and an organic solvents respirator are recommended.
liquid latex - used for puppet skins. Liquid latex cures by releasing ammonia. In the quantities that we work with, the fumes usually aren't concentrated enough to do more than cause irritation. However, it's not a bad idea to wear safety goggles -- ammonia can cause blindness. If you do decide to use a respirator (I don't), you'll need cartridges that are specially made to deal with ammonia -- carbon filters won't help. Fortunately you can generally fit ammonia filters onto the same mask.
brass and aluminum dust - created while grinding K&S tubing or metal strips used in armatures that have removable parts. If metal dust gets into your lungs, it may be with you for life -- wear a dust mask. The ones that have a little plastic box on the front are much more comfortable to use, which will increase the chances that you'll actually wear them. Aluminum has been associated with Alzheimer's disease (technically the studies have only demonstrated this link when the aluminum is carried in water). Brass may have other metals in it that pose special dangers. ...There are concerns about how to clean up dust without putting it back into the air -- but I haven't found safety recommendations yet.
solder - used for making armatures that have removable parts. Typically solder is a combination of lead and tin, used with an acid flux ("rosin"). During soldering, all three release fumes which are toxic. One can buy a desktop fume extractor: a small desktop fan that sucks fumes through a carbon filter. I recently purchased one from xytronics via amazon.com for $64 (including shipping).
A word about ventilation: Particularly given the nasty glues we use, ventilation should a big concern. The ideal is to have air being forcibly sucked away from you, to be vented outdoors. As animators are often working in dungeon-like cellars, the ideal's probably not possible.
...But do as much as you can! With the powerful stuff, do the job outside and wear a mask. Minimally open a window. Put a fan in the window to push the air outside. Try to put your table in front of the window, so fumes don't have to go past you to escape. Personally, I've just put together a system where I've attached dryer ducting to a table-top fume extractor so I can vent fumes out the nearest window.
A few things that are relatively safe:
Polymer clay - used especially for sculpting puppet heads. Polymer clays such as Super Sculpey, Cernit, and Fimo have vinyl in them. However, these materials have recently gone through rigorous testing, and it's been proven that absorbtion through the skin is negligible. The fumes released while baking are judged to be noxious, not toxic; diluted in a normal room full of air, they shouldn't pose any harm. (Avoid taking a deep breath as you open the oven perhaps, though.) If you're sanding baked polymer clays, however, be sure to wear a dust mask.
Acrylic paints - used for painting the puppet. So long as you use good hygiene, you're pretty much OK. Do NOT put brushes in your mouth to point their tips! Avoiding getting paint on your skin is a good practice. Different pigments are based on different chemicals -- each one varies. Be particularly mindful when you're working with Cadmium Red, Cadmium Orange, and Cadmium Yellow.