Does anyone know what the health hazards are for dust created by trimming graphite or tubular glass blanks. Specifically trimming the butt ends with a high speed abrasive chop saw.

I wear an N95 dust mask and have the dust collector duct by the chop saw while cutting - and I realize that any dust is not good. What I am really looking for is if the dust is cancerous or has specific health hazards.

Thanks!

Thanks - Marc

Keep it simple - that's all I can handle!

The amount we'd be talking about from a cutting a few blanks isn't likely to hurt you. I'm sure that somewhere somebody has done a study and found that constant inhalation or extremely copious amounts would cause cancer. I know that some rods I've seen carry a warning that the State of California has found that "this product has been found to contain a product that can cause cancer in laboratory animals."


............

You could try to do an internet search for MSDS (Material Safety Data Sheets) for graphite and fiberglass. There might be something there about health concerns and exposure.

Thanks Tom - I probably trim 5-6 musky rod butts a week. I guess that would be pretty low compared to an occupational level.

Thanks - Marc

Keep it simple - that's all I can handle!

The N95 dust mask should go a long way to reducing your risk.

This link may help with your research

[www.2spi.com]

[www.osha.gov]
You might find this interesting. Maybe not.
Bill

Thanks for your replies guys - I appreciate it! I think I am going to get a wet tile saw for blank trims to controll dust better.

I'd appreciate any other info anyone comes accross, but so far it does not look like there is anything too dangerous here.

Thanks - Marc

Keep it simple - that's all I can handle!

Marc,

A fan strong blowing away from you works pretty well, I use one when cutting.

DR

CHEAP ME!! I would use a spray bottle with water and some liquid Dawn dish soap. About 1/4 cup of liquid dDawn to a gallon of water is what asbestos abatement companies use to control fugitive fibers in the workplace. I know that works during abatement processes & it should work fine on cutting the occaisional carbon fiber blank.
I do OSHA compliance air monitoring and you would have such a short exposure as a rod builder when cutting the ocaisional blank, you couldn't even quantify an exposure.
However, if you were spending 8 hours a day, day after day continuously cutting blanks---that is a horse of a different breed and color.
Duane's method would work great. That is what I use when casting lead bullets and/or sinkers, etc. And Lead is much more hazardous.
Bill

Thanks DR and Bill!

Bill - since you have a lot of experience on this one more specific question. I trim the butts on about 6 heavy wall musky blanks a week - would you still call this really low exposure? I always wear my N95 mask and use the dust collector.

Thanks - Marc

Keep it simple - that's all I can handle!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/29/2012 10:30PM by Marc Morrone.

Marc,
If you don't already; put a dust collector around the exit of your abrasive wheel and run it into your shop vacuum.
Even though this dust collector will not collect all of the dust, it will collect about 80% of the dust with a good collector design and vacuum. (I am assuming that you have an excllent filter on the shop vacuum that you use as well.)
Then, put a pair of fans on each side of you that blow from the sides of the bench to the dust collector to keep the remaining 10% of the dust back into the vacuum collector.

Be safe
Roger

Marc,
Any respirable particulates, regaredless of type should be avoided. My training indicates that the larger the particulate is, the less hazardous it is. That is, for healthy individuals without respiratory of immune problems. Anyone who smokes is at a much magnified risk. The normal response is for the lungs to secrete mucus that is expelled (can you say cough & spit) along with the particulates.
Personally, I don't regard the N-95 a suitable respirator. A negative pressure respirator should be tightly sealed to the face to be effective. Facial hair can prevent this. It is impossible to seal a N-95 to the face.
Short answer -- Use a mist of ammended water, continue to use your dust collector and blow a fan from behind you and worry about guide spacings or what the weather will be in December.
I really don't think the normal healthy individual has very much risk with only six minutes exposure in 40 hours (2400 minutes) a week. I doubt your exposure would ever get anywhere near the "detection limit".
Bill

Huge thank you Bill for sharing your expertiese on this - puts my mind at ease a lot. I will improve my set up and respirator, but I will also be a lot more at ease.

Thanks - Marc

Keep it simple - that's all I can handle!