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As someone who has a 3d printer running about a quarter of the time less than 10 feet away from me hearing that it could be bad for me is alarming that it could
by Hextinium 8y ago
As someone who has a 3d printer running about a quarter of the time less than 10 feet away from me hearing that it could be bad for me is alarming that it could be harming me. (Other than the lost sleep because its loud) When though of as a risk benefit analysis though I come to the strong conclusion that I will use my printer no matter what because it is the compiler to my hobby: no printer, much harder time making stuff.
I don't need to iterate on the greatness of them here but they have the potential to radically help teach people how to make stuff which drastically helps in industry.
My main concern with these articles is that there is no relative risk factor presented against. I have no idea if these particulates are something it would be worthy to invest in an enclosure or are there low levels which are permittable.
I know that I personally am much more likely to have health complications from almost anything else but to someone else reading the above article they may draw the conclusion that 3d could be dangerous and should be restricted. If a person shows up to a school board meeting throwing a fit that they are running 3d printers with children in the same room then it looks bad on the printers, possibly having them removed and to generalize I think that that is the last thing anyone wants.
Ninja edit: formating
- tinus_hn 8y agoYou could of course try for some adequate ventilation and an enclosure instead of just ignoring the issue.
- sharpneli 8y agoThis. It's not a big deal. Soldering also produces harmful fumes and as long as you ventilate properly it's not a big deal. Just do an image search for "solder ventilation" for ideas on how to do it. Regardless of this I kinda do understand the motivation to ignore the issue. People are afraid that there will be a panic and it's going to be banned.
- ekr 8y agoAnd some people (including myself) actually enjoy the smell of molten rosin flux.
- flavor8 8y agoAnd some people enjoy tobacco. That doesn't mean it's smart to continue breathing it in.
- bengale 8y agoI knew a guy that liked that smell too, he liked the cancer less.
- shittyadmin 8y agoYeah, the risks seem to be overblown, mostly acute lung issues if you inhale a ton of it, metal fume fever may be a possibility but seems very rare if only soldering. In a quick search I see no reports of significant long-term issues like cancer as some are suggesting.
- DougBTX 8y agoI expect that the output from a single printer won't be that bad, but it is interesting to put the "ventilate properly" comment in a wider context: > Gosh, this process produces something that is harmful to me. But it's OK, I'll just put it outside.
- marcosdumay 8y agoIt is dangerous because it's reactive. And since it's reactive it will disappear in a short while.
- jtbayly 8y agoJust because it is harmful to you doesn't mean that it is automatically bad for the environment. Breathing helium exclusively is bad for you, too.
- qwertay 8y agoYeah the risk factor is really important to know. It could likely be more unsafe to stand outside because of the toxic particles from cars.
- flybrand 8y agoThe 'research supply chain' will now start to close that gap. It typically starts with, 'Activity Y creates environmental challenge X' - and then someone else is left to determine if there is danger. There is a big gap between aerosol science and the medical / biological perspective needed to determine the magnitude of the risk. It is great to have the likelihood - but it is frustrating to not have the whole equation.
- 384028345 8y agoI started this hobby with an Ender 3 a few months ago. Look into motor dampers. They honestly take away ~90% of the noise and loudness. I bought these: www.aliexpress.com/item/Funssor-12pcs-lot-NEMA-17-Steel-Rubber-Stepper-Motor-Vibration-Dampers-Imported-genuine-42-stepper-motor/32825669027.html Make sure you find the right dampers for your motors. Ender 3 uses Nema 17.
- Hextinium 8y agoI actually have these on order shipping from china just takes forever.