4 ms·

most resins are nasty, toxic materials that you dont want to have around in your home Got a source for that? I've been using Formlabs resins since they did th

most resins are nasty, toxic materials that you dont want to have around in your home Got a source for that? I've been using Formlabs resins since they did their SLA Kickstarter ~6 years ago. Never seen any toxicity warnings in their MSDS. Know lots of other people who use them, including a couple who ignore all the guidelines and get their hands covered in the stuff. The worst I've heard of is something like a skin allergy reaction after prolonged, chronic contact. The company themselves have dozens of employees printing with these things in regular office environments and their homes, and I imagine would get a nasty lawsuit if it turns they've been subjecting their staff to toxic conditions. Also know loads of people who run with third party resins (e.g. Peopoly is popular at the moment).

cma 6y ago
Eye irritant and skin irritant. The only toxicity one mentioned is reproductive toxicity; it causes reduced fertility and shrinking of the testes: https://archive-media.formlabs.com/upload/Clear__Resin_SDS_EU.pdf https://archive-media.formlabs.com/upload/Clear__Resin_SDS_E... > Repr. 2, H361f (Fertility, causing [1] atrophy of the testes)
- pen2l 6y ago
  That's for uncured resin, which you shouldn't touch anyway. I think protocol calls for using gloves when handling this stuff. Do you happen to know if that fertility issue is only for clear resin, or all resins they offer? Frankly somewhat surprised to learn this. I think I've seen them push clear resin for microfluidic applications where you would have biological samples, which would indicate low or no toxicity.
  - sydd 6y ago
    > That's for uncured resin, which you shouldn't touch anyway. I think protocol calls for using gloves when handling this stuff. This is the issue with hobbyist use. Of course there are protocols to handle it safely, but such things make it inappropriate for the average joe.
    - pen2l 6y ago
      I agree with you it's not for the "average joe". I.e. yes you need to be really careful not to touch the uncured resin, cleaning up is a bitch, and you need really good ventilation when you're developing with isopropyl alcohol. But for folks who do manage to somehow get a room dedicated to this craft, of a hobbyist hackerspace with a dedicated spaced, it's probably fine. And, I think arriving to the point of being able to make a good print (modeling, slicing, etc.) is a good enough filter -- folks who can do that will and should understand you need to wear gloves when operating this thing. And I do believe if you get a printer it comes with a few gloves so that is made pretty clear.
  - imtringued 6y ago
    The resin itself isn't a huge problem. It's that it will enter and cure inside your body. This causes an allergic reaction that will grow stronger over time until it becomes unbearable.

cma 6y ago

Eye irritant and skin irritant. The only toxicity one mentioned is reproductive toxicity; it causes reduced fertility and shrinking of the testes: https://archive-media.formlabs.com/upload/Clear__Resin_SDS_EU.pdf https://archive-media.formlabs.com/upload/Clear__Resin_SDS_E... > Repr. 2, H361f (Fertility, causing [1] atrophy of the testes)

pen2l 6y ago
That's for uncured resin, which you shouldn't touch anyway. I think protocol calls for using gloves when handling this stuff. Do you happen to know if that fertility issue is only for clear resin, or all resins they offer? Frankly somewhat surprised to learn this. I think I've seen them push clear resin for microfluidic applications where you would have biological samples, which would indicate low or no toxicity.
- sydd 6y ago
  > That's for uncured resin, which you shouldn't touch anyway. I think protocol calls for using gloves when handling this stuff. This is the issue with hobbyist use. Of course there are protocols to handle it safely, but such things make it inappropriate for the average joe.
  - pen2l 6y ago
    I agree with you it's not for the "average joe". I.e. yes you need to be really careful not to touch the uncured resin, cleaning up is a bitch, and you need really good ventilation when you're developing with isopropyl alcohol. But for folks who do manage to somehow get a room dedicated to this craft, of a hobbyist hackerspace with a dedicated spaced, it's probably fine. And, I think arriving to the point of being able to make a good print (modeling, slicing, etc.) is a good enough filter -- folks who can do that will and should understand you need to wear gloves when operating this thing. And I do believe if you get a printer it comes with a few gloves so that is made pretty clear.
- imtringued 6y ago
  The resin itself isn't a huge problem. It's that it will enter and cure inside your body. This causes an allergic reaction that will grow stronger over time until it becomes unbearable.