Date: Sun, 14 Jul 1996 14:18:18 -0400
From: Bud Wertheim <bwertheim-AT-zelacom.com>
Subject: GLUE & STUFF


        Here in New York State we have OSHA (office of Safety and Hazardous
thingees) They require all suppliers to give a data sheet, which of course
doesn't come when mail ordered from outside the state unless requested. It
is an excellent idea to read the Manufacturers spec sheets carefully, but
then it requires you to look up many materials you may not know about. The
handling of materials should always be done with precautions taken for
unexpected eventualities.

Spills are not usually taken into account, so preparing clean up materials
in advance is advisable. Here in my studio I have two exhaust fans at
strategic locations and I have an filtered mask supplied with air from a
hose attached to a compressor with the intake on the other side of the
building from where the materials are open. Thus when working with Acetone
and other solvents I wear rubber gloves and breathe clean filtered air.

I use this with all hydrocarbon based solvents too, such as Polyester resins
and epoxy resins which can also affect Liver and Kidney functions. I have
been working with these materials for over 30 years now and my annual
physical checkup was fine. I had developed my system early on when a friend
of mine who did large scale resin sculpture developed an allergy to
hydrocarbons and nearly died. No one at that time felt these materials were
dangerous, but we soon became aware of the dangers... 

Those urging caution here on the list should not be taken lightly. It's no
joke. I wish all of you a long and healthy life in puppetry. It's your life,
take care of it.... What was it that Hubey Blake the musician said, oh yes!
"If I'd a known I was gonna live to be over a hundred, I'd a taken better
care of myself." Hopefully we can all make it.

..............Bud



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