Are u guys trying to kill me?

[JimV]

A while back we had a safety chat and I am glad we did. This hobby isnt for the faint at heart. Just about everything we do is cancer causing or can take an eye out. We covered the dangers of cutting wheels and brush cups falling apart but what about the fumes and dust debris? I am to the point where I should have been from the very beginning. I now where long sleeves, long pants, a respirator, and a face shield. So the dust we whip up at 1500 rpm is from oil base paint and aluminum .......The Rustoleum paint we use says right on the can that the ingredients are known to cause cancer. I believe I read on the label that we should wear a helmet style respirator and that the cartridge style aint gunna save us....were doooooooooomed
Anyway I write this post cause I am getting a little paranoid about being around this stuff all the time. Its so dang humid and hot here in Va that I let my painted pieces dry for just a little while in my garage but then bring the inside and put them on the dining room floor for some climate controlled drying. Of course my hvac machine then grabs those fumes and circulates them through every room in the house so I can get some real good deep sleep. I am kind of hoping that in my little 2300sq ft townhouse that we have enough air space that my stupid move of drying my cancer paint in the house is kind of ok. Believe me...the second we get temps back in the 80's nothin else is ever drying in the house.
I am just running my thoughts by you guys because I have become somewhat addicted to resto'ing Webs and even though everything in this cruel world can kill us......we really dont want to rush it.....do we? Maybe u guys can set me at ease...........any of u have grill parts drying in your house? Am I the only person that lives in such a hot humid climate? Will these grill parts dry just fine in a humid 90 degree garage?

 

[Bruce]

Yah, Jim. you are right to be concerned. I spend my first couple years grinding boxes with nothing more than a pair of safety glasses on. I have raccoon looking pictures to prove it. I was blowing black gunk out of my nose for two days after I ground a cook box. Last year, I switched over to just Sams Club grill cleaner and house hold stainless steel wool. It did a good job, but nothing like an angle grinder taking it down to bare metal. And I still had to use the grinder if the paint on the outside had to come off. Like you, I just can't do this at 85 degrees with masks and shields and bullet proof vests on. I finally found a local guy to blast my cook boxes and end caps now. I still have to paint them but if there is any breeze, I can pretty well avoid the fumes.

But yah, it is a concern. I had to have a piece of burned in metal dug out of my eye when I was a teenager doing some body work on my car with a wire wheel and no safety glasses. I learned my lesson and wear safety glasses now. I used to shoot a lot of guns and run power equipment all the time with no hearing protection. Now the VA was nice enough to provide me with hearing aids at 58 years old...probably should have had them 5 years ago. I have been trying to balance this hobby and stay safe in the process. I think I have a pretty good handle on it now. I really don't want to have to rely on the VA for some new lungs.

 

[JimV]

Thanks for your input.......I am 55yrs old but feel like I am 65 ......mostly my fault. I am about to go to bed and can still kind of smell the dang cook box drying in the dining room.....pretty stupid huh. I did let it dry for 30 min outside before I brought it inside.
I wish I could stop doing resto's........but the addiction has me pretty good right now. Anyway.....y'all be safe out there now ya'here!