Hi everyone!
Now that you've read the MSDS for your preferred resin brands and done a bit of research, we'll get into some of the criteria for choosing a work space.
First of all, you need to make sure you have a well-ventilated work space that's separate from your living area. Resin and hardener can each give off their own fumes but when they're mixed, they create toxic fumes. These are given off during mixing and curing. Even though most epoxy resins can be removed from their moulds within 24 hours, they still aren't fully cured until a week or even a few weeks later (depending on the brand) and will continue to emit those toxic gases in decreasing amounts until they're fully cured.
Your living room, dining room, kitchen, bedroom and bathroom are NOT safe places to use resin. Any room that people or animals spend time in is unsafe for resin use, even if it's well-ventilated. These chemicals can seep into your furniture, curtains, tables, etc. You may be coating the walls and other surfaces of your work area with resin and this will build up with repeated use so anyone who uses the room will be exposed to it.
Working outdoors is a good option based on safety but it can be inconvenient at times. You'll need to make sure you have sufficient shelter, plus you'll need to cover your work when it's curing. If you have an open garage or even a small tent that you can set up in your yard, you can use one of these. Even if you're working outdoors, you should still wear PPE, especially if you plan to use heat on your pieces.
Make sure that the resin is kept away from curious animals that may decide to investigate before it's finished curing. Many animals are good at jumping and climbing so merely putting it on a raised surface will not be sufficient. You'll have to assess your work area and come up with ways to keep animals and your projects safe from each other. Chicken wire is your best friend here!
Working indoors is more risky but it can be done if the necessary precautions are taken. Choose a room that's isolated from the rest of the house. Make sure the door fits into the wall in such a way that it seals the room off as much as possible and use a towel to fill the gap between the door and the floor. Be sure to keep the windows open while you're working and for as long as possible while the items are curing. If possible, install an extractor fan to carry the fumes out, or point a regular standing fan at the window to encourage the gases to flow out of the room.
Bear in mind that the breeze from the windows and the fan will stir dust up so you'll have to cover your curing items. I like to use aluminium foil pans typically used for baking as great, inexpensive tools to cover resin and keep it dust-free. I have not been able to find any information stating whether or not aluminium is safe to be used with resin so use this tip with caution.
If you don't have a room that you can dedicate to resin, you can use a breezy garage or a porch. Close all doors and windows leading to the main house (use the towel method here too) and let others know that you'll be working in that space and would prefer that they stay away. Don't forget about animal-proofing it!
The points mentioned above should be a good starting point for your research into setting a suitable work space up. Don't forget that you'll still need to read up on these things as this blog is not a substitute for thorough research.
Once you've chosen a space that will not put anyone at risk, you can move on to buying your PPE and other supplies, which will be discussed in my next post.
Love and meows,
Alistina Studio <3
Photos taken from Pexels
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