Concerned about Finishing in Basement Shop

Re: Concerned about Finishing in Basement Shop

Joe in a Cleveland suburb

>Dick.

There was a thread earlier this week on this subject. You might want to look down further or maybe back a page. I think some of the suggestions were to use waterborne finishes.

I'm probably going to get myself in trouble someday, but I never worry about it to be honest. My little workshop is in my basement too. My ts is usually my finishing bench. My ts sits right next to the furnace which is right next to the hot water heater. Windows are never open in the winter time. They are usually kept closed in the summer time too to keep the humid air out.

I use mostly oil based vanishes like Waterlox and/or shellac.

Joe

I'm With Joe

George@Colonel's Workshop-Havertown PA

>Hello Dick,

I wouldn't open up that window today for love or money. Its cold out there. However, my wife and daughter threaten to send me to Siberia at time when I use lacquer especially. They don't seem to be quite as aggitated with simple oil based stains or wiping poly. I try to keep peace and restrict myself heroically. When the weather is good, I do all of the sanding and finishing outside. Thedre is little odor associated with water based finishes. Try them out.

George

Re: Concerned about Finishing in Basement Shop

Dick Haley

>Thanks Joe,maybe I am just to concerned but have thought a lot about this and wanted some real hands on opinions.

Re: I'm With Joe

Dick Haley

>Thanks George, Have always had an above ground shop prior to my retirement and don't want to cut my retirement short.

Sweeten it up a little!

Jesse in New Mexico

>Hey Col,

If the smell of oil based finishes bothers your family, put a drop of vanilla extract in a quart of the varnish. It will smell great, but doesn't help with toxicity or flammability.

Re: I'm With Joe

DeepWoods in MN

>My father-in-law was staining a small item in our basement near the gas water heater and I asked him about the risk. He agreed with George, that the waterbased poly was such a low odor product that it posed a miniscule risk.

Re: Concerned about Finishing in Basement Shop

Joe in a Cleveland suburb

>maybe I am just to concerned but have thought a lot about this and wanted some real hands on opinions.

But maybe not too Dick. I was just saying what I do and it probably isn't the smartest thing in the world. Someone here might yell at me and tell me I am going to blow myself up someday and/or kill myself with the fumes. Hopefully not. Now, if I lived in a newly constructed house that was sealed up nice and tight, opposed to a drafty 90 year old house that I have, I might have to crack a window or at least turn a fan on to circulate some air...

Joe

Contrarian view

Bill Howatt

>Just because water-based products don't stink as badly, it doesn't mean they are safe as far as breathing. Maybe safer than oil but maybe not, depends on chemical content.

Bill

Re: Concerned about Finishing in Basement Shop

Dick Haley

>Point well taken Joe. This is new construction and I am trying to be as careful as I can in a basement situation.trying to find the previous post you spoke of. Will keep looking...Thanks.

Re: Contrarian view

Dick Haley

>Thanks Bill, will use mask and hopefully it doesn't become a concern upstairs.

Re: I'm With Joe

Dick Haley

>Thanks, I will be looking into waterbased products.

I'm concerned about Finishing indoors

Lee Schierer, McKean, PA

>With closed windows and no outside air, I would be concenrned about any solvent based finish in doors. Even if you wear a mask while doing the finishing, the solvents will remain in the air in the house for days and everyone in the house will be breathing them in. From a health standpoint it isn't good to inhale solvent vapors. Just because you've spread the finish out on your project and it is drying doesn't remove the toxicity of the vapors.

I do all my finishing in a garage with an open door way even in the winter. Lacquer finishes don't care what the ambient temperature is for drying. I've never read an MSDS form for water based finishes to see what it says about exposure to the vapors.

Lee

Re: I'm concerned about Finishing indoors

Dick Haley

>Thank's Lee, more food for thought.

Re: Contrarian view

Bill Howatt

>Dick,

I live in Ontario so I know about cold when the window is open. I also have a basement shop. What I did was take the outlet of my shop-built air-cleaner and channeled it between 2 joists by covering the bottom with hard-board. I cut an opening in the rim joist and siding (hope that is the correct term)such that the air would exhaust outside the basement. I made a couple of sliders (1 insulated) to allow me to open or close the opening such that the cleaner exhausts inside or outside. I was fortunate that it exited under my deck so I didn't have to worry about making the outside of the house pretty.

Yes, you do pump warm house air outside but the makeup air coming in through the various cracks and holes in the house is better than the cold air coming through the window.

Bill

Re: Contrarian view

Dick Haley

>Bill,

You have convinced me that I need to move some air outside when finishing etc. I have been looking at the shop layout tonight and can see where I can run an exhaust pipe between the floor joists to the outside as you did.I wonder if a set up similar to a bathroom exhaust would work,or would an explosion proof fan be necessary.Thanks for the response.

Re: Contrarian view

Bill Howatt

>Unless you are spraying and have the air loaded with vapors, I don't think you'll need an explosion proof fan. If you did, you would have problems with light switches and everything else in the shop.

Bill

Re: Contrarian view

Dick Haley

>Bill,

Thanks for the response.I hope that exhausting over the area of finishing will alleviate the concern.This winter has not been bad to date so I may be able to crack the window when necessary. Wouldn't want to crack the window today (wind chill is nasty) Thanks again.

Undue fretting

bill tindal, E.TN

>Now I would not be spraying something with the flash point of lacquer in the basement but stains and varnish is another matter. Recall that houses used to be painted with oil based paint and trim and floors finished with varnish and stains. There was no problem painting the walls, trim or floors so why would one worry about varnishing a table? This phobia of smelling some paint/varnish fumes is a modern worry. I expect soon I will see people with respirators fueling their cars.

Re: I'm concerned about Finishing indoors

Rick in Colgate, Wi

>I have a basement shop as well and with the cooler ambient temperatures down there the odors of finishing dont seem to bother the upstairs much, unless the furnace runs.

I also do not use any minwax stains anymore as the odor is rather obnoxious. I've switched to Varathane soy oil based stains and usually topcoat with a brush on waterbased poly or a wipe on oil based urethane finish.

Re: I'm concerned about Finishing indoors

Dick Haley

>Thanks Rick,I will be trying Varathane soy oil,if for no other reason than the smell.

Re: Undue fretting

Dick Haley

>Thanks Bill, I needed that!

Fretting Is For Guitar and Banjo Makers

George@Colonel's Workshop-Havertown PA

>

Re: Fretting Is For Guitar and Banjo Makers

carl

>I just love the smell of napalm in the morning,

Here's what is says on the can

Lee Schierer - McKean, PA

>On my Diamond Varathne can...

It says it contains Glycol Ethers Vapor Harmful.......Use only with adequate ventilation. Ensure fresh air entry during application and drying.

They also recommend an approved NIOSH face mask.

Lee