The hobby of scale modelling can be practiced without injury or damage to health and this should be the aim at all times. Regrettably, everything that we do in life involves some risk and certain guidelines need to be followed in order to minimise risk to health when modelling.
Injury From Knives
Most modellers probably spend more time with a knife in their hands than any other tool. Here are some important safety tips when using knives:
Use only light pressure when cutting, scraping or whittling. This is not only a safety tip, but is good practice.
Try to cut away from your body and where this is not practical make sure that you hold the knife and the part you are working on in a firm controlled grip so that it cannot slip. Also consider protecting fingers with a band aid/plaster to prevent minor cuts.
Use a sharp blade - ironically the additional pressure applied when using a blunt blade means that any slips are more likely to cause damage.
Modelling knives come in different sizes and many can be fitted with a variety of different blades. Make sure you have the right knife and blade for the job and avoid using a knife or blade that is to small for the task as it might break, and avoid poor quality knife handles.
When not using the knife, put it in a safe place - make a habit of keeping it the same place so you do it automatically. A piece of cork with a slit is useful for protecting the blade when not in use.
Dispose of blades safely. At the very least wrap masking tape around the blade and seal it in scrap cardboard. It is often useful to keep the packet that the blades came in for disposal.
Always work in a good light.
Motor Tools
Unplug any motorised tools when not in use and keep them in good condition making sure that the flex is not damaged. Before using a motor tool always make sure that both the tool and object are firmly gripped so they cannot slip. Consider the entire action of using the tool - for example when drilling, consider what will happen when the drill bit comes out the other side. Before you press that 'on' switch take a second to think 'what could go wrong'. Although this may be inconvenient, safety glasses always be worn when using a motor tool and should be available at other times. It is very easy for small parts to fly off when snipping with pliers.
Dust Masks
The wearing of a protective dust mask should be considered whenever sanding or cutting, particularly using a motor tool. This is especially important when working on resin parts as these produce a fine dust that is harmful to the lungs. If you wear glasses then make sure that the dust mask plan to purchase will accomodate them.
Spray Painting
For general sanding and protection against dust, a cheap disposable mask is adequate. However, this will not give protection against paint spray and aerosols where a more sophisticated mask should be worn.
Spray painting, whether from a can or airbrush, produces a very fine mist and even if the paint is non-toxic every precaution should be made to avoid breathing airborne particles. Ventilation is very important and the ideal system is a mini spay booth with an extractor and filter.
If you do not have access to a spray booth then you should wear a mask specifically rated for spray painting - an ordinary dust mask will not be suitable as it will not filter out the fine particles. This may seem an inconvenience, but it is not worth damaging your lungs for the sake of a hobby.
Note that a spray painting mask will still not protect you from solvents so you will still need to ensure good ventilation.
Risks From Super Glue (Cyanocrylate Adhesive)
This has become an indespensible product in the modellers toolbox and it's famed ability to stick almost anything includes human tissue. It is very easy to accidentally stick fingers together which is more of an inconvenience than anything else but the real danger comes from getting CA (or cyano as it is also commonly known) into the eye where serious permanent damage can occur.
The only way to avoid this is to be very carefull when handling cyano adhesive. Always replace the top immediately after use. Keep plenty of paper towels handy for spills and wiping any excess off fingers and models. Always make sure you have a supply of super glue de-bonder.
Prolonged use of CA in a confined area should be avoided at all times. Breathing cyanoacrylate fumes is irritating for your breathing organs. For some individuals, repeated or extended exposure to fumes may prompt chronic allergic reaction. In dry air (less than 50% humidity), fumes may be also be irritating to eyes, stimulating tears.
In contact with the skin, the primary risk is bonding fingers or other body parts together. This goes also for eyelids, no remember to never ever poke your hands into the eyes while working with super glue!
In skin or eye contact, CA is deemed to be non-toxic, so don’t panic, assess the situation, and seek medical help if necessary. Never try to tear the apart the bonded body parts!
The wisdom of the above is that safety glasses and breathing masks are best worn when working with CA, and good ventilation is a must.
About 5% of the population can become sensitized to CA fumes after repeated exposure, resulting flu-like symptoms. It may also act as a skin irritant and may cause an allergic skin reaction, and on rare occasions, inhalation may trigger asthma.
Your body will eventually react to an overexposure of Super Glue vapors and you will suddenly become allergic to it.
Some people use it a few times and become allergic. Some people use it for 5 years or more and become allergic. It depends on how long you've been using CA and how your body reacts to it, each person is different. But no matter who you are your body is still absorbing something and it's like a ticking clock. The bad part is that once you develop an allergy to Super Glue it's there for life. You'll always have a reaction after you develop and allergy to it. One minute you're feeling fine and gluing the next part onto your model, and the next your eyes are swelling shut and you can't breathe. Most commonly it's a respiratory attack because breathing in the fumes is what does it. It has never been reported developing an allergy to CA(unless they were naturally allergic) by just touching super glue. The harmful stuff is absorbed through your lungs, not your skin.
A simple dust mask does nothing to protect you from CA fumes, it just removes particles. Only a mask with filters certified to remove organic vapors will protect against super glue/paint/epoxy/resin fumes, such as the 3M Organic Vapor half mask, this mask also removes particles from sanding.
Skin Irritation
You should be aware that many modelling connsumables can irritate the skin, if not immediately then over a period of time. Minimise exposure and consider using latex or cotton gloves (these are a good idea when handling models during the painting process to avoid greasy fingerprints).
Fire and Explosion
Since many modelling substances are either flammable or give off flammable fumes, it is common sense not to Smoke when modelling. Some modelling techniques may use heat or naked flames, so care should be taken to remove any flammable substances and ventilate the work area to remove any fumes before starting any technique using heat or flame.
Scale Modelling and Children
Modelling is a great hobby for youngsters, but special care is needed. It is not possible to suggest an age where modelling is safe because it will depend on the maturity of the child, the type of model kit and the level of supervision that a parent/guadian is willing to provide. However, I would suggest that up to the age of eight most children are better having their creative urges directed to traditional construction toys such as Lego. After that age, if they are capable and mature, then perhaps introduce simple kits of the snap-together type. Ultimately parents must ensure that childern are properly supervised and that any tools are suitable.
The following are some general tips:
Choose kits that are simple - many kits will indicate the skill level required, or the number of parts included and the seller may be able to advise on this. It is possible to buy some kits that are snap-together requiring no glue or knives - however, be warned, if your child gets the modelling 'bug' then these simple kit will not keep them satisfied for long.
Choose knives that only require a small amount of blade to be exposed or a type where the blade can be retracted when not in use.
Select glues, fillers and paints that are low odour and non-toxic.
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