Safety First!

 They are hazards associated with resin 3d printing, and you should be aware of them and act appropriately.

What do I know about it? I have worked in the chemical industry for several decades, part of my job is writing safety data sheets and I currently serve on a committee reviewed safety across an entire chemical plant. That said, I am not an expert on resin, so this is only a guide.

You are the one who is ultimately responsible for your safety!


iso-Propyl Alcohol (IPA)

IPA is harmful and flammable.

Keep it away from naked flames and electrical sparks. That said, with a flash point of 12°C, it is safer than acetone (-18°C) or petrol (-43°C).

Do not drink it. Yes, it has alcohol in the name, but it would still be very bad for you.

Keep it off your skin. That said, IPA was the main ingredient in the hand wash we were all deliberately putting on our hands during "lockdown", so it is not that big a deal.

Disposal: If you only use the IPA for resin, you should be able to leave it in a clear, sealed bottle outside, and the resin will cure. The IPA can then be recovered and reused just by decanting off. Otherwise, allow to evaporate outside.


Resin

There are different types of resin, and to some degree the hazards will vary between them. As a general rule, keep it off your hands. If you do get it on your hands, you will know about it because the stuff it very sticky. Wash off as soon as possible, being carefully not to contaminate other surfaces.

Note that it is best to use cold water to wash off chemicals; hot water open the pores and soap helps transport chemicals through the skin. Wash off what you can with coldwater, then use warm water and soap.

Once fully cured (so it is not sticky) it should not be hazardous.

Disposal: Put out in the sun to cure. Once it is fully cured it can be thrown in the bin. I am pretty sure it cannot be recycled.


UV light

UV light can seriously damage your eyes. That means both the UV light from the screen in the printer and the lights in the curing station.

In normal use, it is not possible to see the light in your printer - it has a tank of resin covering it. If the resin runs out, it should still have the  cover on the printer.

The curing station is more problematic, and I recommend great care. I am not sure how well the cover filters UV light, so I have the lights facing away. Obviously only use with the cover on. Do not have reflective surfaces behind it.


A note about gloves

There is a skill to using gloves. 

The first point is tat gloves are a last resort of protection. Do not think that you have gloves on so can dip your hands in resin, rather you should aim to keep gloves free of resin. This will greatly reduce the changes of resin getting spread around.

You need to be conscious of what surfaces are to be considered contaminated and what are not - and use the gloves only for the former. It is easy to use gloves for everything, and so get resin everywhere, then take the gloves off, and handle surfaces that should be clean with your bare hands.

And did you touch the outside of your gloves to take them off? There is a knack to removing gloves without touching the outside of them.

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