[FwoGiZ]

Anyone ever used turpentine?
I've tried making some fake roots with it and it's been curing for well over a week now, but it still smell like hell.... I thought it would cure as quickly as the silicone..
I put my piece outside after a week because I was tired of the smell in the garage

 

[frogparty]

I would use toluene instead to thin out your silicone, because it will fully evaporate MUCH faster. Use of a fan and/or hairdryer weill speed evaporation even more. Whenusing solvents, ALWAYS do it in a very well ventilated area. If you can, do it outside

 

[FwoGiZ]

I couldn't find toluene so that's why I used turpentine. If I compare with what Grimm is using in his video, it's not the same all that much! It seems to affect stickyness much more so next time, I will try to find toluene or xelene at least
So you're telling me it's curing time is much longer? I'll have to wait I guess..

 

[earthfrog]

Do not inhale or touch toluene whatsoever. Protect yourself with high-quality chemical-rated gloves when using it.
Read this.
TOLUENE

Also, what's the best way to remove the fine oily residue left by the turpentine after it evaporates?

 

[frogfreak]

Do not inhale or touch toluene whatsoever. Protect yourself with high-quality chemical-rated gloves when using it.
Read this.
TOLUENE

Susan

You're freaking people out with posts like these. It won't burn a whole in your skin if you touch it. Yes, you should where gloves and the proper respirator or do it outside. We used to wash our hands in it. It does however sting a little.

Common sense is all that is needed...

Has anyone thought about using acetone? It should be available at Lowes, HD, etc. It is extremely flammable, so be warned, but will flash off very fast.

 

[frogparty]

Not as god a solvent. The molecular structures are very different. I think you might get some interaction with the acetate groups in the silicone you dont want

 

[Ed]

Susan

You're freaking people out with posts like these. It won't burn a whole in your skin if you touch it. Yes, you should where gloves and the proper respirator or do it outside. We used to wash our hands in it. It does however sting a little.

Common sense is all that is needed...

Has anyone thought about using acetone? It should be available at Lowes, HD, etc. It is extremely flammable, so be warned, but will flash off very fast.

Both are good at degreasing your skin so unless you like the dried out feeling using some hand lotion after cleaning up can make things more comfortable... One of the worst materials I worked with were zeolite catalysts in an R&D facility. They sucked all of the oils and moisture from your skin and hair giving a crunchy feeling to the hair....

Ed

 

[Ed]

There are a lot of solvents that were commonly used until recently that are far worse than tolune.. I worked at a label manufacturing plant in college and they routinely cleaned gum off the cutting machines and presses with dichloroethylene in while working in the shop. People would just pour it onto a rag and wipe down machinery with no protective gloves etc..

Toluene is used as a solvent in organic chem labs and you mainly try to not get it on yourself and work under the hood but it isn't anywhere near the risk of some other materials. For example, phenol is the active ingredient in a number of over the counter treatments to relieve sore throat pain yet it has been used as a euthenasia agent as well potentially being a risk to a number of organs... it is all dependent on the level of exposure.

Ed

 

[LookinRound]

it is all dependent on the level of exposure.

Ed

This is the key right here. If you are working with it every day for work you definitely want to take more precautions. Working with it for a day or two while building a tank isn't going to be as bad for you. This is true for many things, some of which people are terrified of such as asbestos.

 

[earthfrog]

Susan

You're freaking people out with posts like these. It won't burn a whole in your skin if you touch it. Yes, you should where gloves and the proper respirator or do it outside. We used to wash our hands in it. It does however sting a little.

Common sense is all that is needed...

Has anyone thought about using acetone? It should be available at Lowes, HD, etc. It is extremely flammable, so be warned, but will flash off very fast.

Frogfreak, stop freaking out. I hardly think washing your hands in anything toxic is common sense.
Just wear the gloves.

 

[frogfreak]

Do not inhale or touch toluene whatsoever.
Read this.
TOLUENE[/url

I'm not freaking out at all Suasan. My point is that you are freaking people out that with some of your posts. Statements like these are rediculous. You make it sound as if you touch it you will die and that is not the case. I've been working with Toly and a number of other chemicals for years. Repeated exposure/overexposure is the problem. Just tame down your posts on chemicals a bit because you really don't have any experience with them, now do you...Pull up 10 msds sheets on solvents and they will almost read the same. It drives me nuts when people read the word "Chemical" and assume that it is deadly. This is just not the case.

In my line of business it is impossible to wear gloves at times, so it IS necessary to use the solvent to clean your hands. Not a lack of common sense, Susan. It's a reality...

 

[earthfrog]

I'm not freaking out at all Suasan. My point is that you are freaking people out that with some of your posts. Statements like these are rediculous. You make it sound as if you touch it you will die and that is not the case. I've been working with Toly and a number of other chemicals for years. Repeated exposure/overexposure is the problem. Just tame down your posts on chemicals a bit because you really don't have any experience with them, now do you...Pull up 10 msds sheets on solvents and they will almost read the same. It drives me nuts when people read the word "Chemical" and assume that it is deadly. This is just not the case.

In my line of business it is impossible to wear gloves at times, so it IS necessary to use the solvent to clean your hands. Not a lack of common sense, Susan. It's a reality...

I didn't say it was deadly. I just said to wear gloves. I'm not all that concerned with ruffled feathers. Do what you need to do b/c I don't see anyone freaking out about it. Perhaps some folks are ultra-sensitive to people freaking out b/c of the climate in other forums they moderate where over-the-top reactions are commonplace. In this light, your reaction is understandable.

You will not die if you touch toluene. There, I spelled it out for you.

There is some concern for using it regularly, however.

In a U.S. National Toxicology Program test, rats and mice exposed to high levels of toluene in the air throughout most of their lives did not show any sign of increased cancer rates. There is no good reason to believe that toluene causes cancer. However, toluene is often contaminated with small amounts of benzene, which is a known cause of leukemia and other cancers. In a workplace where toluene is used, a proper health and safety evaluation should consider the possibility of benzene exposure.

That is all.

 

[GRIMM]

When doing my background, I accidentaly got a little toluene on my index finger and didnt bother washing it off until I had finished working. The cap design is horrible on the tins, so the toluene pours all over the place and just runs down the side. It definitely dried the sh*t out of my finger and a thin layer of dead skin peeled off over the next few days, but this is because I didnt wash it off. I wouldnt be overly concerned about using gloves while painting the mixture on the backgrounds, only when working with the pure toluene. Or just be smart and wash your hands if you get some on yourself. My finger hasnt been dissolved to the bone or fallen off, just a little dry skin....

 

[leuc11]

When doing my background, I accidentaly got a little toluene on my index finger and didnt bother washing it off until I had finished working. The cap design is horrible on the tins, so the toluene pours all over the place and just runs down the side. It definitely dried the sh*t out of my finger and a thin layer of dead skin peeled off over the next few days, but this is because I didnt wash it off. I wouldnt be overly concerned about using gloves while painting the mixture on the backgrounds, only when working with the pure toluene. Or just be smart and wash your hands if you get some on yourself. My finger hasnt been dissolved to the bone or fallen off, just a little dry skin....

How did you do your background did you mix toulene and the silicone together then paint it on the back ground then put peat and coco fiber right over it if so what was your mixing ratio?

 

[FwoGiZ]

I understand and second frogfreak.. no offense susan but everytime I read you, you seem to be going off topic and being "wear mask, read msds" ;p
I was asking if there was bigger differences than I thought regarding turpentine...
I am not even stating I am wearing gloves and ventilating my garage which is something quite easy, as good as being outside just because it's common sense and unrelated to my questions anyways!

So I'll take it turpentine as the same final result, but just take much longer than toluene and xylene to cure?

Even outside, I still smell if whenever I go by a few feet from it!!! Crazy stuffs... I recommand against using this product.

 

[GRIMM]

I understand and second frogfreak.. no offense susan but everytime I read you, you seem to be going off topic and being "wear mask, read msds" ;p
I was asking if there was bigger differences than I thought regarding turpentine...
I am not even stating I am wearing gloves and ventilating my garage which is something quite easy, as good as being outside just because it's common sense and unrelated to my questions anyways!

So I'll take it turpentine as the same final result, but just take much longer than toluene and xylene to cure?

Even outside, I still smell if whenever I go by a few feet from it!!! Crazy stuffs... I recommand against using this product.

Are you still smelling the turpentine days after, or could it just be the silicone? At least for my case using toluene, the majority of the smell dissipated within 6 hours, and everything was done inside my condo. There is no "curring" of the turpentine, only evaporation.

And Leuc11, feel free to pm me, or look through my build thread for info on my specific mixture.

 

[FwoGiZ]

How did you do your background did you mix toulene and the silicone together then paint it on the back ground then put peat and coco fiber right over it if so what was your mixing ratio?

I will answer this for fellow Grimm as he must be getting tired of this question
The answer is YES, I suggest you read Grimm's "The peninsula" post... the ratios are there, videos, results, etc

I wanted to do the same with turpentine..

 

[FwoGiZ]

Are you still smelling the turpentine days after, or could it just be the silicone? At least for my case using toluene, the majority of the smell dissipated within 6 hours, and everything was done inside my condo. There is no "curring" of the turpentine, only evaporation.

And Leuc11, feel free to pm me, or look through my build thread for info on my specific mixture.

I can't say if there still are some silicone smell because the turpentine smell is just so strong.. it smell a bit like pine trees >_>
I didn't know there was a differences between curing and evaporating! I'll have to check this out ehe;P damn frenchy
Anyways, I hope I didn't mess my fake rock.. it is actually quite a big piece, with many features; cork, bubble holes, tubing for pump, roots and the rock itself!

 

[frogparty]

the pine smell is turpentine. It is made from pine tree products. because turpenes are alkene chains, they are going to react with the silicone much differently than the benzene ring based toluene or xylene, I don't know who suggested you use turpentine for a silicone thinner, I never would have

 

[FwoGiZ]

Duh I swear I read that somewhere... don't remember where-_- that is why I wanted to try it since I couldn't find xylene or toluene!
That might explain why the silicone isn't very sticky anymore?
Could it be harmful to my frogs? Those roots will be submerged