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Post by jennifer on Oct 25, 2016 12:12:53 GMT
I was thinking about buying some old Ral Partha minis from ebay and re-painting. I know many of them are made of lead.
I was wondering, how safe is lead say if you wear surgical gloves when cleaning and priming. If I do a couple coats of primer, should it them be safe to handle the minis bare-handed while painting? Does lead go through primer & paint & sealer when handling at the game table?
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Post by Meph on Oct 25, 2016 12:55:19 GMT
You will be fine, just wash your hands after you are done. You don't need surgical gloves for handling lead. The danger comes from long term exposure (living around it) and from ingesting it. Don't put them in your mouth Just make sure you wash up after handling them and before eating/drinking.
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Post by Meph on Oct 25, 2016 12:56:14 GMT
Here is an article all about lead miniature safety. miniatures.about.com/od/materialsforminiatures/a/workingwithlead.htmAlso remember in this article, most of it is in reference to "working" with lead, not just painting miniatures. All the parts about a "dirty" work area and protective clothing/gear is if you are pouring lead, grinding lead, creating dust. If you are just painting minis then just paint them and wash up when you are done.
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Post by l7arkness on Oct 25, 2016 13:01:23 GMT
If you are just painting minis then just paint them and wash up when you are done. Second, if your worried about dust get a toothbrush and a little soap and water, but unless your making the dust there probably wont be any
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Post by curufin on Oct 25, 2016 13:01:47 GMT
I have hundreds of lead minis unprimed and unpainted that I still use for gaming. Carefully handling lead in small quantities isn't that dangerous. It's the fumes from molten lead that are extremely harmful. Priming and painting will make them completely safe for game play. One coat of primer and paint should be sufficient.
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Post by jennifer on Oct 25, 2016 13:20:32 GMT
What is the best way to strip paint from old lead minis? Just let them soak in mineral spirits? Simple green?
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Post by l7arkness on Oct 25, 2016 13:49:30 GMT
What is the best way to strip paint from old lead minis? Just let them soak in mineral spirits? Simple green? I would try simply acetone first let it sit for a bit then scrub it with a toothbrush or something.
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Post by SpielMeisterKev! on Oct 25, 2016 14:13:44 GMT
Howdy, many of them are made of lead... how safe... bare-handed I was going to share these two safety tips... 1) don't melt it down and inject it 2) don't grind it up and snort it but the consensus here is good enough. mineral spirits? Simple green? I'd have said yes to either of those... Uh... I feel acetone has much higher handling safety requirements than lead miniatures... gloves and respirator advisable... your skin WILL absorb it. Fumes WILL form immediately on exposure to air. I'd keep acetone as a last resort. I'm not a contaminate expert... but I play one on the internet, Kev!
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Post by l7arkness on Oct 25, 2016 14:34:07 GMT
Uh... I feel acetone has much higher handling safety requirements than lead miniatures... gloves and respirator advisable... your skin WILL absorb it. Fumes WILL form immediately on exposure to air. I'd keep acetone as a last resort. I'm not a contaminate expert... but I play one on the internet, Kev! As long as your keep it out of your eye's (another tip that works for lead as well) and don't set it on fire its pretty safe. And to clarify I wasnt suggesting she put the minature in with her teeth I was thinking tongs and a open room or outside (which is advisable for any chemicals/paints that fume/aerosolize) A respirator and some good gloves and glasses for those who don't want any negative effects will solve most diy health concerns
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Post by jennifer on Oct 25, 2016 16:48:18 GMT
What about filing rough edges of lead miniature? Mold lines etc.
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Post by curufin on Oct 25, 2016 17:03:45 GMT
File away. Just file over a piece of paper. That way you can easily discard all the filings. Then wash your hands.
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Post by margaret on Oct 25, 2016 17:30:27 GMT
The concentrated form of Simple Green used to work on removing Testor enamel from metal miniatures. The formula was changed in 2013, so it may be less effective now. But the paint on a metal figure could be acrylics, so test them first. Unless you can tell by the shininess that the paint is enamel.
Ral Partha did some lovely figures
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