Plastics and materials used in our hobby.

[mikesndbs]

Is there a list somewhere or could we work on one that shows the common materials used in our hobby.

From loco bodies to the sleepers of our track?

 

I am looking at this from a point of view of which chemicals are safe to use etc.

 

I know for example that traction tyres are now made of Neoprene.

 

Thanks

[RexAshton]

Most of the chemicals use are hazardous if not used correctly. C.O.S.S.H. regulations require chemical data sheets to be available for all hazardous substances and if the supplier doesn't have them they can be found on the internet.

The materials we use are generally stable at room temperature but can be 

hazardous as we work with then:-

Heated plastics can and will give off noxious fumes.

Soldering, especially using liquid fluxes produces noxious fumes and can cause eye irritation.

Cutting and drilling of most materials, especially with power tools creates heat and can also result in eye injuries,

The list goes on.....

As regards a list of do's and don'ts I think it would be difficult to make it comprehensive enough and would at best be people's personal findings rather than a considered and scientific approach.

That said, if anyone felt it beneficial I would be happy to support andf contribute.

[The Johnster]

Pretty much all modelling activity can be hazardous if one is not aware of the risks.  RTR models are not designed to be cut about so the plastic makes a dust if  you do, soldering is a fire hazard as well as giving off fumes, which also emanate from adhesives, epoxy resins, thinners, contact cleaners, and paints.  Cutting into resin RTP gives off a horrible dust, any power tool has the capacity to cut bits off you with ease, eyes need protecting, and we tend to use lead as ballast, in whitemetal, and in solder whenever we can.  And we've all had a go at cutting our fingers off with Exacto blades.  It's out and out lethal, and like the rest of life, there's no survivable way out of it...

 

That said, the risks are manageable with care, common sense, taking your time, face masks, and eye protection.  I do some jobs outside on the patio (I know it's a patio and not a back yard because it's got patio doors) and wait for the weather for spray painting from rattlecans.  I also use acrylic paints as much as i can, partly for safety reasons and the fumes.  Even inside, make sure your modelling desk is well lit, and in a properly ventilated room, and keep a small first aid kit to hand; medical disinfectant, plasters, burn salve, eye wash, small scissors.  I've used mine a few times; stupidity with Exactos or minor burns from soldering, and having the kit handy saves the scorn of the Squeeze as you pass through the living room on the way to the bathroom first aid box dripping blood on the carpet or smelling of burnt flesh (the Squeeze is a former nurse, and has that sort of attitude...).

 

My soldering iron has a 'stand', a baseplate with a sort of spring holder that you put the hot iron into.  I think the spring is supposed to act as a heat sink, which means that it, too, is too hot to touch after a few minutes  This thing is, to my mind, an accident waiting to happen; the iron, which it came with, is too heavy for it and bounces around moving the whole thing on it's base, ever closer to the worktop edge because that's the way the cable drags it.  I am very wary of this thing, in my view a dangerously poor piece of design.

 

A recent mistake was Gorilla superglue.  I have a lot of time for Gorilla products, but this stuff makes your eyes sting and water, and your throat gag; can't be good for you and I'm not going to ever buy it again.  And there seem to be some plastics it doesn't work on...

 

I also keep some old elastic bands and the Squeeze's old pony tail elasticy thingies about the area.  As well has being useful for jobs like holding things together while the glue goes off they can, in an emergency, serve as tourniquets for cut fingers etc.  An old lycra cycling sock that lost it's friend ages ago can be used for cleaning spills, then put in the washing machine to do standby tourniquet duty for larger emergencies, but you need to be thinking about going to Casualty when you get to this level.

[Ray Von]

I've often wondered why manufacturers such as Will's / Peco etc don't start a scheme whereupon they accept back the sprues from their kits.  There's a substantial amount of plastic there that could be melted down and remoulded (?)

 

[5050]

TBH, I think I am going to retire to my bedroom, close the door and window, put my head under the duvet, and protect myself from all the hazardous entities that the world is capable of subjecting me to.

 

Except for, perhaps, beer and a decent cup of tea......................

 

Oh, and plain chocolate digestives...............

 

I could probably think of a few more exceptions in time.

[5050]

On 02/02/2021 at 13:41, Ray Von said:

I've often wondered why manufacturers such as Will's / Peco etc don't start a scheme whereupon they accept back the sprues from their kits.  There's a substantial amount of plastic there that could be melted down and remoulded (?)

 

I remember talking about this to Colin Ashby many years ago when he still ran his wagon kit business.  I think he reckoned that the heating processes involved in moulding affected the plastics in an adverse way for them to be reused for fine injection moulding.  I'm sure someone with a better knowledge of the subject could be more specific.

[teaky]

It was a while ago but I visited Dapol when they were still in Llangollen and I'm sure I remember seeing some of their moulding equipment with sprues and other reject parts being chopped up, melted and fed into the moulding machines.

[Nile]

Thier current kit output certainly looks like it contains recycled plastic.

As for materials used in models -

Polystyrene

ABS

Mazak (whatever that acually is)

 

I thought the OP wanted to know what chemicals would be safe to use with those, not a lecture on hazardous chemicals.

[andyman7]

There is definitely degradation in the quality of reheated plastic - this is where the concept of virgin vinyl in record pressing comes in; back in the old days classical records generally got pressed on virgin vinyl whereas budget LPs and pop records 'for the kids' got the recycled stuff which resulted in more groove noise.

 

Dapol openly use recycled plastic for the Kitmaster kits, no doubt this makes sense for the price point and market for these but it would necessarily be right for a high end precision moulded kit.

[Andy Hayter]

Virtually all polymer extruders or moulders will recycle their waste product. So don't be surprised if some ends up in our models - although largely you will not be aware of it.  There will be some slight degradation (breakdown of the long polymer chains) but generally the added stabiliser package will minimise and effects.

 

As for materials used I will add

Polyethylene and polypropylene - used for things such a plastic hand rails and some parts of brake rigging.  The materials do not glue and need to be a clip fitting.  They are more flexible than polystyrene, hence their use on bits that might get easily knocked or broken, and have somewhat greasy feel to the touch.   

PVC may be used for glazing - especially if in a kit we are advised to use the clear packaging for the glazing.