SoliForum - 3D Printing Community — Safely using Acetone

Re: Safely using Acetone

2014-01-14T15:58:50Z

I'm had good results just placing the print with a teaspoon of acetone in a large sealed mason jar. Enough vapor evaporates into the air when it reaches equilibrium with the air to smooth the print slowly. No, it doesn't build up any measurable pressure at room temperature. After all, when you buy acetone, it comes in rather unremarkable plastic and thin metal containers.

Even if you were to totally boil off all of the acetone into vapor (say, by immersing the jar in water past 160 degrees) a small quantity of acetone couldn't add significantly to the pressure in the jar.

The only improvement I might try is to add a small fan glued to a magnet that is rotated by a motor outside the jar, like those magnetic stirring rods used in labs.

Re: Safely using Acetone

2014-01-14T15:06:48Z

From Wikipedia:

EPA EPCRA Delisting (1995). EPA removed acetone from the list of "toxic chemicals" maintained under Section 313 of the Emergency Planning and Community Right to Know Act (EPCRA). In making that decision, EPA conducted an extensive review of the available toxicity data on acetone and found that acetone "exhibits acute toxicity only at levels that greatly exceed releases and resultant exposures", and further that acetone "exhibits low toxicity in chronic studies".

Though flammable, it isn't explosive. It acts much like the flambe performed by waiters at restaurants. There might be trouble if you seal it and let it build pressure.

Re: Safely using Acetone

2014-01-14T15:02:10Z

n2ri wrote:

we are talking about the same thing thats in model glue that kids huffed and got severe health issues and died from since the 60s. DONT MAKE LITE OF THE HAZARDS! must use in well vented explosion proof area away from sources of ignition also as its extremely flammable. not for use by children under 18. read the MSDS for it b4 use. safety can not be over stressed here. it has many bad things it can do to your health by contact, breathing, fumes eye/throat irritant, explosive... good results for product dont mean good results for you too. only a couple other things like this may be more dangerous, Xylene being 1.

What? Your body naturally produces acetone. You use a teaspoon to vapor smooth, even if it ignited it there wouldn't be much to worry about unless you poured it on your face first.

It has a NFPA 704 health rating of 1 - same as rubbing alcohol.

Some sources estimate LD50 for human ingestion of acetone at 1.159 g/kg. For reference, the LD50 of caffeine is 0.2g/kg.

Re: Safely using Acetone

2014-01-14T09:28:06Z

we are talking about the same thing thats in model glue that kids huffed and got severe health issues and died from since the 60s. DONT MAKE LITE OF THE HAZARDS! must use in well vented explosion proof area away from sources of ignition also as its extremely flammable. not for use by children under 18. read the MSDS for it b4 use. safety can not be over stressed here. it has many bad things it can do to your health by contact, breathing, fumes eye/throat irritant, explosive... good results for product dont mean good results for you too. only a couple other things like this may be more dangerous, Xylene being 1.

Re: Safely using Acetone

2013-12-31T02:33:14Z

You can also use a hot water bath. I started out using a pot with acetone at the bottom sitting in a tray. I boiled some water, then poured it into the tray, and that heated the pot enough for the acetone to boil. This is easily done outside without any flame or potential spark sources. When done you can tip the pot and pour out the vapor to be dispersed in the breeze.

Re: Safely using Acetone

2013-12-31T02:25:01Z

I have had good results by warming a ceramic crock with a blow torch, adding acetone to the crock, putting the part in the crock on a stand and covering the crock. The latent heat seems to do the trick.

Re: Safely using Acetone

2013-12-30T23:05:35Z

I did forget to mention that the acetone content in carb cleaner is pretty damn strong. I will admit that it is VERY wasteful to lightly spray the print with it, and ruins prints if you are trying to conserve it.
But in a pinch...

Re: Safely using Acetone

2013-12-30T18:50:31Z

You can also use carb cleaner. I've sprayed a few prints to test it and it worked pretty well.

Re: Safely using Acetone

2013-11-17T21:52:31Z

cazz wrote:

elmoret wrote:
muddtt wrote:
Carbon Dioxide
Deadly.
You are thinking of carbon monoxide. Carbon dioxide is what makes soda fizzy.

I was joking. Actually both are deadly though, admittedly in varying concentrations.

Re: Safely using Acetone

2013-11-17T21:48:04Z

elmoret wrote:

muddtt wrote:
Carbon Dioxide
Deadly.

You are thinking of carbon monoxide. Carbon dioxide is what makes soda fizzy.

Re: Safely using Acetone

2013-11-13T21:18:38Z

I've been acetone dipping parts. More for strength than finish, but it does significantly improve the finish.

Re: Safely using Acetone

2013-11-12T14:50:41Z

Hey, this is the 21st century, anything is possible these days

No pain; no gain

Re: Safely using Acetone

2013-11-12T11:34:08Z

lawsy wrote:

I think you should get pregnant and prove it.

Its the delivery that concerns me

Re: Safely using Acetone

2013-11-12T00:21:17Z

I think you should get pregnant and prove it.

Re: Safely using Acetone

2013-11-12T00:10:52Z

Pregnant women and diabetics naturally produce high levels of acetone... Your body breaks it down quite adequately even at high doses (say like a pregnant diabetic).

Just saying