Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

Hey everyone,

Recently i graduated college and moved back in with my parents to go to the nearby graduate school. My parents being the paranoid people that they are refused to allow me to paint my models in the house due to fears of "toxins". Instead they have banished my hobby to the "hobby room" which is really just a room located in the garage. Tonight i painted in there for about a hour and got a lot of models done. There is no air in the room so i opened the door to the room and ran the heater but didn't crack the garage door as my dad had recommended, I feel fine but my mom is still worried that i'm poisoning myself on fumes and "toxic" paint.

I guess my question is three fold

1. Is this a safe environment to work in or should i bring my hobby back into my room (against my parents wishes)
2. Well my models smell like the garage if i leave them out there too long?
3. Does anybody else have their workstation in their garage or am i uniquely alone here...

Being a safe environment depends on what is in the garage in the first place. There's not much in the way of 'toxic fumes' from painting toy soldiers except for plastic cement, and even then it's not like you need super ventilation. If the garage is full of gak that's doing to leak toxic fumes then I'd worry.

And yes, plastic models will take on a smell if left in that environment too long - hence why some peoples commissions come back reeking of cigarettes when the commision painter is a smoker, or why plastic models stripped with Dettol smell like Dettol afterwards.

I have a workstation in the house, but I make sure anything and everything is locked up tight when I'm done. Paint, glue, green stuff, magnets, etc all go in a large, sectioned storage container.

Aerosol sprays and glue are the only real hazards. You should do any spraying outside, particularly if you use testors dullcote, as it's highly carcinogenic, but primers and varnishes are bad too. Acrylic paints are pretty harmless.

If you buy resin models from Forgeworld or a lot of the smaller companies like Kromlech/Maximini/Puppets War etc the dust that you create when drilling or sanding them is really bad for you

(it's so fine it will hang in the air for ages, and passes through most vaccum cleaners too)

so either work on them outside or do so 'wet' to prevent the dust being created

If the garage smells like a typical garage (gasoline, chemical cleaners, etc.), chances are the vapors in there will do you more harm than those from painting models - that is to say very little, unless you're actively huffing them or stay locked up in there most of every day.

As mentioned, it's mostly the stronger solvents that have potentially nasty fumes and even those take a bit of exposure to have any negative effects. That's not to say that a degree of caution is in any way foolish, but you needn't be particularly paranoid, either. A dab or two of plastic cement here and there will barely even lend a noticeable odor to a small room, but big globs of it right under your nose aren't the best idea. Aerosol sprays, though, crank up the solvent volume significantly. Spray outside, if you can, and ventilate the room every now and again, especially after using particularly stinky products, and you should be fine.

As for the toxicity of paints, you might look up the MSDS to put their minds at ease. Hobby acrylics, at least, are generally water-based and certified non-toxic. These are meant to be useable by young hobbyists and to not kill brush-lickers. They contain/require no nasty solvents and are manufactured without the use of the toxic pigments you might find in some other paints (e.g. no cadmium reds).

Plenty of people work in basements and garages - some because that's the only place they can, others because they like a more rugged workspace that they needn't worry about mucking up. Unless you're spraying at your desk and/or slinging around power tools with reckless abandon, your parents' wishes are the only thing that potentially need keep you out in the garage. If you're more comfortable inside your own room, see if you can't reason with them - better to ask permission than beg forgiveness.

Congratulations, you have helicopter parents.

 swampyturtle wrote:
Hey everyone,

Recently i graduated college and moved back in with my parents to go to the nearby graduate school. My parents being the paranoid people that they are refused to allow me to paint my models in the house due to fears of "toxins". Instead they have banished my hobby to the "hobby room" which is really just a room located in the garage. Tonight i painted in there for about a hour and got a lot of models done. There is no air in the room so i opened the door to the room and ran the heater but didn't crack the garage door as my dad had recommended, I feel fine but my mom is still worried that i'm poisoning myself on fumes and "toxic" paint.

I guess my question is three fold

1. Is this a safe environment to work in or should i bring my hobby back into my room (against my parents wishes)
2. Well my models smell like the garage if i leave them out there too long?
3. Does anybody else have their workstation in their garage or am i uniquely alone here...

What kind of paints are you using ? If you're using GW / Vallejo / P3 / any other paint like this, they are not toxic *. They are acryllic paints. You could finger paint with them all day and not have an ounce of a problem. Acryllic paints give off absolutely no fumes at all.

Now if you are spray priming in your room, yes, that's not a good idea, you want very good ventilation. Ditto on spray sealing. In fact, when it comes to solvents - spray "anything" indoors, with no ventilation, is universally a bad idea.

Also in terms of the space heater, if its electric, you should be fine on "fumes". If you use any kind of fuel with it (LP, NG, gas, kerosene, etc), yes, you want that garage door open, and probably more than a crack. Though to be absolutely sure, refer to the instruction manual if you still have it. If not, google the model and see if you can find it online.


As for smelling like the garage, if you leave them in there for a while, and it's moldy or mildewy, yes. Those are the top two reasons for "musty attic/basement/garage" smell. Leave them in there for no more than 24 hours, and not even that long if its warm and damp or they will develop a funk to them.


When i spray-primed i used to do it in my old garage. I hand prime now, so i don't have to worry about that aspect. I still spray-seal outside. I would doubt that lots of people are in your boat at least with spraying. For painting ? ... no.



Also i don't mean this to sound rude, but there's going to be next to no way around it.... your parents need to chill out, and possibly do some reading so they have a clue as to what they are talking about.





EDIT 1 : * Well, the metallics can have minor, minor toxicity if ingested, like so minor it can still be rated non-toxic.

EDIT 2: Oadie makes a good point: you can pull the MSDS on the paints and prove to them even if the "NON TOXIC" on the label isn't good enough.

I have hobby room. I go out to garage to spray paint or do things i know needs ventalation and what not. I use old desk for painting and hobby stuff. I keep laptop on desk to surf youtube and what not while painting and such. I have been doing this since 1990 and i am 38 right now and all i can say is i have had no health issues from hobby that i know of... but my wife and kids have chaos mutations...jk