Paint odors

[loco8107]

I was wondering about this as I’m limited with brand experiences who has the lowest odor? I know Floquil was one of the strongest but how is a brand like Tamiya vs Scalecoat and TruColor and such?

[Colin 't Hart]

Use a mask. If you can smell it, then you're inhaling it.

[Christian]

Nov 24, 2023 14:51:38 GMT -8 loco8107 said:

I was wondering about this as I’m limited with brand experiences who has the lowest odor? I know Floquil was one of the strongest but how is a brand like Tamiya vs Scalecoat and TruColor and such?

I am asthmatic and Floquil, Scalecoat, TruColor and most other solvent paints trigger attacks even when brushing. Testors, Revell, and Humbrol enamels are the lowest odor solvent paints that I have tried, but no longer use.

I am experimenting with VMS Airbrush Thinner 2.0 for Enamel Paints and Ammo by MIG weathering enamels and pigment fixing enamels. So far, so good. But this is not something for general painting. Just a brush stroke or two, a puddle, or a wash. I am also experimenting with Abteilung502 oils with their odorless thinner. This is the same as artist's oil paints with odorless mineral spirits. I can stand short sessions. All these solvent materials are really special use paints. I can't image using Abteilung502 tube oils to base coat a locomotive.

Krylon I use with a mask, nitrile gloves, outdoors, standing up wind.

Acrylic paints generally have little odor. I mostly use Mission Models, AK Interactive, and Vallejo with no triggering issues while brushing or spraying. I'm ok with Tamiya, but this is a peculiar paint in that it is an acrylic with lacquer and enamel characteristics. Thinned with water or Golden airbrush medium I haven't had a trigger. Tamiya's own thinner is toluene so I don't use that.

Hart's comment about masks is right on point. "Odorless" paints and thinners still put particles into the air looking for a nice set of pink lungs. Along with a particle mask I use a cheap air quality monitor near, not on, my workbench and pay attention to the readings. When the monitor is on the cusp between "moderate" and "poor" I stop what I'm doing, run some cleaner through the airbrush, and head out doors for a while until the monitor has cleared.

Note that CA as well as most modeling "glues" can also be triggers. And, of all things, Micro Sol and Micro Set!

Also note that I got all the way through this without mentioning "mucus" or "snot!"  Both are unscientific hints that you should not be doing whatever it is you are doing.

[loco8107]

Thanks for the answers. I have only used paint outdoors with the necessary protections- but I only used the spray cans. I was wondering of the popular brands who has the lowest odor for future projects. I was wondering how Tamiya is as they also make acrylic sprays- I don’t have an airbrush set which isn’t cheap either. I’ve had good luck with the sprays being very careful with them. Some brands are stronger than others which is why I asked the question.

[drsvelte]

I like Tamiya paints and use both their lacquer spray cans and the bottled lacquers in an airbrush. The Tamiya cans put out alot of volume and alot of odor. If you could find your way to an airbrush, you would have better control over both.

[Christian]

Nov 25, 2023 7:38:40 GMT -8 loco8107 said:

Thanks for the answers. I have only used paint outdoors with the necessary protections- but I only used the spray cans. I was wondering of the popular brands who has the lowest odor for future projects. I was wondering how Tamiya is as they also make acrylic sprays- I don’t have an airbrush set which isn’t cheap either. I’ve had good luck with the sprays being very careful with them. Some brands are stronger than others which is why I asked the question.

Tamiya, Vallejo, and AK Interactive are acrylic lacquers. Read the cans. If it says Highly Flammable you are dealing with a high VOC solvent spray, propellent, and smell. 

[loco8107]

Nov 25, 2023 13:39:40 GMT -8 Christian said:

Nov 25, 2023 7:38:40 GMT -8 loco8107 said:

Thanks for the answers. I have only used paint outdoors with the necessary protections- but I only used the spray cans. I was wondering of the popular brands who has the lowest odor for future projects. I was wondering how Tamiya is as they also make acrylic sprays- I don’t have an airbrush set which isn’t cheap either. I’ve had good luck with the sprays being very careful with them. Some brands are stronger than others which is why I asked the question.

Tamiya, Vallejo, and AK Interactive are acrylic lacquers. Read the cans. If it says Highly Flammable you are dealing with a high VOC solvent spray, propellent, and smell. 

Thanks for the info. Does the same apply to the Tamiya acrylic jars?

[Christian]

Nov 26, 2023 7:22:04 GMT -8 loco8107 said:

Nov 25, 2023 13:39:40 GMT -8 Christian said:

Tamiya, Vallejo, and AK Interactive are acrylic lacquers. Read the cans. If it says Highly Flammable you are dealing with a high VOC solvent spray, propellent, and smell. 

Thanks for the info. Does the same apply to the Tamiya acrylic jars?

I got down close and personal with a bottle of Tamiya paint. Actually I sniffed both a regular and a metallic paint. Metallic paints are often different from "regular" colors because of the difficulty of keeping metal particles in suspension. There was a definite whiff of something, but it was mild enough to not trigger a reaction. I also sniffed the paints from the other brands of acrylics I have mentioned in the thread. Nothing, no smell at all. Since I've occasionally used Tamiya paints for many, many years I've not paid much attention to the label which has tiny print and in the case of some bottles that I have the text is in Japanese. On the front are both fire and poison warnings. The newest bottle has the volatile ingredients listed on the label. Also the standard California warning which is useless because it does not indicate what the dangerous components are nor the percentage of those chemicals. Nor is the California label bottle specific. (in hobby and artist's paints the hazardous component is frequently the pigment which sometimes contains heavy metals.)

Below I have attached the MSD Sheet for Tamiya black paints. Propanol is found in other acrylic paints and is used as a flowing agent. It is an alcohol and is flammable as well as a lung irritant. None of the other acrylics I use have enough propanol to trigger label warnings. The California trigger is likely the carbon black which is an extremely common black pigment. It's cheap.