I am actually a ceramicist but decided to post here because this questions would apply to pottery as well as ceramics. I have always be told "not to airbrush" glazes as it is a dangerous process due to the frit and chemicals in the glazes. Is this indeed an unhealthy practice and could it be OK with a proper respirator? Thanks so much.
A lot of potters airbrush glazes. Yes, you do need to take precautions, mostly due to the silica in the glaze. (Modern glazes *should* be free of most toxics like lead and barium, but you need to check yours. Alas, many still have manganese and some other less-than-friendly ingredients.)
Ideally, you should have a regular spray booth that pulls the overspray away from you and exhausts (filtered) outside the building. Note that it's not enough to just wear a respirator when spraying if the overspray is going to get turned into airborne dust later.
Best regards,
Bob Masta D A Q A R T A Data AcQuisition And Real-Time Analysis
I agree one hundred percent with you on that one, Bob. Even if the person doesn't own a spray booth, I would do the spray painting outdoor with a respirator mask. One's health is not something to screw around with and it will boomerang back on you. Warmly, Kathryn in NC.
one note however-- always use a mask, silca is a nasty nasty thing and its in all glazes .. even the "non toxic" ones..
for Cadnium reds, cadnium yellows and leaded glazes, use a chemical respirator, disposable nitril gloves, and a apron you can wash. cadnium is mucho nasty stuff, and lead isnt good at all for kids.. if you have kids at home, i would not do any airbrushing of leaded glazes at all, paint booth or not. the particles are pernicious and you can contaminate everything you touch with lead, if your not careful.
other glaze chenimals-- Ferric oxid is fine, in solutuiion, it will start rust spots on unprotected metal-- and holes in cotton . DO NOT USE ferric cloride for anything unless you are in a industrial setting and have used it before- its bad news... ( it will eat hole in your skin on contact).
one of the basic glaze techniques, salt glazing. is very nasty as well. it seems on the outset to be innoucous, but in the firing process, the salt (sodium cloride) reacts with the silca in the clay to form a sodium silicate, and releasing Clorine gas witch is a immediate health hazard. (clorie gas was used in WWI as a weapon) soda firng is a good alternative, though there is still a place for slat firing, but not in a home setting .
read and understand the MSDS for the chemicals you are using.
remember , professional potters in history had relativly short lives, due largly on the hard work, and the nasty chemicals they delt with on a daily basis...
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