Resin Safety 101 – A Risk Management Approach

Risk Comes from not knowing what you’re doing.

Just like FDM Printers, resin printers do come with risks, however that doesn’t mean one should completely avoid it. Coming from an business background, I learned and believe all risks can be managed. Here is how we can manage them with Resin Printing.

Resin Safety 101

Risk Mitigation
I’m going to start with the main thing that everyone is here for; reducing the risks associated with resin printing. How do we do this? Personal Protection Equipment (PPE).

Respirator – This is the first item you’ll need to ensure you are safe. Resin printing release fumes, particularly Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs), and a little bit of Particulate Matter (PM). What we are trying to protect is our lungs from VOCs; half face or full face respirator do the job.

The two I recommend are:

Half Face – 3M Reusable Respirator, Half Face Piece 6502QL

Full Face – 3M Full Facepiece Reusable Respirator 6800

With the masks you’ll need to pair Organic Vapor Respirator Cartridges. You can choose for any P100 filter ranging from 60921 – 60927. I normally use 60921 or 60926 as those are available for next shipment or at my local store.

Goggles/Glasses The second item is to protect your eyes. If you are going for a full face respirator you can skip this. Goggles provide a seal around your eyes so if their any splashes they won’t drip into your eyes. Glasses offer some flexibility but do have gaps. The preference is up to you and your workspace.

Glasses – Any safety glasses. I use 3M Safety Glasses ($15-20)

Goggles – Ensure they are anti-fog. I prefer clear and cheap ones.

Gloves – The third item to protect your hands. This is done using Nitrile Gloves. If you are like me you’ll go through gloves in droves. I normally grab them at Costco in the car area.

Vulcan Nitrile Gloves – X-Large
Vulcan Nitrile Gloves – Large
Vulcan Nitrile Gloves – Medium

Aprons/Clothing – This is straight forward, I like keeping my clothes clean. When working with resin, I have a few shirts and pants that are designated just for this purpose. I also wear an apron as an additional layer of protection.

Risk Mitigation Again
Even with all the safety equipment listed above, one other method you can use is….. ensure you are in a well ventilated room.

This is one the easiest things anyone can do. Put your setup in a room with window(s), the garage or the shed but, this isn’t always the case. My setup is in a closet.

To ensure adequate air flow, I have a inline fan (exhaust) setup with a carbon filter. Is it the prettiest thing, no, but its functional and keeps me safe.

If you are working a closed space, I would highly recommend to have a exhaust.

Risk Acceptance
With resin printing there are certain risks that will always be there such as spills, leaks, fumes, resin getting on clothes, cured prints having a scent until being fully aired out. They are bound to happen. With taking steps to mitigate them and taking your time with the process, they are less likely to occur. Accepting some risk such as resin leaks or getting on your clothes, may or may not occur, but having a comfort level and protection, that they might is a big mental part of resin printing.

Risk Transference
If you aren’t comfortable with the risks that come with resin printing, or you don’t want to have a complete setup (printer, wash, and cure), that is perfectly fine. Why? Because you can transfer all those risks to someone who is willing to do it. Obviously for a price.

In most areas you’ll find some on Facekbook, Kijiji, Craigslist’s, local area, etc. that will do your prints for you. They print anything from miniatures to full figurines with varying prices. This is one of the easiest way’s to get into resin printing and 3D printed model painting.

Risk Avoidance
If you are uncomfortable with everything listed above, then its best to ignore resin printing… for now. Everyone has a different risk tolerance and the level of risk acceptance changes from time to time. When you are willing to give resin printing a try, this guide and this community will always be here to support you.