possum1284 Posted November 9, 2005 Report Share Posted November 9, 2005 last nights episode of HOUSE mentioned that braided wire was hazardous. kinda bored i decided to look it up after the show. it turns out its true. shielded wire and other types are carcengeans from what i read. anyone else ever heard of this or am i reading the information wrong. Adam Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fryovanni Posted November 9, 2005 Report Share Posted November 9, 2005 Hmmm... Thats a pretty vague statement. Are you talking about some wire that contains Lead in its insulation? Or are you talking about certain types of insulation giving off toxic fumes when it burns? If you are talking about braided fabric that was used to wrap older types of Romex style cable in house wiring. What aspect of the cable is toxic(the fabric braiding or the plastic insulation), and when is it toxic? Is it toxic if it becomes friable (like asbestos), is it toxic if injested (like lead), is it toxic when burned (inhaled fumes)? You have me curious. Peace,Rich Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
possum1284 Posted November 9, 2005 Author Report Share Posted November 9, 2005 Hmmm... Thats a pretty vague statement. Are you talking about some wire that contains Lead in its insulation? Or are you talking about certain types of insulation giving off toxic fumes when it burns? If you are talking about braided fabric that was used to wrap older types of Romex style cable in house wiring. What aspect of the cable is toxic(the fabric braiding or the plastic insulation), and when is it toxic? Is it toxic if it becomes friable (like asbestos), is it toxic if injested (like lead), is it toxic when burned (inhaled fumes)? You have me curious. Peace,Rich ← im been trying to figure it out my self i think all wire is toxic. pvc which is used to insulate most wire sure is. from what i understand cable wire contains somsrt of cloth material that is harmful to cut. specifically the two wires im conserned with are the following wire 1 and wire 2. the vintage wire contains celanese which i have not been able to find info on, though i have a feeling its similar to pvc. i guess my real question is are theses wires and the solder used once its all done safe to go near. i mean are they carcinegeans in a solid state? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daniel Sorbera Posted November 9, 2005 Report Share Posted November 9, 2005 BBQ meat is a carcinegean also. Does that mean your going to stop eating BBQ? I doubt it. I seriously doubt it's somethign to worry about. If it was something severe they would have a warning on the label. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
possum1284 Posted November 9, 2005 Author Report Share Posted November 9, 2005 i have a feeling once i finish my two projects in progress im giving building up. the more i learn the more im bugging myself up. apparently alot of the stuff that use regulary in building is quite harmful. Adam Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daniel Sorbera Posted November 9, 2005 Report Share Posted November 9, 2005 Thats really not necessary. As long as you take the proper percautions such as wearing a resperator, eye protection, and ear protection you should be fine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
i-j-c Posted November 9, 2005 Report Share Posted November 9, 2005 Fear..it's a terrible thing.. Walking across the street is inherintly dangerous...you can get hit by a car or a bus..look at the stats.. Flying is dangerous, so is travelling on a trains...so is driving your car down the freeway... Eating chicken, eggs, red meat, too much alcohol, milk can be dangerous.. Life has dangers...just don't let them dictate what you do..otherwise you end up living in a cave, becoming a hermit, have no contact with human life...and I suspect even that is dangerous...there's bugs in them there caves... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Alex Posted November 9, 2005 Report Share Posted November 9, 2005 (edited) If there was anything to worry about, NOBODY would use or sell them, I'm not saying to not worry, but just dont melt the insulation on wire where possible. 1. It don't smell too nice. 2. It gives can you a headache. Soldering is worse with the lead, as I understand, stuff like orange juice helps to clear lead out of your system quicker, but it naturally clears out anyway. Steak sauce last I heard was carcinegenic, so is woostershire. I remember you saying something about having a reaction to some wood, I'd worry more about that than some wire. But then I'd worry more about tapeworm from too much rare meat, to which I doubt anybody does. Edit : I apoligize beforehand if this is going a bit far, I don't mean to offend you in anyway, but you seem to me to be a hypochondriac. Just chill out, people make a living working with this stuff, and you don't exactly hear about steve the electrician dying of too much cable do you? Maybe Shane or Kane, but no Steve. Edited November 9, 2005 by Mr Alex Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mattia Posted November 10, 2005 Report Share Posted November 10, 2005 There are hazardous materials all around us, and a ton and a half of them in every woodshop. But knowing they're there is key, and protecting yourself from them really isn't that hard. All dust, including (and sometimes especially) wood dust can be carcinogenic, or at the very least harmful to your respiratory system. So you wear a respirator when working with it, and if you must use woods you're allergic to, full-body protection is a must. Better yet, avoid 'em, and even if they don't bug you (yet) limit your exposure to the dust (cocobolo, pau ferro are infamous examples of potentially 'nasty' woods) I highly doubt any wires, braided or otherwise, can have any kind of carcinogenic effect from simply handling them. The metals, the PVC insulation, etc. are inert. Old stuff, containing asbestos/other fiber materials, that's a different issue, but again, if it's stuff that's release by working it/heating it/melting it...wear a respirator. And some eye protection for good measure. Dangerous, carcinogenic chemicals...wear gloves AND eye protection, and limit your exposure (ie, the reason I do not use Nitro). Glues...white PVA is pretty much harmless, epoxy can be nasty, CA (superglue) is still used in certain surgery things, poly is nasty, so..use gloves with anything but PVA. Or switch to hide glue, which might give you mad cow disease, but you can otherwise just snack on in a crunch. There's no need for highly expensive, complicated safety equipment to keep your skin and especially lungs clear of the nasties guitarmaking (or any other woodwork) can throw up, and the necessary precautions are, quite frankly, fairly straightforward. The nastiest ingredient people here frequently use is laquer thinner, pretty much, and that can be fairly easily avoided. Unless you're severely allergic to minute amounts of the stuff you have to use, and you can't find alternatives, this isn't a particularly dangerous hobby. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Southpa Posted November 10, 2005 Report Share Posted November 10, 2005 (edited) I've heard from more than one experienced contractor that milk helps combat the toxicity effects of solvent based paints. I've searched for something that would support this but haven't found anything yet. Either way it still does a body good. ______ <-- (little milk moustache) Edited November 10, 2005 by Southpa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guitarfrenzy Posted November 10, 2005 Report Share Posted November 10, 2005 Toxicity is all around us. It's in the food we eat. Should we stop eating? It's in the air we breath. Should we stop breathing? It's in the water you drink. Should we stop drinking? There is only so much you can do to protect yourself from harm. That doesn't mean you shouldn't try to protect your health as much as you can, but ultimately you can go overboard with it. I don't know if braided wire isn't as safe as solid, but I'm not planning on chewing the stuff either. My bet is that there are far more greater concerns than wire. Is the cell phone your using putting off those radioactive waves. Is your microwave leaking? Yikes Do you live near a power plant? What kind of chemicals are they using to treat your water? Why is phosphoric acid extremely dangerous yet it's a main ingredient in Dr. Pepper? hummm Yes danger is all around us my friend, but I'd rather be cautious and go on with my life unstead of letting it immodilize me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fryovanni Posted November 10, 2005 Report Share Posted November 10, 2005 Ok, Your not talking about vintage house wiring. Your talking about PVC insulated wire and braided cotton sheithed wire. I am aware of no common issue with these types of wire. Yes, PVC when burned can give off toxic fumes. This is a recognized hazard that can most certainly be avoided by not damaging (burning) the insulation. I guess its like burning plastic in your fire place, you just shouldn't do it. Now if you want something of real concern. Don't chew on wire insulation. A lot of electricians used to strip wires and they would put the plastic in their mouth to hold it while connecting the wire. We found out certain wire had trace amounts of lead in it's insulation and electricians were getting lead poisoning. You will even notice on MANY Christmas light strings there is a notice that the wire contains lead. That is a real hazard and should be avoided. Most people know asbestos was used in certain building products. The most well known of course is the white pipe insulation. What most people probably don't know is that asbestos was used in all kinds of products clear up into the 80's. Of course in its hay day. You would have found it in siding, sheetrock, floor tile, different types of common glues, pipe insulation, wire insulation, and yes even clothing. Top your house off with a nice thick coat of lead based paint and you where all set up. There are real hazards out there that should be avoided. I would learn and understand the hazard associated with these products. I am not going to deny there are some common products that will not become notorious as we learn more(Teflon, PVC etc...). Then again lets be real. You are much more likely to get hit by a car (not to mention the bad stuff blowing out the tail pipe). I think a little perspective and common sense will go a long way tward avoiding hazards, and still allow yourself to actually live a life. Peace,Rich Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
n8rofwyo Posted November 10, 2005 Report Share Posted November 10, 2005 My personal perspective is that you can be afraid of any damn thing you want....irrelevant....on a long enought time span we all die of cancer anyway. The kicker is that sometimes something beats cancer to the punch. HAVE A GREAT EVENING!! Nate Robinson Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan_007 Posted November 11, 2005 Report Share Posted November 11, 2005 Killer cable? Seems like a convenient excuse to quit building when it all gets more complicated than you thought it was going to be... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fryovanni Posted November 11, 2005 Report Share Posted November 11, 2005 Killer cable? Seems like a convenient excuse to quit building when it all gets more complicated than you thought it was going to be... ← I believe Adam just has to be very careful because he has strong reactions to certain chemicals. I don't think he is looking for excuses because anything is getting to complicated. Peace,Rich Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boogiewoogieman Posted November 18, 2005 Report Share Posted November 18, 2005 live for today not tomorrow. Just use safety gear. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
erikbojerik Posted November 18, 2005 Report Share Posted November 18, 2005 No way do I watch "House". I watch "Earl" instead, much better show. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guitarfrenzy Posted November 18, 2005 Report Share Posted November 18, 2005 You watch My Name Is Earl? I thought I was the only one crazy enough to like that show.. lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
erikbojerik Posted November 18, 2005 Report Share Posted November 18, 2005 That's the one. Great show. It's got that "Fargo" vibe going. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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