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WARNING: Mixing Harmless Home Products !

NELSON - Monday, August 3, 2009 - 7:41pm

This comment`s sole intention is to warn some folks about how dangerous it can be to mix simple harmless home products, as well as other chemicals. Sometimes people like me who like to experiment at home and come up with their own mixes and/or patinas and discover outstanding finishes, do not realize the risk of mixing such products. Explosions, burns, and poisoning are among some of the possible outcomes resulting from aleatory mixing. Some like vinegar (acetic acid) when mixed with bleach (sodium hypochlorite), will react giving off a by product that is harmful and could be lethal: CHLORINE GAS. Other by products like chloridric acid are very easily formed by chemical reactions as we don`t know what the result of some mixes might be. In all, take your time to do some basic research before you engage yourself into mixing a bomb. Sorry, if this sort of warning has been already posted, but if it helps prevent a single accident, it shall be worth it. Nelson.


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Andre Steynberg's picture

Thank you Nelson!!

Andre Steynberg - Wednesday, August 5, 2009 - 12:20am

Hi Nelson, you may have prevented a catastrophe in my workshop today. Yesterday, I googled "rust treatment" in response to a client's request to make the mild steel gates I had finished for her "look old & rusty" instead of finishing them with paint. Google returned advice on the use of either vinegar or chlorine bleach, both of which I picked up from my local supermarket yesterday, thinking that I would use either or both products to initiate the oxidation process. Might sound crazy for those folks in the know, but to me it seemed like a cheap alternative to the pricy commercial products available. A huge thank you to you Nelson! You could not have timed your posting better to prevent a potential disaster.


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NELSON's picture

Hi Andre, Gee it`s good to

NELSON - Wednesday, August 5, 2009 - 9:33am

Hi Andre,
Gee it`s good to hear that man, this blog has already served its purpose. A while back, to achieve a rust finish too, I engaged myself into mixing all combinations possible with Cu sulphate, bleach, and vinegar, using two or three of them as in a seemingly harmless experiment. I noticed some bubbling and although the mixing was done in an ordered fashion, from that point on, there was something that for some reason scared me, so I started to do a little research to find out which generated what. From that time on, my interest in mixing chemicals at will is long gone.Some people may think some exposure to chlorine and other harmful substances won`t kill, and they`re "probably" right, but at best skin, eyes, lungs,brain and/or other organs may be affected. Thus if someone still wants to adventure, try getting advice beforehand for your well being.Again Andre, I`m glad for you, pass it on to others...
Nelson.


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lin's picture

patinas

lin - Wednesday, August 5, 2009 - 10:08am

Thanks Nelson, I have been reluctant to try mixing patinas myself because of my lack of chemical knowledge. I pay more for commercial products but I think it is worth the extra money to be on the safe side. Lin


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NELSON's picture

My pleasure Lin, after being

NELSON - Wednesday, August 5, 2009 - 12:01pm

My pleasure Lin,

after being in farming for many years and seeing the brutal amount of chemicals dumped in the fields for pests control,one becomes aware of the hazards of misusing and overusing of literally deadly products. Hopefully, artists`s contribution to poisoning the planet is neglegible, but we have to be careful not to poison ourselves... Nelson.


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