The Ford Barn

Barber31 · 04-23-2014, 11:21 PM

What are the chances there is lead in the paint on my car? I've heard of old paints being lacquer type paints but wasn't sure about the lead type. Reason i ask, I started a little sanding and curious to see what the original color might be under all the layers, it dawned on me that maybe there could be lead in this paint. So better to be safe than sorry I figured I would consult with you guys.

silversink · 04-24-2014, 12:53 AM

get a lead test kit at Lowes or Home depot and test the dust

Kevin in NJ · 04-24-2014, 05:59 AM

No need for a test kit. Most likely there is lead. Do a quick search online and you will find all the answers. There are many links.

Of course today it is made out as this super bad thing. Common sense should prevail. Limit you breathing of the dust and don't let the kids lick your dusty clothes. The crap you get in your food and some of the medicines that are allowed are a more direct threat to you life.

pooch · 04-24-2014, 06:21 AM

Orange lacquer was about 50 % lead.

Reds and yellows not far behind.

Just wet sand it.

mshmodela · 04-24-2014, 07:14 AM

Many paints before 1960 had some lead in it.

jmeckel · 04-24-2014, 07:53 AM

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Paint dust is bad with or without lead. Use a good respirator to protect your lungs.

rusty12 · 04-24-2014, 07:59 AM

Don't eat it and you'll be fine. Stay away from Mc Donalds and processed foods too if you are worried about bad stuff in your system. Avoid breathing when you are outside as well.
Seriously, a little lead in your system won't kill you.

Terry,NJ · 04-24-2014, 08:06 AM

Wear a respirator and don't worry about it! There is a big scare going on about lead and it's mostly unwarranted. Most of us older guys have worked a little around molten lead or lead dust for most of our lives with no noticeable effects. I cast bullets, sweated pipes, and sanded paint in old houses with no (or minimal) effects. Use common sense as far as your precautions go and you'll be fine.
Terry

Logan · 04-24-2014, 08:45 AM

If you use a razor blade to scrape off the majority of the paint you don't have to worry as much about the dust, and it's faster than sitting there sanding all of it off.

Barber31 · 04-24-2014, 10:18 AM

Cool. Now I feel better. I usually use a respirator but I didn't know if it also can be absorbed thru the sweat glands and such. I see a lot of those DIY home home remodel shows at work and they always pull out those crazy full body space suits with oxygen tanks anytime there's mold or lead or asbestos. So just checking.

700rpm · 04-24-2014, 10:33 AM

It's simply not true that lead poses no dangers or a little bit won't hurt you, and the risks should not be minimized or ignored. Like mercury, it accumulates in the body and never leaves. It is toxic and due precautions should be taken to avoid ingestion in any form. This has been proven, accepted fact for a long time. A responsible person will also dispose of it in a way that does not put anyone else at risk, especially if children are present.

From Wikipedia:
Lead poisoning (also known as plumbism, colica pictorum, saturnism, Devon colic, or painter's colic) is a medical condition in humans and other vertebrates caused by increased levels of the heavy metal lead in the body. Lead interferes with a variety of body processes and is toxic to many organs and tissues including the heart, bones, intestines, kidneys, and reproductive and nervous systems. It interferes with the development of the nervous system and is therefore particularly toxic to children, causing potentially permanent learning and behavior disorders. Symptoms include abdominal pain, confusion, headache, anemia, irritability, and in severe cases seizures, coma, and death.

dumb person · 04-24-2014, 04:06 PM

i have eaten tons of lead paint over the years (no choice) no idea if it does any harm or not.

1wonton · 04-24-2014, 04:37 PM

Unless you're inhailing lead dust continually for years you need not worry about poisoning. A "little" lead wont hurt you. Just like the fallacy of "second hand smoke", all these warnings and trumped-up fears are purely the creation of a nation of ambulance-chasing lawyers. I've been scraping and painting with lead paint for fifty years and have no symptoms of lead connected illness.

Growley bear · 04-24-2014, 04:50 PM

Lead based paint like other toxic chemicals (carcinogenic--stays in your system forever) affect different people in different ways. I personally have experience with AGENT ORANGE, a toxic carcinogen, and I know some people who were sprayed with it and are still here and some aren't.

When in doubt about something such as lead in paint, it is best to over prepare. Lots of older body guys who used lead on car bodies are now using supplemental oxygen. You don't get a DO OVER on this.

Proceed with caution, Chet

vermontboy · 04-24-2014, 06:27 PM

Our parents grew up chewing on lead painted toys, inhaling lead in gasoline, etc. My grandfather lived to be 96, my father 82.
Remember amalgam fillings in your teeth - mercury and silver. The dentist gave me a capsule full of amalgam to play with when I was a kid and said don't ever swallow it. We played with mercury in chemistry class in high school.
I read where some kid brought a mercury thermometer to school and they had to call in a hazmat team to "cleanse" the school, etc. We used to stick those thermometers in our mouths. That was then, this is now.

04-23-2014, 11:21 PM	#1
Barber31 Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2013 Location: San Antonio, Texas Posts: 687	Toxic paint ? What are the chances there is lead in the paint on my car? I've heard of old paints being lacquer type paints but wasn't sure about the lead type. Reason i ask, I started a little sanding and curious to see what the original color might be under all the layers, it dawned on me that maybe there could be lead in this paint. So better to be safe than sorry I figured I would consult with you guys.

04-24-2014, 12:53 AM	#2
silversink Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Dayton Oregon Posts: 318	Re: Toxic paint ? get a lead test kit at Lowes or Home depot and test the dust __________________ Hotrods don't have valve covers

04-24-2014, 05:59 AM	#3
Kevin in NJ Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: South East NJ Posts: 3,398	Re: Toxic paint ? No need for a test kit. Most likely there is lead. Do a quick search online and you will find all the answers. There are many links. Of course today it is made out as this super bad thing. Common sense should prevail. Limit you breathing of the dust and don't let the kids lick your dusty clothes. The crap you get in your food and some of the medicines that are allowed are a more direct threat to you life.

04-24-2014, 06:21 AM	#4
pooch Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: South Coast NSW Australia Posts: 2,596	Re: Toxic paint ? Orange lacquer was about 50 % lead. Reds and yellows not far behind. Just wet sand it.

04-24-2014, 07:14 AM	#5
mshmodela Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2014 Location: Cleveland, Ohio Posts: 2,763	Re: Toxic paint ? Many paints before 1960 had some lead in it.

04-24-2014, 07:53 AM	#6
jmeckel Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: Luck WI Posts: 550	Re: Toxic paint ? Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements) Paint dust is bad with or without lead. Use a good respirator to protect your lungs. __________________ Jon "If you choose to not decide, you still have made a choice!" RUSH Don't tell me what you know..... Tell me what you have done.

04-24-2014, 07:59 AM	#7
rusty12 Member Join Date: Apr 2012 Posts: 89	Re: Toxic paint ? Don't eat it and you'll be fine. Stay away from Mc Donalds and processed foods too if you are worried about bad stuff in your system. Avoid breathing when you are outside as well. Seriously, a little lead in your system won't kill you.

04-24-2014, 08:06 AM	#8
Terry,NJ Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2013 Location: Northern Bucks Co. Pa Posts: 632	Re: Toxic paint ? Wear a respirator and don't worry about it! There is a big scare going on about lead and it's mostly unwarranted. Most of us older guys have worked a little around molten lead or lead dust for most of our lives with no noticeable effects. I cast bullets, sweated pipes, and sanded paint in old houses with no (or minimal) effects. Use common sense as far as your precautions go and you'll be fine. Terry

04-24-2014, 08:45 AM	#9
Logan Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Fort Worth, Texas Posts: 1,055	Re: Toxic paint ? If you use a razor blade to scrape off the majority of the paint you don't have to worry as much about the dust, and it's faster than sitting there sanding all of it off. __________________ Cowtown A's

04-24-2014, 10:18 AM	#10
Barber31 Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2013 Location: San Antonio, Texas Posts: 687	Re: Toxic paint ? Cool. Now I feel better. I usually use a respirator but I didn't know if it also can be absorbed thru the sweat glands and such. I see a lot of those DIY home home remodel shows at work and they always pull out those crazy full body space suits with oxygen tanks anytime there's mold or lead or asbestos. So just checking.

04-24-2014, 10:33 AM	#11
700rpm Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Portland, Oregon Posts: 5,906	Re: Toxic paint ? It's simply not true that lead poses no dangers or a little bit won't hurt you, and the risks should not be minimized or ignored. Like mercury, it accumulates in the body and never leaves. It is toxic and due precautions should be taken to avoid ingestion in any form. This has been proven, accepted fact for a long time. A responsible person will also dispose of it in a way that does not put anyone else at risk, especially if children are present. From Wikipedia: Lead poisoning (also known as plumbism, colica pictorum, saturnism, Devon colic, or painter's colic) is a medical condition in humans and other vertebrates caused by increased levels of the heavy metal lead in the body. Lead interferes with a variety of body processes and is toxic to many organs and tissues including the heart, bones, intestines, kidneys, and reproductive and nervous systems. It interferes with the development of the nervous system and is therefore particularly toxic to children, causing potentially permanent learning and behavior disorders. Symptoms include abdominal pain, confusion, headache, anemia, irritability, and in severe cases seizures, coma, and death. __________________ Ray Horton, Portland, OR As you go through life, keep your eye on the donut, not the hole. Last edited by 700rpm; 04-24-2014 at 10:40 AM.

04-24-2014, 04:06 PM	#12
dumb person Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: South pacific island Posts: 1,724	Re: Toxic paint ? i have eaten tons of lead paint over the years (no choice) no idea if it does any harm or not. __________________ <Link> This is how we roll<Link> "I'm Convinced that no one really reads posts anymore; they just fabricate what they think the post says then ramble on about red herrings."--Bob Outcasts rules of old cars #1 Fun is imperative, mainstream is overrated #2 If they think it is impossible, prove them wrong #3 If the science says it impossible you are not being creative enough. #4 No shame in recreating something you never had #5 If it were not for the law & physics you would be unstoppable

04-24-2014, 04:37 PM	#13
1wonton BANNED Join Date: Nov 2013 Location: Vallejo, Ca Posts: 125	Re: Toxic paint ? Unless you're inhailing lead dust continually for years you need not worry about poisoning. A "little" lead wont hurt you. Just like the fallacy of "second hand smoke", all these warnings and trumped-up fears are purely the creation of a nation of ambulance-chasing lawyers. I've been scraping and painting with lead paint for fifty years and have no symptoms of lead connected illness.

04-24-2014, 04:50 PM	#14
Growley bear Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2012 Posts: 777	Re: Toxic paint ? Lead based paint like other toxic chemicals (carcinogenic--stays in your system forever) affect different people in different ways. I personally have experience with AGENT ORANGE, a toxic carcinogen, and I know some people who were sprayed with it and are still here and some aren't. When in doubt about something such as lead in paint, it is best to over prepare. Lots of older body guys who used lead on car bodies are now using supplemental oxygen. You don't get a DO OVER on this. Proceed with caution, Chet

04-24-2014, 06:27 PM	#15
vermontboy Member Join Date: Aug 2013 Location: Webster, NY Posts: 84	Re: Toxic paint ? Our parents grew up chewing on lead painted toys, inhaling lead in gasoline, etc. My grandfather lived to be 96, my father 82. Remember amalgam fillings in your teeth - mercury and silver. The dentist gave me a capsule full of amalgam to play with when I was a kid and said don't ever swallow it. We played with mercury in chemistry class in high school. I read where some kid brought a mercury thermometer to school and they had to call in a hazmat team to "cleanse" the school, etc. We used to stick those thermometers in our mouths. That was then, this is now.