3m 39002 Rubbing Compound Dangers

[Yaemish]

I just purchased some 3M 39002 Rubbing Compound from Autozone to fix an area of my car that I just re-cleared. I did about 20 minutes worth of work by hand and was really impressed with the results. Then yesterday I read about it on the forums and learned that it was some pretty toxic stuff.



I see that I should have been wearing a mask. I am a little worried that something is this bad and am hesitant to do it even with a mask. If I continue to use it, does a 3M painting respirator style mask offer adequate protection? What if I get some residue on my hands, will it become airborne and cause cancer?



Are there better rubbing compounds that I can use without fear?

[Accumulator]

Yaemish- I simply quit using the PI-II RC so I can`t advise Re which mask is OK :nixweiss



An alternative that I like better in pretty much every respect is Optimum`s Hyper (spray) Compound. M105 is another, with more cut.

[Yaemish]

Thanks. I`ll give one of them a try. I`m pretty pissed about the 3m stuff. The warning is pretty small and not as detailed as it should be for a product that carries this type of risk.

[Accumulator]

Yaemish- Yeah, they don`t make much fuss about it. We`ve discussed the health risks here before but with so few people still using the stuff it isn`t mentioned very often any more.

[David Fermani]

I seriuosly wouldn`t worry about the exposure from 1 use, but using a dust mask or respirator is a good idea for those that do this often. I really doubt there are any *safe* compounds and/or polishes out there.

[salty]

As David said, I don`t think any product is safe to breath. Spurring a wool pad with 105 and breathing it in, because some one said it was safer than 3M abrasives, is foolish.



By hand though, it shouldn`t be much of a problem.