I picked up some Formica at the ZeroLandfill event and was curious about this. You may find this MSDS from Formica interesting as they do specifically address laser cutting and formaldehyde on page 7.
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Thanks, I know to avoid formica these days even though I used to love working with it.
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Awesome! Unfortunately, there arenât any ZeroLandfill events anywhere in New England. I sent a link to that website to some community organizers in town who loved the idea and forwarded it on to others. Who knows where that will lead. Thanks for sharing!
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The SDS, the new word for the MSDS, is composed by a roomful of people thinking up what could be hazardous (alongside some guidelines on what needs to be considered/included.) The quality of the data on the SDS will vary. But even when doing a great job, that group is going to be thinking along the lines of their targeted customer. So a plywood manufacturer will be thinking of particulate hazards (sawdust) and possibly people burning scraps in a fire pit. Tiny quantities of whatever being burned by a laser could produce different compounds. Fabric, including leather, manufacturers will be thinking along the lines of cutting, sewing, and being gnawed on by young children. Things they may not have to list because theyâre inert in normal use could be potentially hazardous when vaporized. For a lot of compounds there is simply no good data.
You have to use the SDS/MSDS as a starting point, but if youâre particularly worried research if someone else has used it and then try some test cuttings. If youâre still alive, nothing new is growing where it shouldnât, your house is more or less undamaged and the glowforge is still working proceed according to your best judgment.
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Interesting!
I was surprised to learn that the act of eating provokes an immune response, but on thinking about it, how could it be otherwise - dumping foreign matter into the body like that.
I didnât know about the neutralizing action.
Thanks for the insight.
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Aspiration pneumonia (we docs hate that term, since what other mechanism is there for bacteria to enter the lungs - and penetrating wounds donât count) is a very common cause of death in the elderly (particularly after a stroke or with dementia). That is different than we all aspirate at night while sleeping, theoretically sterile (but highly acidic) stomach contents, which we have evolved to handle at nightâŚ
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The most dangerous food for me is Triscuits. I love them, but if I am not careful, I am in trouble. Iâve learned that not talking while eating is the most important step with me. When I first discovered it, the distance I could walk before I was out of breath declined rapidly over a few days. I had no cough, but I knew I had either a heart or lung problem, or both. Antibiotics cleared it up quickly, so I knew it was primarily a lung problem. I had to manage the bacteria levels over 4 months to get over it, as the bacteria was the only thing that could rid the food from my lungs.
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Your immune cells (primarily macrophages) can quite happily eat triscuit (thatâs how absorbable sutures work, they get eaten), but depending on the size it can take a very long time (and remember the inside of your airways are outside the body, so not very efficient). If I put that bit of triscuit in your abdominal cavity it would be eaten fairly quicklyâŚ
Actually the most dangerous food to inhale is a peanut. This is highly specific, and peanut oil turns out to be specifically toxic to the airway lining and produces a spectacular immune response resulting in rapid scarring of the airway (often requiring laser ablation with a bronchoscope - and no you canât self do that with a GF!!!!)
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Thats good news, I am planning on doing an 8 foot tree on my wall with 12x12 pieces of wood. Would be much nicer to use flooring.
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A great looking project. See the preceding comments from @henryhbk [quote=âhenryhbk, post:153, topic:975â]
SDS isnât what you want, thatâs hazardous to YOU not the laser. For instance HCL in tiny quantities wonât be hazardous to you, (every time you belch a tiny amount of HCL comes out since your stomach is full of it) but is highly corrosive to the laser. I mean heck saline solution is obviously safe (youâre about 40% saline solution) but pour it on your glow forge (donât) and you have a brick. MSDS is about human safety. So the glues, coatings, etc may be totally fine, but when decomposed by the laser may destroy the electronics.
[/quote]
And then from @caribis2. [quote=âcaribis2, post:164, topic:975, full:trueâ]
The SDS, the new word for the MSDS, is composed by a roomful of people thinking up what could be hazardous (alongside some guidelines on what needs to be considered/included.) The quality of the data on the SDS will vary. But even when doing a great job, that group is going to be thinking along the lines of their targeted customer. So a plywood manufacturer will be thinking of particulate hazards (sawdust) and possibly people burning scraps in a fire pit. Tiny quantities of whatever being burned by a laser could produce different compounds. Fabric, including leather, manufacturers will be thinking along the lines of cutting, sewing, and being gnawed on by young children. Things they may not have to list because theyâre inert in normal use could be potentially hazardous when vaporized. For a lot of compounds there is simply no good data.
You have to use the SDS/MSDS as a starting point, but if youâre particularly worried research if someone else has used it and then try some test cuttings. If youâre still alive, nothing new is growing where it shouldnât, your house is more or less undamaged and the glowforge is still working proceed according to your best judgment.
[/quote]
Both good points, donât know where else to look if you canât use MSDS. I guess we should only cut Proofgrade products or paper. Oh wait - only paper that is rated as acid free! 
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SUPER excited about Zero Landfill! I signed up for the Denver chapter. Thanks for posting about them.
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At least do your research on the formaldehyde levels, which can be a huge problem in laminate flooring (Lumber Liquidators got hit with a $10 million dollar fine and thousands of lawsuits for selling Chinese-made laminate flooring in the US that was so formaldehyde heavy it was making people sick, and then I think they got hit again for sending out inaccurate formaldehyde tests to people who hadnât sued yet.) @johnwills @smcgathyfay @printolaser
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Thanks for the fascinating information. Totally off-topic, but this is the kind of thing I love, so no way would I flag it. 
Did you stop by the faceting demo? I was there most of the show grin:
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I bet that as more and more people own laser cutters/engravers, materials suppliers will realize that advertising the âlaserabilityâ of their products will lead to increased sales, and the MSDS will become less important to the end user.
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Letâs hope so.
Tandy Leather Outlet has Online only sale now - I saw 5lb bag of veg-tanned rmnants only $14.99(normally $39.99) http://www.tandyleatheroutlet.com/p-472-economy-milled-veg-remnants-5lb.aspx . Not sure how long sale is good for - - if nothing else itâs good to be on their email list. (I wonder if allligator, lizard or ostrich is that laserableâŚ)
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Wow, thatâs an impressive haul! 
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Except when an employee beats you to them. ;} One of the perks of working for Costco⌠Tons of cardboard and mdf.
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This is cool! Now you would have to put it together or get someone to do it right? Loving this material.