M38 1952 Lead paint?

[mrkurtz2860]

I am working on a 1952 M38. Do I need to be concerned about lead paint? Was this used? Thanks!

 

[cucvmule]

Welcome to the Forum.

No concern at all. Why be concerned?

Great surface wear properties. If you sand the paint wear a respirator. If you are welding on or burning off paint, do not breath.

 

[mrkurtz2860]

Welcome to the Forum.

No concern at all. Why be concerned?

Great surface wear properties. If you sand the paint wear a respirator. If you are welding on or burning off paint, do not breath.

Hmmm. Thanks for the welcome. I bow to your experience, and I have been researching this. One issue is that small airborne particles, whether sawdust or lead paint dust, remain suspended in the air for up to 30 minutes.
If you are not collecting the dust, it will land on anything in the immediate area, and just by walking by or moving something days later, you can re-introduce it into the air you breathe.
Maybe just owning a jeep keeps you healthy!

 

[CMPPhil]

I am working on a 1952 M38. Do I need to be concerned about lead paint? Was this used? Thanks!

Hi

I'm glad you did some research on your own because. Because the correct answer is YES YOU DO NEED TO BE CONCERNED. Lead paint dust is dangerous to you and second hand exposure is to those around you can cause health problems. How to sand and apply automotive paint safely is the topic of a very long discussion.

From my personal experience of restoring MVs over forty years, I gone from wearing a simple mask to using supply air system for sanding, ginding, welding, and painting. In the shop I have two air filtering units that each process enough cubic feet of air to filter all the air in the shop every 5 minutes. This takes the majority of the paint dust out of the air, want to know what color paint being sanded just look at the filters.

Some people say wearing a supply air hood is uncomfortable, but sure is nice finish doing a paint job and never smelling paint. Same with welding, nice to have fresh cool outside air blowing down across your face.

Cheers Phil

 

[DeadParrot]

Yes, be worried. Lead paint was phased out after 1978 but existing stocks were allowed to be used until gone. Don't forget about possible asbestos from brake pads and wire insulation. The real danger is to children, either though direct exposure by wondering through your shop or via pets that flop on your shop floor and are later petted by the kids. Don't wash your work clothes/rags in the same load as other clothing to minimize the chances of lead dust transferring to the other clothes.

If you have a weird sweet smell/taste while sanding/scraping, probably lead paint. (fun factoid - various lead compounds were used as sweeteners in ancient times.)

 

[cucvmule]

Yes be concerned for children because of the development of their bodies.
Do not breath or in ingest.

No need to bow to my experience, but I worked for a lead abatement contractor and if you do it by legal federal standards well you paint over it to encapsulate it. Or for removal you use a wet method to not make airborne, in a containment.

Chapter 7 Abatement Methods US EPA

I will ask to the question of at what point does the person that works with lead based paint use to NOT expose themselves or anyone else? Be honest.

 

[USMCGunny]

Has anyone had any luck utilizing a chemical remover. I have tried a couple different and it just not work. I really do not want to have to wet sand the entire truck. My 1970 M35A2 has a dozen coats of brushed paint.