I was rummaging around in the shed and came across a can of creosote oil that my Dad had left there. The instructions clearly state that it is to be used outside the home exclusively. I believe they don’t want the home owner painting timbers in the basement where the volatiles will cause illness over time.
HOWEVER… I had to build a low trestle for a new reverse loop across my mid-layout stream, which I completed last night. This morning, I soaked it in the oil for about 6 minutes, and then set it aside to absorb what it could and to dry. I am determined to have the faintest whiff, if possible, of real creosote near my layout, but I also wanted the trestle to be prototypically correct to the extent that I could.
I won’t be doing any more creosoting, just that one item.[V]
Selector…as hard as we strive for realism on our layouts I would strongly advise not using any of this creosote you happened upon. Not only is it highly toxic but you will have that creosote(nasty) odor in your lay out room forever.[xx(]
Don’t do it.[V] Use acrylics or you will regret it. [8D]
I don’t think minor exposure to the small amount of creosote you would have used is any cause for alarm. Rail crews are exposed to creosote treated crossties in much higher concentrations than you would have been and suffer no ill effects from it as long as they wear gloves. My father used to work with creosote all the time and bought it by the barrel, and none of us suffered any ill effects from touching treated wood or inhaling the fumes.
In Japan, they even take creosote tablets as a cure for stomach ailments.
I agree, the stuff should go to the hazardous waste folks…I’ll do that before long. I have paint tins to get rid of at the same time.
As I said, just this one 10" long and 1.5" high trestle, enough to get the odor now and then. If it becomes problematic, I’ll throw it into the wood stove the next time a hot fire is going.
If the odor ever becomes a problem, just seal the timbers w/ a solvent flat finish.
I used to soak fence post with my dad years ago. Maybe that’s what’s wrong with me.
Bob K.
Ah, fresh creosote. I actually miss that smell! We used to use it all the time at the farm to soak the interior stall timbers, so the horses wouldn’t chew 'em. Everyone I knew back then was VERY pissed off when it was banned from commercial sale back in the 1980s, and the stalls haven’t looked as good since.
I say use the creosote. Now that the weather is getting better, prestain all the wood you think you’ll need for a few trestles, and let them dry in the sun. Give them a few days of strong exposure and they won’t smell.
Let’s hear it for lead based paint. Another great product to take to the toxic waste dump. I used it extensively when I was a traffic painter (painted the lane lines,crosswalks,curbs,etc.) for the City of Long Beach. Even after it was banded for home use we got an exemption to use it on the streets. It lasted much longer than water based paint. Had to get blood tests every 6 months to check lead level. Bad on the brain cells. What? What was that? What was I saying? Why is there air?
Junk the creosote. Jerry
Yeah, if a whiff of paint thinner gets into the air, then she can’t smell the Vick’s VapoRub and boiling cabbage and kale from the kitchen.
If you can’t seal the creosote, dump it. Don’t even burn it in the fireplace, because it will end up on the flue and maybe cause a chimney fire. Even if the vapors don’t cause permanent harm, someone may end up with unexplained headaches or upset stomachs. Even when it was legal, it was never meant for indoor use.
A number of years ago, I recall a company advertising in the model train mags odor or scent kits for model RR’s These kits included such common railroad and industrial odors as coal smoke, creosote, refinery odor, etc. I don’t recall seeing the kits advertised recently, but perhaps I missed the ads. These kits used small pieces of blotter paper to adsorb a few drops of the odorant material. These pieces of blotter paper were then placed in the vicinity of the model that was to have the odor. You might try this with a few drops of the creosote to get the desired odor. This way, if it starts producing adverse effects, you can easily remove the blotter paper from the layout and the house.
Thanks for your replies, fellas. It is now moot, because I had to destroy my layout this afternoon. We had just finished remodelling the basement, and the carpeting was to be installed today. The actual installer had not seen the place, only the vendor, so when he saw the layout, he did a double-take and said no way! [:(]
SAY IT ISN"T SO!!! Unless, of course, you are secretly looking forward to building a new layout. If so then I say “Charge ahead with the new layout!” (all the while saying to the family - “yeah I loved that old layout - but I know how much y’all wanted new carpeting down here - so . . . . …sniff… a new Kato loco would make me feel better.”)
I can see why this would be a bad idea for an indoor layout, but I’m kind of envious of you. I looked into getting real creosote for my outdoor layout. No luck as it is outlawed everywhere [xx(]