Potential hazard w/ Super77 spray adhesive

Charleston Dave

Many Eggers have discussed using 3M Super77 spray adhesive to repair or replace failed gaskets. I put the remarks below in an earlier thread, but on reflection it seems to me that the material should get highest visibility. My apologies in advance to anybody grumpy about bandwidth/repeats/crying wolf.

The re-post:

According to the official 3M website for their Super77 Multipurpose Spray Adhesive:

3M™ Super 77™ Multipurpose Adhesive is an extremely versatile, fast-drying adhesive that bonds a wide range of lightweight materials. Its fast, aggressive tack and low soak-in make it ideal for projects all around your home or business. It forms strong bonds with everything from paper, cardboard, fabric and cushion foam to plastic, metal, wood and much more.

Here is where to buy.

The website also offers Tips & Techniques for use.

Please note that the MSDS helpfully states that

Intentional concentration and inhalation may be harmful or fatal.

Methinks having your lungs glued shut might be harmful, yes!

Perhaps more relevant to the Eggers here, the MSDS states that it contains "chemicals that could cause birth defects or other reproductive harm", so please use it in a well-ventilated area, people!

IMHO, any pregnant Eggers with gasket issues should kindly ask a friend to take care of repairs for them.

Subsidiary issue--As one who has already pre-paid for an Egg at Eggtoberfest, with all these gasket issues I'm kinda sorta wondering what the quality will be of the gasket I'm getting, particularly if I happen to get one that an Egghead chef used for a high-temp cook... :ohmy: Anybody have any comments on that? Of course, the Egg I take home will still have factory warranty, but I'd still like to know that known problems are not coming home with me.

HoldOn2UrButts

I was looking at this stuff myself over the weekend, but I haven't seen any information about the highest temperature it can handle - maybe I'll read TNW's gasket info again.

As for whether or not you're gonna go home with an egg with a known problem, I don't think you'll know one way or another until you get it home and start putting it through it's paces. If you're not that close to a dealer perhaps you can persuade the outfit from whom you're buying the egg to throw in a replacement (Nomex, no adhesive) for free as well.

Happy eggin'.

Knauf

I work for a worldwide distributor of fastening systems (nuts/ bolts, adhesives) and we sell spray adhesive very similar to the 3M product you mention. We also have a high temp version of the spray adhesive and its rated to 200F degrees (240 intermittent). I'd be very careful using spray adhesive for an egg gasket. Try RTV silicone which is rated to 500 F and some good to 600F.

Celtic Wolf

Well OK I won't use the spray if I get pregnant...

If an Egg Cook used your egg for a high temp cook and you still have a gasket you'll be OK ..

If you don't have a gasket BGE will replace it. So you will still be OK..

Gasket Problems are mainly caused by bad seals. The Eggs at Eggtoberfest will be put together by BGE. Seal problems will be at a bare minimum.

Directing heat at the gasket will cause problems. Avoiding that is fairly easy. Flashbacks can be avoided by taking the lid off before opening during high temp cooks. Don't use a pizza stone that is two big. A 16" stone will fit a large, but it pushed the heat to close to the gasket. 14" is best.

Common sense will save the gasket.

Charleston Dave

Celtic Wolf wrote:

Well OK I won't use the spray if I get pregnant...

Celtic, first let me thank you for your points about Eggtoberfest Eggs having limited risk of gasket issues due to their expert installation, and your suggestions about minimizing gasket stress. Those are helpful comments, and I am grateful for your time and "Eggsperience" making them.

As far as the issue of pregnant women being exposed to a teratogenic compound, I'm a little taken aback by the flippancy of your comment. Do you maintain there are no female Eggers? Or perhaps you maintain that we have no male Eggers with pregnant wives (maybe in your world all the male Eggers are spending all their time Egging, and not participating in, um, certain other joys of life that would lead to pregnant wives...)? Seriously, your own blog comments on how your grandchildren are one of the joys of your life, so it seems to follow that you have an interest in healthy children.

Do you really want to be snarky when somebody suggests that a declared toxic chemical and pregnant women should be kept apart? I suspect that your daughters or daughters-in-law would consider it absolutely appropriate for you to prevent their exposure to anything that puts their unborn baby--your next grandchild--at risk. Or are you from a generation that thinks it's funny to go out to dinner and get drunk and smoke while the pregnant wife chooses not to touch alcohol or expose her body to nicotine? Maybe it was just a joke, but I don't think preventable birth defects are a topic of hilarity, particularly given that we just had a thread about a forum member asking for prayer for his premie grandchild. Why not just accept the point that pregnant women should not be exposed to this spray adhesive? Besides, it gives you a great opportunity to prove your Celtic gallantry!

Celtic Wolf

Joke!!

However, the amount of glue being used, the fact the risk is during application and I would suspect that the husband would be doing the gasket change does limit the risk to Pregnant Women.

As an Ex-Paramedic I have read many a MSDS. They are designed for worse case scenarios. For instance if the glue was used in an enclosed unventilated environment over several hours and without an adequate mask. They usually don't cover or apply to small household uses. Any Chemical substances that contains an ingredient that can cause CNS issues must also be labeled to state they contain a chemical (CYCLOHEXANE, HEXANE in this case) that CAN cause Pregnancy or Reproductive issues. If you further read the MSDS for this product is lists all the potential health Risks.

"Prolonged or repeated exposure may cause: Peripheral Neuropathy: Signs/symptoms may include tingling or numbness of the extremities, in-coordination, weakness of the hands and feet, tremors and muscle atrophy."

This statement alone would require the pregnancy warning since the uterus is a muscle and tremors or atrophy in a uterus containing a fetus could cause problems. Please note that it also says "PROLONGED OR REPEATED EXPOSURE" The amount of time a user is exposed applying this glue to an egg is short. Even if the gasket should fail quite often it will not fail fast enough to be considered "REPEATED". Further down in the MSDS you will see the exposure limits. To reach any of the limits listed in the MSDS during a gasket application would be extremely difficult unless you apply the glue in a closet. The MSDS also covers this product in it's aerosol state and not it's dried state. That is because it is deemed safe in it dried state.

While it can happen that someone will replace a gasket inside their house the chances of that happening are rather slim. Even Stump would know to use it outside and if the other spouses are anything like mine they simply will not allow it. Since a vast majority of our female eggers are married or like in the Spawn's case the prodigy of a parent Egger it is most likely the task of changing the gasket will fall on the male. This doesn't preclude the fact our single female eggers won't be changing a gasket or the other female eggers are not capable of changing a gasket. All the female eggers I have had the pleasure of meeting are quite capable, but I would like to believe that if they were pregnant or suspected they may be pregnant they'd have the sense not to use the spray glue without a mask and adequate ventilation.

In other words I prefer to give our eggheads the benefit of the doubt.

It is laudable of you to pass on this warning; however, please remember that all MSDS' are there to cover worse case scenarios in industrial applications.

As for me smoking I quit September 10th 1983 at 9:35 PM. I quit for the very reason you stated.

Unknown

Me thinks you worry quite unnecessarly. Clearly. no pregnant woman should be using the stuff, the gaskets coming from Fest will be fine.

In ten years I've replaced two gaskets on my large. ONe had to be replaced because I did a lousey job putting it on.

And they went on with a cleaning and just the adhesive that's on the felt.

Stop fussing and enjoy cooking on your Egg.

stike

i use that stuff all the time in my day-to-day work. the hazards are overblown...

they have warnings all over everything these days.

as long as you aren't huffing (which is what concentrating and inhaling the vapors amounts to, you are fine.

Buckwoody Egger

I am picking up my LBGE after Eggtoberfest as well. First post!

The concern about the gasket crossed my mind, but then other thoughts won out. First, the folks at the mothership are super friendly and focused on customer service. Next, there's still a month for them to figure out the solution. It might be that all gaskets of that type are bad or maybe only a batch. Third, out of anywhere in the country, the Eggtoberfest would be the best place to buy an egg right now (reasons mentioned about installation, etc).

I am more concerned with my strategy to get the Egg home (securing it in the pickup, getting it to its spot at the house).

stike

the thing that i find interesting about warnings like this (no offense to anyone), like the ones about using certain metals in the egg, is that no one worries about how dangerous it is to have a charcoal fire to begin with.

the thing (any charcoal grill) is a virtual carbon monoxide machine, pumping out tons of it as you stand around cooking and partying, but people will latch on to some theory about noxious galvy vapors or something else and run around the front yard with their arms in the air.

there isn't a thing in this world that's not dangerous if used incorrectly, or purposefully improperly (concentrating and inhaling the vapors?!?!!). they really outght to put warnings on stuffed animals, kittens with sharp claws, and pictures of big-eye-kids (the ink used will off-gas mercury vapor over a ten year period, exhibiting cubic fall-off, of course, but still)

i know a guy who knows a guy who is a collector of big-eye-kids (has over 15,000 pieces in his private collection). he says in the wrong hands those things'll kill you. i ain't willing to try

but i digress

AZRP

The MSDS for the hand soap in our office says to wear rubber gloves when handling it. -RP

Cpt'n Cook

I dono Stike, be careful with it. I to have used it, and rubber cement, in my work and play for over 40yrs. Not to mention my teenage model plane building years. In my early 40's I realized that my lower legs were getting weaker and exercise wasn't helping at all. They are very slowly getting worse.

Have had several tests done without a definitive diagnoses. I can't help but think that some of the crap that I have used all these years doing artwork may have been the cause.

Again be careful with it.

dhuffjr

So I would not worry about it.

Do a 'cook' at 300ish for several hours to set it if your too worried and burn off those excess solvents after the product does its initial cure.

H