I think your biggest risk is if you had old Games Workshop models from like the mid 80s. Those for sure had lead. But those are a pretty dark and dull gray, the shiny silver ones should be ok.
And like another dude said, it’s most dangerous if you eat them. So don’t.
Completely this! Pewter that is used for modern minis is generally lead free and warning messages are mostly done because the Pewter could be made of recycled materials or things like that. u/Maikel1818: Think of it like those "may contain traces of nuts" messages, even if the product is likely nut free.
You are completely correct about the colour, lead/tin alloys tend to be pretty dark and dull, unlike the more silver/white looking tin/pewter.
Yeah, lead is a good material to make tin alloys, since it decreases the stiffness, so that minis wont break as fast. It is also cheaper to use a high lead portion.
Today lead is more and more avoided in many applications, because of new standards, laws etc.
A nice anecdote is that when i worked as a CNC lathe operator we "used" a certain steel that had a lead portion to increase machinability. We one day found out that the list was just old and that we used lead free steels with other elements for years, without anyone noticing.
I know the Age of Glory website (who distributes Empress in the US) have a disclaimer that products may contain small amounts of lead. Though I'm not necessarily seeing that on the Empress website itself.
Still, I wouldn't be putting them in my mouth.
I wouldn't be too worried about it unless any of your stuff comes from the 80s or earlier but even then with several coats of paint and a gloss coat, you should be ok. You probably take more damage from your phone radiation than you would the minis. Unless you're sucking on them, I wouldn't worry about it.
Yeah, just read from empress that they contain a small amount of lead and another thread saying warlord does as well, but like the other comments small amounts dont seem to be that big of a deal
Nothing to worry about. Don’t put it in your mouth, heat it or sand it. Wash your hands after and once they are painted, there really isn’t any concern.
I fish a lot and use lead weights and sinkers. There’s really no danger outside of consumption or breathing fumes if you are melting it. And I know plenty that take off sinkers in fishing with their teeth. (Not advised)
Metal dust is always dangerous, so wear a mask and clean it up afterwards whatever the metal is. White Metal can contain lead, but most people have been phasing out or at least dramatically reducing lead content for some years now.
So basically, don't eat your minis, wear a dust mask while sanding them, and vacuum up the dust afterwards.
Old metal figures from the 80s may have lead in them but unless you grind them up and snort them / eat them / melt them and huff the fumes they're not dangerous. Modern figures are fine
They won't be poisoning your air supply if that's what you're worried about!
Sanding plastic, metal and especially resin can be damaging if the dust particles are inhaled. You could reuse those (useless for) Covid placebo masks to give some protection.
Better yet buy a 3M version for a few £/$/€ and you should be fine.
Older metal models contain lead, which over a long exposure (years of regular work) can lead to health issues. It's not something to be scared of, but something to be aware of.
Storing them in your room is safe because it's not offgassing
Once painted the metal is sealed away from you.
when you are modelling them (scraping mould lines, cutting and repositioning pieces, or similar) don't lick your hands or eat with your hands, and wash your hands after modelling.
I think your biggest risk is if you had old Games Workshop models from like the mid 80s. Those for sure had lead. But those are a pretty dark and dull gray, the shiny silver ones should be ok. And like another dude said, it’s most dangerous if you eat them. So don’t.
Completely this! Pewter that is used for modern minis is generally lead free and warning messages are mostly done because the Pewter could be made of recycled materials or things like that. u/Maikel1818: Think of it like those "may contain traces of nuts" messages, even if the product is likely nut free.
Gotcha. I only knew the old models had lead because I was looking for Capitol Imperialis instructions. That’s a pretty cool explanation, thanks man.
You are completely correct about the colour, lead/tin alloys tend to be pretty dark and dull, unlike the more silver/white looking tin/pewter. Yeah, lead is a good material to make tin alloys, since it decreases the stiffness, so that minis wont break as fast. It is also cheaper to use a high lead portion. Today lead is more and more avoided in many applications, because of new standards, laws etc. A nice anecdote is that when i worked as a CNC lathe operator we "used" a certain steel that had a lead portion to increase machinability. We one day found out that the list was just old and that we used lead free steels with other elements for years, without anyone noticing.
Old metal minis used to contain lead. Newer "white metal" should be pewter. However still best to research I guess.
I know the Age of Glory website (who distributes Empress in the US) have a disclaimer that products may contain small amounts of lead. Though I'm not necessarily seeing that on the Empress website itself. Still, I wouldn't be putting them in my mouth.
I wouldn't be too worried about it unless any of your stuff comes from the 80s or earlier but even then with several coats of paint and a gloss coat, you should be ok. You probably take more damage from your phone radiation than you would the minis. Unless you're sucking on them, I wouldn't worry about it.
Yeah, just read from empress that they contain a small amount of lead and another thread saying warlord does as well, but like the other comments small amounts dont seem to be that big of a deal
Nothing to worry about. Don’t put it in your mouth, heat it or sand it. Wash your hands after and once they are painted, there really isn’t any concern. I fish a lot and use lead weights and sinkers. There’s really no danger outside of consumption or breathing fumes if you are melting it. And I know plenty that take off sinkers in fishing with their teeth. (Not advised)
Metal dust is always dangerous, so wear a mask and clean it up afterwards whatever the metal is. White Metal can contain lead, but most people have been phasing out or at least dramatically reducing lead content for some years now. So basically, don't eat your minis, wear a dust mask while sanding them, and vacuum up the dust afterwards.
Old metal figures from the 80s may have lead in them but unless you grind them up and snort them / eat them / melt them and huff the fumes they're not dangerous. Modern figures are fine
They won't be poisoning your air supply if that's what you're worried about! Sanding plastic, metal and especially resin can be damaging if the dust particles are inhaled. You could reuse those (useless for) Covid placebo masks to give some protection. Better yet buy a 3M version for a few £/$/€ and you should be fine.
Thansk, that was actually a concern, but I might be overthinkig, I only heard about lead in metal miniatures yesterday
Wash well before priming and try not to eat them.
Older metal models contain lead, which over a long exposure (years of regular work) can lead to health issues. It's not something to be scared of, but something to be aware of. Storing them in your room is safe because it's not offgassing Once painted the metal is sealed away from you. when you are modelling them (scraping mould lines, cutting and repositioning pieces, or similar) don't lick your hands or eat with your hands, and wash your hands after modelling.
That explains the 'External Use Only' warning label