Plaster Bricks?

Rhino

I'm using Plaster of Paris to make [very small] plaster bricks. I dry them, crave them, glue em and then paint them. They hold up well.

The only problem is there are some nasty warnings on the label. Cali seems to think it can cause cancer, birth defects and slew of other aliments. Is there any safer type of material that would work just as well?

japan

What kind of plaster of paris?

You could probably get away with ordinary finishing plaster from a builders merchant, which doesn't typically have health warnings all over it, beyond the fact that it's alkaline when wet and it isn't a good idea to breathe too much of it in.

Skoal Cat

California thinks that everything causes cancer. Are you wearing a face mask when you work with it? Its only a hazard (of what I don't know) in powdered form, I suspect.

TychoCelchuuu

If something isn't labeled carcinogenic in California, then you should be wary of it, because that means that it's so carcinogenic that the manufacturer is trying to hide it.

Grizzled

The California cancer warning labels are more of a cover-your-ass thing on the part of the manufacturer because, as Skoal Cat said, California has mandated warning labels on anything that might even possibly have the possibility of causing cancer if you, say, ate a pound of it every day rather than using it as intended. The store I used to work at had to put cancer warning labels next to the shelf of Italian balsamic vinegar because some consumer group threatened to sue over possible risks.

So you're probably fine. Wear a dust mask and keep your work area well ventilated if you are worried. And don't, say, pour an entire bag of plaster down your throat or anything.

EggyToast

Most carcinogenic warnings like this are to make you aware, not actually scare you. If you were to work with this stuff every day as a job without protection, you should get some protection.

Things that are actually bad typically carry more explicit warnings, like "DO NOT CONSUME" and "DO NOT ALLOW [BAD THING] TO COME IN CONTACT WITH SKIN"

Kakodaimonos

Plaster of paris is made out of:

Calcium carbonate
Calcium sulfate
Crystalline silica

If you inhale silica, it can damage your lungs and cause silicosis. You can also actually burn yourself if you put wet plaster on your skin directly and let it dry. Wear a dust mask and don't huff the plaster and it's fine.

Here's the full MSDS if you want to scare yourself: http://www.dap.com/docs/msds/00071008_english.pdf