The way I see it, no smoke made from petroleum products is completely safe to inhale, but on a layout smoke is heavily diluted with air and you only breathe it in for very short periods. Now if you put that stuff in an electric cigarette it might be a different story. I use JT's MegaSteam and never had a problem
Dennis,
I always thought that smoke fluid was based on mineral oil. Is that not the case or is mineral oil a petroleum product?
Barry Broskowitz posted:Dennis,
I always thought that smoke fluid was based on mineral oil. Is that not the case or is mineral oil a petroleum product?
Yes, mineral oil is a petroleum product.
Yes, mineral oil is a petroleum product.
Today I learned something new (to me) - thank you!
Barry Broskowitz posted:Yes, mineral oil is a petroleum product.
Today I learned something new (to me) - thank you!
You are welcome.
Dennis LaGrua posted:The way I see it, no smoke made from petroleum products is completely safe to inhale, but on a layout smoke is heavily diluted with air and you only breathe it in for very short periods. Now if you put that stuff in an electric cigarette it might be a different story. I use JT's MegaSteam and never had a problem
In our non-ventilated train room (adding an exhaust fan next spring to vent to outside) running smoke, we look like Beijing on a very bad air day, in less than 5 minutes.
Up front, I’ll point out that I use Lionel (including the latest premium version), MTH (Christmas scent remains my overall favorite), Williams by Bachmann, and JT’s MegaSteam smoke fluids, so I have no bias here.
With that in mind, I would be more trusting of Lionel’s statement about smoke fluid use if the company stated which brands don’t cause a problem in its smoke units. If the company said “Don’t use JT’s MegaSteam because it leaves a sticky residue inside the smoke unit. Lionel smoke fluids as well as MTH, XXXX, XXXX and XXXX are acceptable,” I would get the sense that Lionel was truly providing a customer service and not a sales pitch.
That said, I’m OK using recommended brands during a warranty period. After warranty, I opt for MTH for my MTH steamers and JT’s MegaSteam (which tends to irritate my breathing less than Lionel Premium) for Lionel and K-Line steamers. I only have two Williams steamers, both with Seuthe smoke units, so I stick with the Williams smoke fluid for those.
While I certainly respect Mike Reagan and his now independent summary on the topic, I also respect the feedback of forum members who have used JT’s MegaSteam for a significant period of time with no problems. I’m forced to conclude that Mike simply never did a time-tested followup review on the use of MegaSteam to confirm his suspicions that the residue would cause a smoke unit to fail at a time-specific point — in other words, that JT’s smoke fluid usage would subtract XX percent from the life of a Lionel smoke unit.
Would smoking mega steam in a electric cigarette be more dangerous then non-nicotine vapor fluid? I have experimented with vapor fluid Vanilla Bean and Cherry Tobacco, non-nicotine, and they smoke well and smell great. Not knowing how safe it is, I don't make a habit of using it. So I always come back to my all time favorites, MTH Christmas and Bart's Super Smoke - Arctic Mint.
wild mary posted:I'd be more worried about the long term impact on one's lungs.
Is there a MSDS (Material Safety Data Sheet) available from the manufacturer? There should be.
If it's gumming up smoke units, you already have your answer.
Simon
Directly from our website:
Safety Tips
JT's Mega-Steam, LLC products are safe when used as directed; and our product is designed to be used expressly in model train train and model smoke units. Petroleum based. Do not drink or ingest. Keep out of reach of children. Proudly made in the U.S.A. by passionate hobbyists!
- The following goes for ALL smoke fluids, not just Mega-Steam. Remember these when running the smoke units in your locos and accessories.
- Have some kind of ventilation for your train room.
- The general rule: if you can't see through the smoke in the room, there's too much.
- Be careful filling your smoke units as per their instructions, NEVER overfill!!!
- Store smoke fluid bottles in their upright position. (Squeez rubber bulb to clear glass pipette before storing).
- Although most fluids are non-toxic, it's not the best thing to ingest. DON'T DRINK IT!!!
- Although the fluid may smell tasty, it's not. DON'T DRINK IT!!!
- The above especially goes for the food & sweet scented fluids.
- Do not use smoke units around people or children w/ asthma or other respiritory sensitivites.
- Keep any smoke fluid away from children.
- Deliberate misuse of our products i.e. vapes, etc. could be harmful to your health and should be avoided.
