Weird smell in nose after inhaling fume

  • Thread starter Thread starter Salvador
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    Smell Weird
Click For Summary
SUMMARY

The discussion centers on an individual's experience with a strong, unpleasant smell encountered while drilling a hole in a thin, black-painted metal plate. The smell, described as a mix of burnt coal and exotic chemicals, lingered and altered the perception of other odors. Participants advised consulting a doctor for potential health concerns and recommended wearing an N95 mask and eye protection during similar tasks to prevent inhalation of harmful substances. The user reported that the smell dissipated after a few hours.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of basic safety protocols in metalworking
  • Familiarity with the properties of industrial paints and coatings
  • Knowledge of respiratory protection equipment, specifically N95 masks
  • Awareness of potential chemical exposure risks in DIY projects
NEXT STEPS
  • Research the composition and safety data sheets (SDS) of industrial paints
  • Learn about the health effects of inhaling fumes from heated metals and paints
  • Investigate proper ventilation techniques for DIY metalworking projects
  • Explore the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) in home improvement tasks
USEFUL FOR

This discussion is beneficial for DIY enthusiasts, metalworkers, and anyone involved in home improvement projects who may encounter hazardous fumes and seek to understand safety measures and health implications.

Salvador
Messages
505
Reaction score
70
Hi folks , now I wonder today I was working on a cooling system , I drilled a small hole in a thin metal plate that was painted black, now as the drill goes through the metal it heats up so for a tiny moment there was this smell which i sometimes get when drilling wood for example the only difference is that the smell of burning wood is kind of nice but this smell i got from the metal , the paint on the metal I assume was very very nasty, it literally smelled like hell.
as it is hard to describe a certain smell in words all I can say it smelled like burnt coal mixed with some burning exotic chemicals , now the moments i smelled it was very brief , but later one when I went out many other smells now smelled like that paint when I was drilling.

i am now getting better after a few hours but at first as I went out I smelled smoke coming from a house chimney but the smoke smelled exactly like the paint smell not like they normally would smell, also the exhaust gas from a diesel engine which normally has it's distinct smell now had a smell very close to that of the paint when I was drilling.
In other words many many smells that I could tell apart before now all smelled like the smell I had when working on that metal plate.
What can cause this ?I mean what kind of weird paint that must have been on that metal ? I haven't smelled anything like that before, even smelling gasoline leaves an odour in your nose for a while but even that doesn't last nearly as long as this , I hope I haven't damaged anything in my nose.

even though the encounter of that distinctive smell was very very short , I even smelled the plate after i stopped drilling but the smell was gone it was only there for that short time when the drill was turning and the tip of it was hot.the smell was very I don't know, aggressive I guess would be a good word.it was really cutting in my nose sharply.
 
Biology news on Phys.org
Salvador said:
Hi folks , now I wonder today I was working on a cooling system , I drilled a small hole in a thin metal plate that was painted black, now as the drill goes through the metal it heats up so for a tiny moment there was this smell which i sometimes get when drilling wood for example the only difference is that the smell of burning wood is kind of nice but this smell i got from the metal , the paint on the metal I assume was very very nasty, it literally smelled like hell.
as it is hard to describe a certain smell in words all I can say it smelled like burnt coal mixed with some burning exotic chemicals , now the moments i smelled it was very brief , but later one when I went out many other smells now smelled like that paint when I was drilling.

i am now getting better after a few hours but at first as I went out I smelled smoke coming from a house chimney but the smoke smelled exactly like the paint smell not like they normally would smell, also the exhaust gas from a diesel engine which normally has it's distinct smell now had a smell very close to that of the paint when I was drilling.
In other words many many smells that I could tell apart before now all smelled like the smell I had when working on that metal plate.
What can cause this ?I mean what kind of weird paint that must have been on that metal ? I haven't smelled anything like that before, even smelling gasoline leaves an odour in your nose for a while but even that doesn't last nearly as long as this , I hope I haven't damaged anything in my nose.

even though the encounter of that distinctive smell was very very short , I even smelled the plate after i stopped drilling but the smell was gone it was only there for that short time when the drill was turning and the tip of it was hot.the smell was very I don't know, aggressive I guess would be a good word.it was really cutting in my nose sharply.
We can't try to give a diagnosis here (against the rules), so your best bet would be to talk with your doctor about it. If you can find out what is in that paint and let the doctor know, that would be a help. In the mean time, I recommend wearing an N95 mask (and eye protection, obviously) when doing similar work. If there's a chance that you are inhaling something that is reacting with your system, that could be a bad thing.

3m-n95-maskjpg-f495793e2878f1db_medium.jpg
 
well happily I finished my work , assembled everything and today also the bad smell has gone away.
I mean I have done much more dangerous things than drilling a 3mm hole in a 1mm thick piece of metal that is painted black , but sometimes it's the litle things that get you i guess.
 

Similar threads

  • · Replies 21 ·
Replies
21
Views
4K
  • · Replies 12 ·
Replies
12
Views
5K
  • · Replies 7 ·
Replies
7
Views
2K
  • · Replies 19 ·
Replies
19
Views
2K
  • · Replies 4 ·
Replies
4
Views
5K
Replies
6
Views
11K
  • · Replies 4 ·
Replies
4
Views
2K
  • · Replies 1 ·
Replies
1
Views
4K
  • · Replies 9 ·
Replies
9
Views
2K
  • · Replies 35 ·
2
Replies
35
Views
6K