Not peanut butter, but close:
you read correctly, epoxy is toxic and the best way get trouble is to use solvents with it. Acetone will leech the shit into through your skin and capillaries. Just stay clear from solvents and you should be fine, if you the stuff on your skin try to rinse it off with soap and water. Any catalyst is dangerous, why heck they are rapid oxidizers, same idea though, on your skin? rinse rinse rinse and then rinse some more, no solvents… as for your brushes and stuff, well a really good brush might survive warm water and soap if you get to it before hardened otherwise, disposable rollers work great for getting the stuff on your boards.
re: poly lam… i recently had a chat with the local pro shaper and he is using UV catalyst on polyester , wow that looks impressive, quasi instant hardening! Does anyone know if this also exists for epoxy?
yes their is uv cure epoxy i have been working on this for years right now it is not cost effective and you still have to post cure it we are working on some new stuff that you should not have to post cure not sure what it will be as far as price yet
Good to know someone’s working on it!, I’d seen these car window repair guys and they told me they use epoxy and cure with UV but couldn’t tell me where I could get any. http://www.autoglass.co.uk/FAQ/repair/how_windscreen_repaired.asp
I repaired a thousand boards with Greg’s resin over the years and I never had a problem, but I did use a respirator and wear gloves when I cleaned up with acetone. My only concern was with additive F (I never used it), from what I understand that stuff is somewhat hazardous.
I think Greg and Bert pretty much summed it up. I used to own a surfshop/Surfboard factory with Steve Forstall. It was combined…like only a wall between us. Shop in Front…factory in back. When the wind blew in from the north and Steve was glassing boards it would run me out of the shop and my face would get all flush. This was good old sun cure poly resine. The times I have been in his factory while he was using epoxy…no issues at all. I think the main issue is this…don’t get clean up in such a manner that will allow it to enter your skin. Thats what I have heard from Steve and Greg seems to be indicating. If you get bleach on the tip of your finger…you can taste it on your tongue. Thats how any Chemical works that gets into your bloodstream. Folks hate change. Proper tools for the job. As Greg noted…a simple adjustment in the way you normally do things will pretty much take care of the problems. Unless your that unlucky 1 in 3000.
People you need to start doing some homework in both the Marine and Aircraft industries. Epoxy is not safe. It is very dangers to your long term heath. I’m not saying stop useing it. What i am saying is you need to take great care in working with any all all these resins. People working with Epoxy need to be very careful. Those skin rashes that go away might seem like a harmless small problem now. They may come back in the form of cancer down the line. I worked in the Yacht repair industry for many years. The small rashes I experienced in 1989 returned a couple of years ago, I have not used epoxy for nearly since around 1993. I have been warned to get regular cancer screenings. So far I have been lucky no cancer. Older and retired workers in The Aircraft industry have a very high rate of cancer. Since other chemicals and agents were used it is hard to pin point Epoxy as the number one cause.
Those of you who employ workers need to enforce every strict safety standards. I would go so far as to fire workers who do not follow your safety rules. If not you might be opening yourself up to law suits.
the demise of Clark Foam was not because of the EPA. If that were the case he could have just moved his operations off shore. Clark was being sued by employees that had become sick from useing chemicals in the manufacturing of foam blanks. The companies who sully you with your resins and the manufactures of those resins have staff of lawyers at their beck and call. Who do you have to defend you? At one time workers were told episodes was safe and formaldehyde was safe. Work with care and protect yourself.
Something else to consider is skin types. Red hair and freckles just don’t go with epoxy resin.
Just something that I have observed over the years.
I absolutely hate getting any type of sanding dust on me at all and always use a twyvek or pp suite with cotton gloves and shoes, mask and glasses. Just that little bit around the hood showing around the face, easy to wash off.
I always use disposable gloves, they cost about 7cents Aus per pair, discard after one use.
Don’t forget to keep your activated charcoal masks in an air tight container, they last longer.