I’m thinking of renting an office space to use as a shaping room. The owners said its ok if I shape in there as long as I don’t put out any strong odors. I haven’t hotwired EPS before, does it smell bad? If I’m hotwiring in a closed room will people outside be able to smell it? What about my safety, will I be ok in a closed room with just a dusk mask?
I wear a good mask when I do it.
Do a search for posts by Mr J. He did a project in his apartment and ventilated it somehow. Its not ideal, for sure.
There is an odor and it seems to dissipate quickly. I did it the other night without a mask and only have slight nausea and vomitted only a couple of times.
What is worse is hotwiring polyurethane foam. The phosgene gas can kill you.
Yeah, I won’t be doing in polyurethane, all EPS.
The smells not to bad (doubt that anybody outside the office would smell it. However, if it was an issue you could do it after after hours.
I read somewhere that if it starts smoking as you hotwire, the wire may be too hot?
What has me cracking up right now is the Google ad link that popped up on this thread re: “Fishy vaginal odor?” “Hi, I’m Lorna of Shamberg, Illinois and I uh… well, my “kitty” smells kind of funky…” HA HA HA HA!!!
Where’s a moderator when you need one?
When you take a s#!t in a construction site out-house, it isn’t the smell that kills you. Same with hotwiring EPS. Those fumes are toxic, Brah! Especially when you’ve got your nose right down there on it following that pencil line. Eps and epoxy resins have their own set of hazzards regarding both the environment and those that work with these toxic substances. McDing
Yet another reason to make the EPS foam supplier do the cutting for us so we don’t have to burn-cut it at home, huh? If my supplier wouldn’t cut it (they will), then I’d buy a pre-cut blank from sfoam or segway. (a good idea anyway!)
Cut it outdoors if possible, takes care of the problem
/Erik
their is plenty of data on google about eps fumes
alot heresay
no problems in a ventilated room.
if you were doing it all day every day without ventilation it can give you nausea
but then again
so do my farts
mc ding , your one man crusade , goes against all scientific data to date …
i posted on another thread , TLV , the Threshhold Limit Value for various toxic substances …
you either didnt read it or didnt undrstand it …
but if you go back and check it youll see that building 1 polyurethane with polyester resin surfboard is literally a million times more dangerous than building 1 eps/epoxy board …
now agreed there is always a danger with any chemical , but you are so off the mark with your comments ,its making you look like a serious red neck …
i hope the term redneck isnt to offensive , but i really dont know how to describe someone who continues to sprout information which portrays one of the most enviromentally friendly surfboard making materials to date as being toxic and hazardous ,and insinuates how bad it is , but then goes and works with and recomends something that is a million times worse ???
is there actually a better way to decribe such an attitude ??
i know were all entitled to an opinion , but there is danger in expressing opinions that arent factual …
dont forget many come here to learn and seek guidance , they will read comments from those supposedly in the know because we are the board builders who should know , then the whole cycle of misinformation starts again …
as far as hotwiring eps , ive done very little of it , when i have it didnt have any overpowering odours , not enough to even raise the attention of people working 10 feet away …
regards
BERT
Bert, don’t waste your time. The ignorance in his posts - its not personal, I didn’t say his ignorance - is crystal clear.
He argued the same points with me on another thread and all of a sudden it was a different screen name arguing at me, but the same signatures. Using multiple aliases is to break one of the most cardinal rules of rational internet discourse…I don’t even remember the other name now, I quit paying attention when I saw that.
Bert and Benny, thanks for your input. Nice to hear from guys who actually have experience working with the materials I’m asking about.
Bert and Benny------------------If it makes you feel holier than me and others (for a variety of reasons ) who prefer Poly or if you just can’t control that Aussie testarone filled mentality that goes with being “Macho” then “I say you’re cool”. I have in previous posts Applauded what you and others have done with expoxy, EPS and sandwich construction. Your techniques are absolutly amazing! Having said that:------------I gotta tell you that you nor anyone else is going to convince me that you or any other Epoxy advocates have some how hit on the “GREEN” Board. I have Hotwired EPS and Polyurethane and they are both “Nasty”. If you think as another poster stated above that doing it outside is somehow better for the environment and air quality you are most certainly mistaken. The statistics you laid out in the thread were based on the use of catalyst. I personally when laminating in my own shop use UV. When I am contracting the Lamination I usually request and prefer UV. Not only is it cleaner and safer with regards to emissions, fumes etc but it also creates a “Hell of a lot less waste”. I do epoxy repairs on Softtops, Surftechs, Southpoints and a variety of sailboards(including JP, Naish, and Star). I’ve got twenty various Epoxys laying out here in my yard on Maui right now. While I seldom use the vacum-bagging techniques that you have perfected to do a layup, I have perfected my own techniques for a variety of repairs from minor to very large delams. Laminating Balsa to decks, layup and Paint to match existing colors and graphics. Shops here on Maui will not pay for “close” on a repair. They want it to look 98% or better because of the resale value after the season is over. There is absolutly NOTHING as nasty as Urethane paint. They don’t put that “Skull and Crossbones” on a can of Omni or PPG just because it looks cool . Clear Epoxy boards look OK, but can’t hold a candle to a quality Poly , ruibbed out etc. The problem with you guys is just plain old “Greed”. Your thinking is that your ship has come in if Poly would just die and go the way of the dinosaurs. Don’t count on it. There’s plenty of room for both technologys. Poly is a long way from being dead. I , as a boardbilder will only make the change to Epoxy when they take Polyester off the market and I have to smuggle it out of Mexico. So that gives you plenty of time to get rich off the panick in our midst. Oh Yeah, I don’t hotwire Poly because because I have become an expert at cutting templates with my Stanley “shark tooth” and then planing them to ZERO with my Skil. No need for a hot wire until I decide to start cutting Blanks out of floating docks. At least with Clark you could buy a piece of foam that was made specifically for the purpose of creating a surfboard, rather than something that was mean’t to be a floating dock or insulation for a house. McDing
Benny Boy--------------Remember ----I’m a Redneck --I ain’t smart enough to use aliasasses. But no offense. The only time some people get to call others names and insult their humanity is when they can hide behind the keyboard. So “Party On” girls. Mcding
Back to the original post. I hotwire cut EPS and glass with epoxy regularly. My workshop is dirrectly below my living room/ dining room/ kitchen. No complaints from my family. If I fix a ding on a poly board - whew, what’s that smell. If I spray with urethane, they take a road trip. Urethane gives a really nice finish, but like Mcding said - pretty nasty stuff.
Quote:
Take two organic Whiff caps a day & stop embarrassing odors. Nice gift!
WTF, ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha
butt
the Surfing Singles ad is even more ridiculous!
1/2 an hour google on the subject will more than sort this out.
fumes from eps hotwiring are regarded as low risk/toxicity.
(and can be further minimized by correct wire temperature)
which is the opposite to hotwiring or even sanding polyurethane foam.
If you are hotwiring polyurethane foam, you are at severe risk of health problems.
Mc ding Please substantiate your statements with real fact.
It appears to anyone that has the abilitlity to do five minutes research,
that you are talking out your ass.
thanks for that one paul, my wifes been making me wear a 3m mask because 30 years ago in high school she heard that burning styro cups will kill you.