Inhaling Foam Dust

While I was shaping my last board, I made sure to wear a respirator the whole time. When I finished shaping, I took off my mask and stepped out of the room to grab a broom. I came back and proceeded to sweep-up and blow the dust off the shaping stands, shelves, me, etc. Halfway through the clean-up, I noticed all the dust floating around and realized that I forgot to put my mask back on. My question is, what happens to your body when you inhale too much foam dust? I’m familiar with the quote, “It only goes it. It doesn’t come out.” Is it acceptable to inhale a little bit of dust? None? Finally, I’d be interesting in hearing what type of breathing protection you guys use. Are those white, paper masks with rubberband around the back good enough?

It makes you cough like you’re a lunger,but it won’t kill you …you’ll just wish you were dead. HEPA-TYPE DOUBLE BANDED MASKS FOR SHAPING/SANDING ONLY…RESPS FOR GLASSING.Herb

It makes you cough like you’re a lunger,but it won’t kill you …you’ll just wish you were dead. HEPA-TYPE DOUBLE BANDED MASKS FOR SHAPING/SANDING ONLY…RESPS FOR GLASSING.Herb

It makes you cough like you’re a lunger,but it won’t kill you > …you’ll just wish you were dead.>>> HEPA-TYPE DOUBLE BANDED MASKS FOR SHAPING/SANDING ONLY…RESPS FOR > GLASSING.Herb Clark sent out Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS)on foam inhalation about 10 years ago. Other thatn it being a rather cruel irritant it doesn’t react with the body the way a chemical would, metamorphisizing into its basic structure, say plutonium. It causes irritation assoiated with any other dust, but offers no long term hazzard from occasion inhalation. I’ve been doing this for 40 years, always wear a respirator, don’t huff them ciggies, was sicker than crap this week, in the hospital, but it was from a nice pathogin, Strep! And my lungs sounded good.

Not to get too personal, but have any of you longtime shapers developed any chronic health problems from either shaping, glassing or repetitive tool use?

My question is, what happens to your body when you inhale too much foam > dust? http://surfing.rdx.net/Building/risks.html have brief info on the heatlh risk for different surfboard materials. regards, Håvard

I know of a few former builders who got epoxy poisoning (senstivity). I heard of other material problems, but without scientific proof there only stories. You hear of old and healthy shapers. Do you hear of old and healthy glassers or sanders? Wear protective equipment!!! For shaping, I change out vapor filters for partical filters on the rubber sealed 3M mask.>>> Not to get too personal, but have any of you longtime shapers developed > any chronic health problems from either shaping, glassing or repetitive > tool use? http://www.viser.net/~anthwind/

The other night they reran the Surfer’s Journal show about Wayne Lynch. They showed some footage of him in the shaping bay. He had a full face clear shield with a helmet (totally sealed around his head), with a tube out of the back of the helmet that ran to some kind of filter (looked like a little box) that hooked to the back of his pants (on the belt). Has anyone seen or used this setup? I looks like it would work well, but also looks expensive. Is this overkill, or good sense?

It’s probably overkill and may be really hot to wear but it’s probably really nice to step out of the thing clean as a whistle, finding foam dust in your eye brows or behind your ears or in your hair… But then again that is part of the experience (hahahaha…) I prefer the 3M 8511 masks with the valve on the front. Since the valve actually lets the air you exhale leave the mask you don’t feel like you’re sucking recycled hot air and hence is cooler and more comfortable to wear.>>> The other night they reran the Surfer’s Journal show about Wayne Lynch. > They showed some footage of him in the shaping bay. He had a full face > clear shield with a helmet (totally sealed around his head), with a tube > out of the back of the helmet that ran to some kind of filter (looked like > a little box) that hooked to the back of his pants (on the belt). Has > anyone seen or used this setup? I looks like it would work well, but also > looks expensive. Is this overkill, or good sense?