I’ve been sanding down my fin that I just glassed and now I have the glass itch. How do you guys stop fiber glass itch and what precautions do you take to prevent it? I just realised that I am in the same clothes that I was sanding in and that is proably the reason I still got the itch, but let’s here from you anyway.
Cheers,
Austin
Glass is totally unecessary, you have the option of not using it, there are other cloths which do the same job. I can’t stand the stuff myself.
Rhino, I wear respirator, sun glasses, gloves, and an old hooded sweat shirt. Mike
Cover up as above. Soon as done strip off those cloths and rinse yourself off first w/ COLD water like garden hose etc or shower cold as has seemed to me that using warm at start opens pores and lets glass dust get in deeper. The cold rinse gets most residue off. Always wear respirator for sure.
What qualifies as a sufficient respirator?
Roy, Do fabrics such as cotton and whatever others you use become clear when resin is applied?
Ive worked with glass/carbon so long I usually dont get irritated on the arms and legs or face. Its worse on hot days though. You might wanna invest in some of these…http://www.abcsafetymart.com/clothing/clothing.html
As far as adequate respirators go, check the label. It should tell you what its designed to block. Check these out…http://www.safmed.com/store/product58.html
Rhino, I don’t use cloth these days except for fins, because the timbers I use are hard enough without it, but none of the alternative cloths ( polyester, silk, cotton, kevlar or carbon ) which I have used go completely clear, although some do go partially clear (think wet T shirt ).
Apart from the clarity which glass has, its main advantage (IMO) for wooden boards is that it acts as a convenient fairing compound whereas other cloths tend to fuzz or be harder to sand. Structurally there are plenty of feasible alternatives to glass.
Did you know that glass cloth was once used for clothing ? The pictures below are from an old ‘Eagle Annual for boys’ (or similar) which I once had and which shows a process of making fibreglass cloth and clothing from broken milk bottles which was used by a Glasgow company (Fibreglass, Ltd) during the 1920’s. . . . none of the factory workers wore any kind of mask, nor did the wearers !
I wonder how those clothes felt…
Washed my arms 3 times and still an odd itch…those suits are proably a good investment.
…the “space helmet” is , actually , not THAT far off what Wayne Lynch wears …
…by the way …
suction tabs and boots , so he can work upside down
cheers !
ben
Aloha Rhino
To prevent or reduce the itch there are a few tips
Cover up as much as you can. But this has limited value as you will likely overheat. This will open pores and glass can get in worse if it gets in.
Rub down vulnerable areas with baby powder. It fills the poors and lubricates the skin preventing the glass from hooking up.
Make sure that your clothes don’t rub where dust will get in and then grind it into your skin
Wash in cold water with soap and a soft rag, so that skin tightens and closes up and the soft rag doesn’t force the fibers deeper but rather off.
If you are still itchy after you are dry, it is because some fibers are still sticking in your skin. Use masking tape and tape over these areas and then pull the tape off. Hopefully pulling out the fibers. Do this several times until you don’t itch anymore.
If all that fails don’t try to sleep in satin sheets or wear hard slick fabrics. Try wool or the fuzzyiest clothes you can get.
Hope this helps.
I use a hooded dust suit, Tyvek is best, lightweight and breathable. This and an airshield respirator similar to the one Wayne Lynch uses, means you will only get dust on your hands and you could always wear gloves. Of course I work in the Cornish climate so it’s never all that hot. That said I have worked in 28oC with short & T under suit no worries.
You could always sand nude outside on a windy day as long as you kept up wind of the dust, I jest although it has been done.
Bill’s got it covered…no pun intended… let me just add two that have worked for me -
Most definitely wash your sanding clothes separately from your other stuff. That isn’t something you want to get into your undies, y’know? And machine-dry 'em, so anything that can get taken out will be.
As a last resort, when dealing with skin itch, I have used a not-very-stiff scrub brush and a hot shower to get the last few itchy patches done as well as they will be. Forearms seem to get it the worst.
Coveralls: the Tyvek ones may be the best for this, but they’re just too hot. Light fabric is prolly the way to go.
hope that’s of use
doc…
Lightweight long sleeve cotton shirts are good, but tape up the sleeves to stop rubbing, leading to itching.
In summer on Reunion I just sanded in shorts and a mask, but I was not sanding a lot of fibre. The filler coat is just resin and creates inert dust. It’s when you sand the fibres that problems start.
Actually the problem really starts with rubbing and when you scratch. I taught myself not to scratch, then go surf or shower. I was grinding down a 4x4 hood yesterday, all chopped strand, lots of fibre. I blow excess dust off with air, then shower, no itch.
yeah, stubs… You have a good eye. This is our more popular model in SoCal. it was used for making and then riding a carbon fiber boards. We had a lot of hollywood types buy the outfit.
Imagine driving to the beach in your black hummer, grabbin’ the black carbon fiber board out of the back, and striding across the beach with the cape flowing behind. All the locals in the water looking over their shoulders nervously. Just standing on the bluff checking out the waves was quite intimidating.
Believe me chubs, you won’t have anyone making stupid comments to you like “Why don’t you surf a normal board”. Even the sharks stay away. oh yeah, its not itchy, but it does get warm.
ps… its up to you to get your own sponsors. and in this outfit there’ll be no shortage of offers.
hey chinga …I just don’t get the idea of the yellow light in front of the crotch though ?
is that an overheating warning light for when those black african temptress ah sorry “teamsters” walk past you on the way to the waves ?
please explain , my mate stubs is losing sleep over it already …
cheers mate !
drower
Bill pointed this out but I would second it - the baby powder really helps, keep some right by your sanding area so you remember to use it any place dust might get on your skin (wrists, forearms, neck)
I like a full face mask/respirator, e.g. the 3M 6800. They come in different sizes so try them on for fit before you buy. Goggles and a half mask are next best.
Surgical scrubs are cheap, not too hot, work clothes for sanding. Plus then people can call you Dr. Dust…
Howzit Rhino, All the info given so far is right on, the only thing I can add is to blow the dust off with your compressor before rinsing off with cold water. Fortunately I don't get the itch, must be because after 40 years I'm immune to it. Welcome to the world of surfboard sanding.Aloha,Kokua