Acetone as a skin cleaner is not a good idea. Although acetone itself is not know to be absorbed appreciably through the skin, it does damage the skin. Damaged skin is more prone to allow absorption. Also a solution of partially reacted epoxy resin and hardener is more likely to be absorbed than a thick gel of the same materials. Vinegar works, but it smells. Waterless handcleaner also works and is not as hard on the skin as a straight solvent. Cheap disposable gloves are a very good idea, avoiding skin exposure is better than trying to wash the goo off. As someone noted in this thread epoxy is not fully cured for several days, long past the time it appears to be hard to the touch there are unreacted components present. When you sand epoxy you should wear a particulate and organic vapor respirator. Epoxy resins and the hardeners are sensitizers. Once you are sensitized you may never be able to work with or around the sensitizer again. Personally when I work with epoxies I wear nitrile gloves, a respirator with super cartridges (organic vapor, amine, acid gas, HEPA, + combo). If I am working where I will be generating lots of dust, sanding the bottom of a boat vs. sanding a spot repair on a paddle, I will also wear disposable coveralls. I also suggest you read the vendors Material Safety Data Sheets and safety recommendations on their webpages. When you cut through the sales hyperbole, I think you will find the above is a reasonable summary of their recommendations. It also fits with the information I have found from sources other than the vendors. As for the source of my "authority" I do safety and health for a living and, work with epoxy to fix stuff at home, so I looked the data up for myself. I suppose I need a disclaimer here so, remember boys and girls, my free advice is worth what you paid for it. Dana Dickson *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.gasp-seakayak.net/paddlewise/ ***************************************************************************
I had an elaborate summary crafted of the pros and cons of using acetone or vinegar to clean epoxy residue (cured/uncured) off your skin. Then Netscape puked and I lost it all. The bottom line(s): Dana was right, and I was wrong: acetone is not innocuous for cleaning epoxy off your skin. He's right: it can hasten breakdown of the protective barrier skin provides, thereby substantially increasing the chance of sensitization. I had forgotten that. Someone else (Phil Daligan?) indicated the West System people (I think) use a proprietary version of vinegar for cleanup, but with no mention of use on hands. Everybody agrees gloves are mandatory to avoid sensitization. Dana recommends nitrile gloves and "a respirator with super cartridges (organic vapor, amine, acid gas, HEPA, + combo)." The respirator is more than the MSDS Sheets from System Three suggest *for casual use* of epoxy (see: http://www.systemthree.com/index.html and select System Three Epoxy and (farther down the page) Part B System Three Hardener #1 ...)), so I guess each of us gets to judge that, though if I worked with the stuff regularly I probably would go Dana's route. YMMV. Finally, the owner of System Three chimed in with the post below my sig -- food for thought for the folks who advocate the use of vinegar as cleanup on skin, inasmuch as vinegar and epoxy may form compounds not tested for their reactivity and/or toxicity, just as acetone and epoxy may (ketamines). -- Dave Kruger Astoria, OR humbled chemist -- >Dave Kruger <dkruger_at_pacifier.com> wrote: > >Anybody got **data** (don't need anecdotal stuff) to back up (or refute) the > >claim that using acetone to clean up increases epoxy transfer through skin? > > I don't have any data on this particular question. However, acetone will > readily react with amines forming ketamines. This is a reversible reaction > with water given off in the condensation of the ketone and amine. The > toxicology of ketamines has not been rigorously studied and I'd be more > concerned with this than with your original question insofar as health goes. > I'd be more inclined to use solvent alcohol, isopropyl alcohol or something > that would not react with amines. > > W. Kern Hendricks > System Three Resins, Inc. > P.O. Box 70436 > Seattle, WA 98107 > Orders Only: 800/333-5514 > Technical Support: 206/782-7976 > e-mail: support_at_systemthree.com > website: www.systemthree.com *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.gasp-seakayak.net/paddlewise/ ***************************************************************************
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