Re: [Paddlewise] Hazards of indoor kayak building?

Sidney_Stone_at_amsinc.com wrote:

[snip]
> Now with regard to curing epoxy.  I believe you you find warnings to use in a
> well ventilated area.  I would request definitive advice from MAS or whatever
> maker of epoxy you choose to use. [snip] Last summer
> I was playing with some West System Epoxy and some polyester epoxy [sic].
> This was outside.  The west system did seem to give off obnoxious smells,
> while the polyester epoxy [sic] reminded me of my father's boat building 
> days.  The fumes linger for days.

Let me put this caveat up front:  I'm a mere organic chemist, and yield to
Paddlewiser Dana Dickson, who is a genuine industrial hygienist with
professional training pertinent to this discussion.  I hope Dana picks up on
this thread.  What you read below stands to be improved on/corrected by Dana. 
(Thank you, Dana!)

A couple things are skewed here:

1. The System Three resins (all epoxy-based) I have used are "low" in odor,
except for a distinct ammonia-like smell.  Unless the polyamine hardener in
West materials is chemically very different (or, impure), it should also be
relatively low-odor.  OTOH, so-called "five-minute" epoxy hardeners **do**
have a very pungent "dog-urine" odor to them.  I find them very obnoxious.

The hazards with epoxy are primarily related to contact dermatitis (or, if you
do not wear a mask while sanding, inhalation reaction), leading in some
individuals to **sensitization** and subsequent severe allergic reaction on
re-exposure.  For *some* of those sensitized folks, even walking into an open
boat-building shop causes an immediate reaction.  The original poster would be
well-advised to separate his sleeping/eating area from the place where he does
his epoxy work, for this reason:  no one can predict who the "sensitive"
individuals are, and who the "insensitive"  (less-sensitive?) folks are.  BTW,
I have committed every epoxy error possible, and I am not sensitized (yet?). 
YMMV!!!

2. Sidney has confused "epoxy" with "polyester" in his original posting (see
my [sic] notations above).  AFAIK, there are no "polyester epoxy" resins.  I
believe his "polyester epoxy" is really polyester/styrene resin or possibly
vinylester resin.  This is a very understandable error, if for no other reason
that some retailers do not distinguish the two.

Finally, any polyester/vinyl ester resin should stink up the place big time,
and IIRC, the vapors are an acute health hazard in a high enough
concentration.  Some folks find the odor from polyester/styrene or vinylester
materials attractive (??!!).  Others are repulsed.

Dana, bail me out!

Thanks.

-- 
Dave Kruger
Astoria, OR


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