White vinegar

[gm280]

I read all these comments over again and I do think it is something newbies, and old timers as well, needs to know about using such chemicals. Every one of the standard chemicals can and are dangerous to use without any consideration to safety. Acetone, Lacquer Thinner, Denatured Alcohol, MEKP, Epoxies and of course Polyester Resins all have some questionable effects on human tissue. So be really careful and use the proper PPE when you use such things. We want everybody to stay breathing and with us for a long time. And some of those chemicals will permeate your skin easily. So please take the needed precautions and keep boating...

 

[MTboatguy]

I use the DMSO because not only does it work for cleaning stuff with paints and various other things on other things, I also use it as a pain reducer/killer on myself, the medicinal properties of DMSO has been known for a long time now.

 

[Daniel1947]

I have used the denatured alcohol, but then by accident I picked up a bottle of rubbing alcohol I had in the garage for emergency's. I now purchase the largest bottle of 70% or 91% Isopropyl I can lay my hands on....it is cheap and it works great...pour a little on a rag or paper towel and rub slightly. Safe and effective, evaporates quickly.

 

[ondarvr]

Here's where I come from on this.

I've worn the monitoring equipment many times, and been part of the studies, plus get results of many studies from around the world. What they have found, is that while we work with many chemicals in this industry for years on end, there doesn't appear to be any glaring health issues that crop up even after many years of exposure.

Also, although the smell of resin can be very strong, the levels of exposure are typically rather low. What the average person would consider an intolerable stench when working with polyester resin, is still well below what is considered safe for the workplace. This very annoying odor is one reason that makes it safer to use, you typically will leave the area before it gets to a harmful level.

I'm not saying don't wear PPE, only that the very limited exposure people would have from doing repairs like the ones discussed on this site are not going to have an affect on your health. Again, there are other areas of your lifestyle that should be modified before staying up nights worrying about having dipped your hands in acetone once today.

Someone like YD needs to be more concerned because its part of his daily life, but the big health risk for him is the isocyanates in the paints, those are well known to be harmful, and it can happen even from short term exposure.

To repeat, wear the PPE, just don't stress about it.

 

[zool]

Ive used epoxy resins and acetone for year and years without any effects...sometimes well protected, others not so much. never had any issues. One day not so long ago on my current project, I got a small rash on my wrist...and has become progressively worse. So out of the blue, under typical conditions, I became sensitized. I also noticed that acetone would burn more since, if gotten on the skin. I started using better protection, and switched to lacquer thinner, which has less acetone in it under normal working temps, and that's helped a little, but still annoying. I now just use wax and grease remover under the initial lam (which is basically mineral sprits and toluene), and just water between additional lams over partially cured lams. I still get small rashes just being around epoxy and hardener, but much more manageable. The moral is, you never know how and when your body will react to these solvents and resins, so its best to take all precautions from the get go, in hindsight.

As for iso's. Ive seen first hand what that can do to you, a friend of mine who sprayed professionally for many years has slowly deteriorated to an unrecognizable state, mostly from being lax in precautions. Don't even give that devil a chance to take hold! Mask on before cans are opened, period.

 

[Yacht Dr.]

I dont have the science to back up Ondarvr..but I have been around many old salts that have been doing glass for 30-40 years. No respo..no gloves..Nothing. Smoking cigs and drinking too much is what is getting the best of those guys. Im thinking that the inhilation of fiberglass dust is worse for you than fumes or skin contact. I used to wear those little particle/dust masks when sanding and grinding. I cant stand them though. too hot and doesnt seem to let me breath as easy..so Respo goes on every time now.

On the gloves thing. I use powdered latex gloves. They are Tight fitting and you can dip them in a bucket of acetone and they wont melt. I use powdered because I change them so often..and they go on over sweaty hands easier. Non powdered are impossible with wet hands.

Good thread..loads of info.

 

[ondarvr]

Ive used epoxy resins and acetone for year and years without any effects...sometimes well protected, others not so much. never had any issues. One day not so long ago on my current project, I got a small rash on my wrist...and has become progressively worse. So out of the blue, under typical conditions, I became sensitized. I also noticed that acetone would burn more since, if gotten on the skin. I started using better protection, and switched to lacquer thinner, which has less acetone in it under normal working temps, and that's helped a little, but still annoying. I now just use wax and grease remover under the initial lam (which is basically mineral sprits and toluene), and just water between additional lams over partially cured lams. I still get small rashes just being around epoxy and hardener, but much more manageable. The moral is, you never know how and when your body will react to these solvents and resins, so its best to take all precautions from the get go, in hindsight.

As for iso's. Ive seen first hand what that can do to you, a friend of mine who sprayed professionally for many years has slowly deteriorated to an unrecognizable state, mostly from being lax in precautions. Don't even give that devil a chance to take hold! Mask on before cans are opened, period.

Epoxy does that at times, sometimes the reaction stays small and irritating, but other times it can get more severe.

People tend to think that because epoxy doesn't have a strong odor it must be safer, and since polyester stinks it must be bad for you. It actually works the other way around.

 

[samsam]

Guys, what type of gloves have you found that protect against acetone? I have attempted to use gloves but have not found any that hold up against this stuff so I figured my only option was to just go gloveless. If there are gloves that work good I would be very interested in knowing what they are and where I could get them.

All other gloves eventually melt or start leaking so I ended up getting rubber chemical gloves like this from Home Depot. They are surprisingly "agile", in that they aren't too thick and clumsy for most small work, you can put them on and take them off easily and they last for years. You can also roll up the cuffs to catch stuff that would run down your arms when doing overhead work. They are loose enough so your hands can breath and not get all sweaty and they are tough to resist punctures and rips. You can wash off in any solvents as often as you want, and everything (stuff like resin and mat fur) cleans off quickly and easily.