SgtMaj
Lieutenant Commander
- Joined
- Nov 19, 2007
- Messages
- 1,997
You know, I thought I should post this because I didn't know any better myself just a week ago, so I'm sure other people that are new to fiberglass boat restorations won't know either.
I always knew to cover up any exposed skin when working with solvents, chemicals, or when doing things like applying resins, etc. What I didn't know, was that it's equally important when you're sanding it down. Last week I was getting down into the transom, and to do that, I had to use a rotary tool to cut away some top layers of fiberglass, gelcoat, and epoxy filler. That kicked up a lot of dust, most of which landed on my left arm (since i was holding the rotary tool in my right arm and steadying the transom/myself with my left arm). It wasn't more than about 15 minutes into the job when my arm began to itch, burn and give sharp pains. Because this wasn't the first time I've had chemical burns (yes, I am an idiot), I knew that's what was causing it, so I went in and rinsed my arms off for about 30 mins, and then put on a jacket that covered my arms before continuing. The burning sensation stopped after I rinsed them, but the pain and itchyness continued.
The next day I had a big bumpy itchy rash all down my left forearm. Although greatly improved since then, it's still there now. Here's a recent pic of it, taken nearly a week after the fact, and you can still kinda tell where it was/is.
That is why you should always cover up, wear a good dust mask, and wear eye protection (the last two I was smart enough to wear) when working with this stuff, even if you're just taking off the old stuff.
I always knew to cover up any exposed skin when working with solvents, chemicals, or when doing things like applying resins, etc. What I didn't know, was that it's equally important when you're sanding it down. Last week I was getting down into the transom, and to do that, I had to use a rotary tool to cut away some top layers of fiberglass, gelcoat, and epoxy filler. That kicked up a lot of dust, most of which landed on my left arm (since i was holding the rotary tool in my right arm and steadying the transom/myself with my left arm). It wasn't more than about 15 minutes into the job when my arm began to itch, burn and give sharp pains. Because this wasn't the first time I've had chemical burns (yes, I am an idiot), I knew that's what was causing it, so I went in and rinsed my arms off for about 30 mins, and then put on a jacket that covered my arms before continuing. The burning sensation stopped after I rinsed them, but the pain and itchyness continued.
The next day I had a big bumpy itchy rash all down my left forearm. Although greatly improved since then, it's still there now. Here's a recent pic of it, taken nearly a week after the fact, and you can still kinda tell where it was/is.
That is why you should always cover up, wear a good dust mask, and wear eye protection (the last two I was smart enough to wear) when working with this stuff, even if you're just taking off the old stuff.