Glen-L.com

I've assembled the frames for my Malahini using the Glen-L Poxy Grip. I'm pleased to find that it really does not have much (if any) of a smell at all. I want to be able to do the fiberglassing inside (garage in basement) if possible, but I'm concerned about fumes & smells. Since the Poxy Grip does not seem to have any smell, is Poxy Shield also without smell? What about System 3, or West? Of course I have a good respirator. I just don't want noxious fumes wafting upstairs into the rest of the house.

Actually the issues with epoxy is what you do not smell, hince the reason that good respirators should be used. But also keep in mind that dust carries with it the same chemicals in a finer and altered state too. So while smell maybe marginal to any sniff test, none go without some potential health issues both on your skin and on the liver. We normally reserve beer for any and all liver damages while building these boats too.

I use WEST and assume that most of the (warnings) are the same. Here's a condensed version of their warning.

"Avoid breathing concentrated vapors and sanding dust. West epoxies have low VOC content, but vapors can build up in an unvented space. Provide ample ventilation when working with epoxy in confined spaces, such as boat interiors. When adequate ventilation is not possible, wear a NIOSH approved respirator with organic vapor cartridge."

I have used West right inside the house. I used it to glue components of a granite counter top in my kitchen (works awesome for gluing granite on the un-polished side) and took no more precaution than keeping a window open a bit with no apparent affects on any of us in the house (live in Canada and did the work in the very late fall, so the window wasn't open a whole lot ) and have used it on smaller projects worked on in the basement, again with nothing more than a "cracked open" window and the basement door shut.

Although, to be fair, it's not something I do everyday. I feel an occasional bit of (epoxy) in the air is probably no worse than many of the household chemicals we use to clean sinks and bath tubs etc.

I would feel more than safe working inside the garage - would simply keep the door open until the epoxy has hit the green stage (a couple of hours depending on the hardener in use) and any door to the inside of the house "closed".

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Graham

Yes, Plywood is "real" wood

A "professional" is someone who gets paid for their work - it doesn't necessarily mean they are good at it

So while I'm in the basement wearing the respirator, funky smells aren't going to permiate the rest of the house upstairs?

Smells reaching the rest of the house probably depend on your house. I have an attached garage that has a door leading straight into my house. I have never smelled epoxy coming in, but when doing other work with really bad fumes (spilled gas) it does. Since I have two other exits from my garage, when doing anything that will make the wife unhappy smelling, I just tape plastic over the door to the house and leave the other two doors open at least a little.

As long as you have positive ventilation away from the rest of the house I think you would be fine. But test when no one else is home first .

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Jeremy

Hope is NOT a plan.

Thanks for all the input. Of course, the garage door will be open while I'm working anyway. I was just hoping I wouldn't have to build some sort of shelter in the driveway.