Fibreglass

[D river]

Am currently doing a full restore on the little general and just wanted to have a winge about fibreglass. How f***ed is it to grind the stuff just goes everywhere. Anyway thats my winge the boat is comming along very well I'll post up the full pics when she is done.

[Noelm]

I know that feeling very well! there is a couple of things you can do to help (a bit anyway) some say apply baby powder before starting, this closes the pores of your skin, others say apply some barrier cream, this stops the glass "sticking in", wear disposable overalls and disposable gloves, this is a good tip, but nothing will save you 100%

[four_button_arnie]

geez and make sure you wear a particle filter mask, dont want those nasty fibers in your lungs!

Josh

[CT]

I've been holding the vacume cleaner as well as the saw, drill, dremmel etc to try and minimise the dust spread.

Nothing like doing this sort of work in summer which is shorts only weather round here at the moment. Then you sweat and all the crap sticks to you....

Cheers
Craig

[Noelm]

When I did my boat it was stinking hot, and when you put on all sorts of shoes and socks, overalls and masks and so on, you get slowly cooked, then later on, you itch and scratch, I reckon I would not be a boat repairer for any money, or I would charge so much I would not get any work!

[tropicrows]

Like Noelm said "but nothing will save you 100%" but you get use to it after a few days of grinding.

[Scott nthQld]

My pop told me a remedy when working with fibreglass (similar fibres to asbestos, which he used to work with all the time) and it was to use a cold wet cloth and wipe yourself down the same direction as your hair grows, like wiping down your arms and legs...apparently that's the same way your pores face and wiping that way pulls the fibeglass out the way it went in like a bee's sting pull it out the way it went in or it will break off and get stuck. Dunno if it works or not, but will give it a go if i ever get my boat up here

[MikeyS]

I read on another site someone recommended spraying yourself with hairspray before sanding to form a protective layer that will wash off. I didn't try it.

Don't worry- your not the only one scratching yourself today! At least I now only need to wet sand some flowcoat.

[Camhawk88]

Or you could try the old Malcolm Douglas sandfly remedy of covering yourself head to toe in mangrove mud and letting it dry- should work the same with pesky glass fibres.

Failing this, my favourite remedy for any skin irritants is to cover yourself in honey- nothing gets through it and clean up is cheaper than acetone- just throw yourself to the lesbians.

[dreemon]

My pop told me a remedy when working with fibreglass (similar fibres to asbestos, which he used to work with all the time) and it was to use a cold wet cloth and wipe yourself down the same direction as your hair grows, like wiping down your arms and legs...apparently that's the same way your pores face and wiping that way pulls the fibeglass out the way it went in like a bee's sting pull it out the way it went in or it will break off and get stuck. Dunno if it works or not, but will give it a go if i ever get my boat up here

I heard the same thing from my glass repairer, he worked at riviera for many years, only thing when he told me was that he forgot which way to wipe ,
so I didn't gamble making myself anymore miserable by making a heads or tails decision , sounds like it's worth trying it the right way,
another tip is to use a bit of cardboard or old carpet when ya gotta take a leak, that goes for when your using resin too, Cheers

[sharkcat one]

There is a 100% way of not getting dust on yourself and that is to pay someone else to do it.

cheers

[thylacene]

Disposable gloves, put three pairs on, that way if you get resin on it to the point that you are pulling your mat apart as you lay up, you can take off one layer quickly. I find minutes valuable working with resin.

I like to finish with clean hands at least. $7 for a pack of 200 at bunnings

If you are cutting large holes etc, using an air hacksaw results in much less dust than using a grinder.

As for the rest, not much, you itch, you scratch

Cheers

Thy

[svranjic]

I know how u feel

One thing that does NOT work is to stand under a boiling hot shower......

I did this and because the glass itches and hurts so bad under hot water you cant really feel it burning. I ended up with a severe heat rash plus fiberglass itch.....

Like everyone has said cover up heaps and dont scratch it makes it worse.

I need to grind a couple of small places on inside of the boat that I missed after doing the transom... I keep putting it off cos I dont want the shit going everywhere.

[Giffo65]

Buy a Poly boat,and no Ichy or Scratchy !

Cheers
Giffo

[Giffo65]

Puts out a floater under a balloon, and waits for a strike !