Sept. - Oct. 2011 - The Coastal Passage Home Page

The BareBones Project-The Editor Builds a Boat
Hitting The Epoxy Wall
OR OR
“Warning signs are flashing ev’ry where, but we pay no heed
‘Stead of slowing down the pace we keep pickin’ up the speed
Disasters getting closer ev’ry time we meet
Goin’ ninety miles an hour down a dead end street”
We were at Gary and Fran’s boat launching
party and talking to a guy building an Easy cat. The point of all this is, I have developed the theory from my own experiences, from talking to
He had it bad and explained it was like a other builders and subsequent investigation via the web, the types of epoxy resin that use the
bucket of water. Every time you exposed yourself to epoxy heedlessly, another 4:1 or 5:1 hardener produce gasses that may be more toxic than commonly understood and
drop went in the bucket till it was full and when it was full to overflowing you toxic in ways that aren’t clearly understood. I want readers of TCP that may be considering
showed the poisoning. Given time you might heal but the bucket was full for life so building a boat with epoxy to consider the possibilities and take the best precautions right
even a minor contamination, just one drop long after and you were stuffed. from the start because once the bucket’s full.... Or readers that have built with epoxy and
A few weeks later I was going over material from the build of the new Americas
now have inexplicable health issues, to maybe consider their use of epoxy containing TETA
(triethylene tetra-amine) which is a known “Endrocrine disruptor” according to wikipedia. I
Cup AC45’s that was published in the last E-TCP. Piles of photos of the builders in
bet there are people out there suffering and don’t know it’s what they are still doing.
New Zealand, laminating the hulls, wearing the same mask I use but better quality
filters... hmmmm (“Warning signs are flashing ev’ry where..”) You know... I was sitting here typing this and realised I have a little Bote-Cote left
I was pretty proud of the fact I had conquered the contamination from contact with
epoxy. I was careful to cover my wrists, wore double layers of rubber gloves, and
downstairs. I just went down and mixed up about 200 grams in a cup and it is sitting next to
the keyboard now. With my current sensitivity, this aint a good idea but I haven’t taken the
time to test the theory. In the meantime I asked Ian Phillips of Boat Craft Pacific to comment
learned to avoid inadvertent touching of skin with gloved hands lest there be a
speck of resin on them I couldn’t feel. I figured I had a pretty good bead on things!
(’Stead of slowing down the pace we keep pickin’ up the speed)
We have bottles of vinegar at every turn to rinse off any accidental spot of resin,
always use eye protection of sorts, to protect from getting a stray drop in but... it
wasn’t any of those things that got me.
And that is that. Even a small batch of epoxy done in the tent a
week prior will send me staggering for fresh air now. I no longer have
a use for the less expensive little round 3M filters. The gas rated ones
that I previously only felt I needed when spraying epoxy paint with
their super volatile thinners are the required face wear for even going
near the job site and I’m not sure that is enough for the resin I had
used. I’ve heard of asthma and rashes but my reaction was an
attack of the nervous system... scary!
I was talking to a neighbour about my experience and he
commented on a health problem that had defied diagnoses for years
that resembled some aspects of what I was talking about. He has
built boats. Another good friend is suffering scary symptoms and
similarly, defying diagnoses. He is building an epoxy composite cat
and lives in a structure adjoining his work area...
Are all epoxies equally toxic? I don’t believe so. Bote-Cote epoxy from
Boat Craft Pacific seems to be a type of less risk. I had been using it
with good result but I had gotten lazy and ordered another brand
where I was ordering other materials.
a few days ago and this is what he had to say:
from a song by H. Blair and D. Robertson
by Bob Norson
Yes, our system has a much lower allergenic potential. Our 2: 1 system uses more modern
hardeners, whereas the older systems (which are the 5:1 and 4:1 systems) are still using the
old technology hardeners. Our chemical expert has also selected components specifically for
their lower allergenic potential (amongst other things).
In past I had accidentally exposed myself to gasses and could feel a slight “buzz”. Sadly, some individuals are just plain out of luck in the great genetic lottery. Some are
Being alert to the dangers, (he said smugly) I got very careful to always use my simply unable to tolerate any of the epoxy systems, in even the smallest amounts. There
mask with the round filters. These cut any odour of epoxy when worn and no more aren't many people in this boat. Others, who have been careless enough over a long enough
cheap thrills from fumes so I thought they were good enough. A false sense of time, (getting lots of epoxy onto their skin etc) can also find them selves in the position
security. (Disaster getting closer ev’ry time we meet)
whereby they can no longer tolerate any epoxy. Many more have become a bit sensitive, but
Until a few weeks ago. It was a particularly nasty job but I had taken what I
thought were good precautions. I was fairing with thickened resin in both hulls.
As one side already had a sealing coat ( see www.buildacat.com/bbloggas.html ) I
started early arvo and kept going till dark to maintain the critical temperature
difference required for the porous panels. I had a fan exhausting through a large
hatch in the second hull and two big fans clearing the tent in general. As I was
provided they manage it properly, (using safer epoxy systems, proper protection and
ventilation) they can continue to employ epoxy with all the benefits that it offers.
Whilst I have been editing this article the container of Bote-Cote resin has been going off
next to me and I’m OK. It is now hard and still hot. If this were the other resin I would be in
awful shape now. Nonetheless, I will not be exposing myself again even to this resin. I won’t
be taking any chances and maybe you shouldn’t either.
working on the second hull I began feeling.. wooozy but I didn’t stop, I wasn’t going
to quit in the middle of the job with a half used batch of resin and missing the
temperature window. (Goin ninety miles an hour down a dead end street) I didn’t
Whilst I am pleased to have Bote-Cote as an advertiser, I think most of you know that does
not affect editorial. And I don’t even get a bloody discount on the stuff!!
know it yet but I had hit the wall. I filled my bucket. Is this latest disruption going to halt the project? Not a chance in hell! With all the other
I felt awful when I got to the house. Disoriented, dizzy, slightly nauseous,
anxious. In the vernacular of the sixties, this was a bum trip man...
problems we have had to overcome to get this far, this little hiccup, whilst an annoying
concern, will be nothing more than (another) minor delay. Actually considerable progress has
been achieved this last cycle, but with the space available the above topic was the most
Next morning I felt better. Whew! I thought. Glad I got away with that! Better be
more careful next time. But I noticed I had a vicious rash on the
backside of both hands even though I hadn’t gotten any resin on me.
No worries, I was sure it would go away soon. I walked out to the tent
and stood behind the boat to take a minute to reconnoitre and plan
my attack for the day. It took about 3 minutes to knock me on my
proverbial... and most of the day to recover.
important
With epoxy, the paper mask at left is the rough equivalent of hiding under a blanket to avoid the monster
under the bed! GROW UP! The centre filters are very good for particulates and some gases but limited in
effectiveness on epoxy fumes. The mask at right is equipped with the good stuff. The filter element on the
right side of the mask is covered with a layer of paper towel held on with a rubber band. This preserves
the filter if used around dust. Another way to make them last longer, I’m told, is to store them in a sealed
zip-lock bag when not in use. Apparently the activated charcoal elements don’t degrade as fast when not
exposed to fresh air. A full face mask like the one Jim Geddes is wearing on the next page may be in my
future, except with an element intended for gasses but I hope the move back to Bote-Cote resin from Boat
Craft Pacific will suffice. I think it will. I’ll be watching my health like a hawk in the coming weeks and
considering that alternative.
www.saniloo.com.au
www.saniloo.com.au