> I've always just opend the garage door when I was in the small shop, and
> now in a big shop I still open the door when it's warm enough. Even
> without it open, there seems to be sufficient ventilation. Are you saying
> that even with adequate ventilation a respirator is necessary?

It depends on the product. In most cases a respirator is not necessary, but it's impossible to know for sure until after the fact. In my book it's filed under "Prudent Precautions".

> Are the
> fumes lighter than air?

Both solvent fumes and amine vapors are heavier than air, but not by much. Water vapor has a specific gravity of 1.0, but there are water clouds at 50,000 feet. MEK has SG of .81, xylene is .86, methylene chloride is .71, you get the picture. They linger before settling out, and when used inside the boat they have no easy exit.

> Also, I have noticed that the latex gloves I am using do OK with epoxy,
> but when I go to clean with acetone it eats right through them. I really
> like the oven cleaning gloves from the grocery store better.

Good idea. It doesn't pay to clean latex gloves. They're cheap, so throw them away. Industrial safety stores handle "solvent gloves" that will survive in this environment, but they're more money and harder to get. The oven cleaning gloves I haven't tried yet, but probably are a good bet. Oven cleaner isn't just nasty, it can kill you.