: That would be great if it didn't smell, I might even be able to talk my
: parents into letting me fiberglass in the basement. Is that normal for
: epoxy not to smell? I have only done small fiberglass repair on sailboats,
: using a small container bought a hardware store, probably bondo, and it
: smells horribele... maybe polyester? But will epoxy based systems not
: really smell that bad?

Hi Shaun,
The small hardware tins are polyester. This has a very strong smell and is quite toxic in enclosed areas. Not so good in open areas either.
As Bob said, make a small test piece in the basement and see how it smells. (you know, that phrase works but there is something intrinsically wrong with it)
I've used West epoxy and I could smell it but it was a low grade smell just localised around the workpiece. Mind you, I have a good sense of smell and a friend of mine couldn't smell anything and there was good ventilation.
The one note of caution is when sanding. Make sure the dust doesn't get into the house from the basement. It can cause sensitisation and allergy.
I think the fumes that do come off when curing may cause a reaction in someone already allergic to epoxy. I recall reading this on this forum some time ago.

Strangely, once fully cured, epoxy doesn't cause a reaction.

Regardless of the strength of smell, make sure there's good ventilation if you're working in the basement.

Mike Savage
South West Cork