: Hello all -

: I just picked up an old tandem kayak for free. It's a fiberglass boat and has
: had some really rough patches in it's life. They're ugly with really thick
: fiberglass used and resin all over the place. My plan is to sand the
: patches down as far as I can to get a fair surface -- even if it means
: that I have to put new patches overtop.

: Anyway, I digress - my real question is what do I need to do to keep myself
: safe when sanding this fiberglass. I was looking at the Enviro Safety
: Products web site and was planning on buying a respirator, nitrile gloves
: and Tyvek coveralls.

: The respirator that I am considering is a 3M 6000 series. Is it worth the
: (WAY!)-extra money for a full-face respirator versus the half-face
: respirator? And, from a tiny bit of reading about epoxy sanding protection
: - I was thinking of the Organic Vapor cartridges.

: For the Tyvek coveralls, what level of protection is needed? Just coveralls
: with plain sleeves and ankles? With elastic? With hood and booties?

: I'd rather err on the side of precaution and safety. I'll probably do the
: sanding outside (rather than dirty up the garage w/ the fiberglass dust).

: Anyway - comments & suggestions are welcome.

: Thanks.

: -Doug

Hi Doug,
I think you have most of the bases covered, though I think a pneumatic sander would be better as you can wet down the kayak as you sand. Much more splatter but the water holds the glass and resin particles from blowing about.
A plastic sheeting under the kayak will act as a slurry trap, and a plastic sheet screen around stops the splatter from going all over the place.
You still need the protection though.

If you use a fine spray, you don't use much water and you don't end up to your knees in water.
It's easier to clean up afterwards and the mess is localised. Letting the water evaporate until the mess is a thick sludge makes it easier to collect and dispose of the glass and resin dust.

I WOULD NOT use this with electric sanders.

Mike Savage
South West Cork