: there's nothing wrong with wiping a kayak down with
: an acetone soaked rag to remove fine dust prior to doing more
: epoxy work.

Water is called the "universal solvent" because it dissolves more substances than any other liquid.

Check out this link for some eye opening facts about water.

http://ga.water.usgs.gov/edu/waterproperties.html

Water is recommended by most epoxy manufacturers as the solvent for removing amine blush and for
cleaning epoxy surfaces prior to re-coating. And dust? Just use clean water with a clean sponge and wipe dry with a paper towel.

When I was younger and tougher, I too liked to grab the meanest solvent I could find, kinda like using a shotgun
to blast a fly. And then walk around the shop with my head spinning for a while. Didn't think twice.

Now, I'm one of those old guys that don't have a lot of time left to waste and I'm worried about my sins of the past,
like building plastic models with gallons of that great smelling glue when I was a kid, catching up with me,
so now I try to muck up the Grim Reaper's schedule by using the least toxic stuff or nothing at all.

For you newbies out there, I urge you to start smart, read the warning labels, and think, before you drink, your favorite solvent!

You might ask yourself, "What has he been drinking?"

Answer - water.

Rob