Custom/Hybrid Carbon fiber fiberglass resin dust hazards

[air blair]

•I've made 21 hulls out of various fiberglass, carbon fiber products. Using poly or vinyl ester and epoxy resins. I spray gel, cut with angle grinders or dremils. Now most my work is performed in the winter months here to keep me busy. Wood burner stove used for heat and very little ventilation to keep the heat In. I use masks on heavy cut days or spraying gel.
•The noticeable signs I have seen and felt are a cough that never left. I quit smoking a while ago but yet still a slight wheeze or a shallow cough. Another sensation I lost was my sense of smell, I lost 75% of it a year ago. No sign of it coming back. Not sure if my agitation is from it or the damn politics in general. On all the spec sheets of dangers. It lists the central nervous system and risks of cancer.
•Bottom line is hell ya it's dangerous as hell.
Beware and be safe y'all.
My question is - will I ever get my smell sense back? Cause only real real bad farts I can detect.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[zzylstra]

makes sense, @sinisterjosh209 thinks his farts dont stink either

 

[McDog]

1. I worked with vinyl esther once. Once.

2. I'm anal about using a respirator and making my son wear one if he helps me do any cutting or grinding. Uncomfortable as hell but dont want to breathe that crap.

 

[air blair]

In my shop I would lay up open mold ,dry fabric on a tacky gel coat. The gasses staight in my lungs all day. Only protection is a great mask and who the heck likes to where them that long. Actually I knew I was bad when I got fresh air and thaught it smelt like resin composites. The wife would complain when I came in from garage how bad I reeked of ester resin.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[sjetrider]

Nothing glamorous about this crap and definitely not healthy at all. I worry bout my boy Toby and this crap all the time. I help him with large parts and all my parts but he does it ALL DAY LONG hull after hull and the majority of the peeps do not realize how much cutting, trimming and sanding goes into just one hull. Not to mention fumes from IMC and epoxy resins when you not grinding, trimming, cutting and sanding carbon. BTW carbon dust builds in your lungs and does not devolve over time like fiberglass dust will. I would suggest ALWAYS wearing a mask when trimming, scuffing or sanding these parts. ALWAYS.
Just look at areas in your shop and how fast it collects, your lungs are much worse as your nose and mouth are a vacuum.
I would not do this crap for a living if these things sold for $20k a piece. I would build mine though.
Keep this in mind when buying a carbon hull peeps, your paying partially for time off the builders lives.

 

[Midlake Crisis]

Serious business, glad it is being discussed.
I have been too lax about exposure to solvents and dust in the past, when I started doing some composite work I at least started using a respirator, wish I could go back in time and undo all of the carelessness though.
Another thing to remember is that sanding dust fills the room, and doesn't go away by itself, so even if you wear a respirator while sanding you will have long term exposure to settled dust that doesnt get cleaned up to begin with and is stirred up later by other activity in the shop.

 

[sjetrider]

Serious business, glad it is being discussed.
I have been too lax about exposure to solvents and dust in the past, when I started doing some composite work I at least started using a respirator, wish I could go back in time and undo all of the carelessness though.
Another thing to remember is that sanding dust fills the room, and doesn't go away by itself, so even if you wear a respirator while sanding you will have long term exposure to settled dust that doesnt get cleaned up to begin with and is stirred up later by other activity in the shop.

Really need a filtering exhaust setup AND wear mask/ respirator. Again, its nasty business no matter what IMO. if it burns and irritates your skin imagine what it does to your innards.

 

[mike b]

I am guilty of not wearing a mask. Was installing breather tubes into my carbon hull today, I will make sure to get my mask today though. Need some new filters too. That's terrible it had that affect on the body I think composite work is fun and would like to do more, until I read this thread that is lol

 

[air blair]

Oh boy now. Now ass uh tone not found in the gym but as a general cleanup solvent. Danger danger. So I read carbon fiber particles on lungs get a skin over them but never go away. How much can one store up. Lol


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[ScottS]

Jeff, all the dust can be dangerous, but your problem is more than likely caused by acid reflux. Google it.

 

[garrcass]

Organic vapor respirator got to wear it

 

[waterfreak]

Ventilation is key! here in florida we can keep the doors wide open and use big fans to circulate the air.
No problem for me yet or maybe i don't build enough hulls!

 

[MADMAT]

I will never sand it with out full coverage again!

The first time was the last time....

 

[Quinc]

Fan in the window blowing out and a fan in another window blowing fresh air in?

 

[Big Kahuna]

I found that I start itching really bad if I grind up Carbon (Cut or Grind). I have some Tyvek Suits that I wear now and throw on a mask, Will be breaking out old paint respirator if need be also.

 

[hydrostyler]

I built my first two hulls in one garage stall enclosed in plastic with zero ventilation. Vey bad idea. I was just trying to keep the overspray off the rest of my toys and didn't realize what I was doing to my throat and lungs. Eventually it became harder to swallow my food without getting choked up. I had a scope ran down my neck and besides inflammation in my throat, there was no permanent damage to my lungs. I do have to chew my food a little better than I use to or I will occasionally get clogged up and have to do a power swallow or hack it back up. Instead of giving up composites, I gave up a corner of my shop and built a nice ventilated room to play in.

Its easy to get carried away when you're having fun, but try to be safe so you can have fun longer.

 

[garrcass]

I built my first two hulls in one garage stall enclosed in plastic with zero ventilation. View attachment 341658 Vey bad idea. I was just trying to keep the overspray off the rest of my toys and didn't realize what I was doing to my throat and lungs. Eventually it became harder to swallow my food without getting choked up. I had a scope ran down my neck and besides inflammation in my throat, there was no permanent damage to my lungs. I do have to chew my food a little better than I use to or I will occasionally get clogged up and have to do a power swallow or hack it back up. Instead of giving up composites, I gave up a corner of my shop and built a nice ventilated room to play in.
View attachment 341659 View attachment 341660
Its easy to get carried away when you're having fun, but try to be safe so you can have fun longer.

Now I know why wall Mart was sold out of box fans last year..

Check into negative airflow abatement fans

They are high CFM have filters and are construction duty style

 

[augustaf]

Please, consider searching "supplied air respirators"- popular since the sixties, when isocyanates debuted in Imron paint. for example: http://www.ebay.com/bhp/fresh-air-respirator

 

[Downrange]

Fans just don't cut it, its like saying I will put my seat belt on if i think i'm going to need it. The dangers of carbon linger with the dust. And a fan will actually put it into the air over and over again. The vapors from different resins are all bad for you to inhale. Nothing new here, we all know we should. Wear a organic vapor approved mask whether your cutting fabric or doing a layup the dust masks just don't catch the fibers well enough. Also when cutting carbon use a drop cloth under the entire project area then bag it and toss it. Also only hepa filters in the shop vac used to clean up carbon. When your done then you unmask. I have been working around hazardous materials for 30 years the standards havent changed much in the last 20 so there are no excusses for not protecting yourself. So pack away any macho BS and wear the masks. Dispose of the filters and get fresh ones frequently

 

[CD155MX]

This thread (and a few others as of late) inspired me to get a proper respirator and be much more conscious of how I work on projects related to carbon and resin in the future. Thanks to all that shared the information and warnings.

The Equipment I bought for anybody else looking:

- 3M 6502 Half Facepiece Reusable Respirator, Medium

​

- 3M Organic Vapor Cartridge/Filters 60921, P100 Respiratory Protection

​