Ski Builders Forum

Posted: **Mon Oct 27, 2008 12:34 pm**

came across this on another site:

"DO NOT! DO NOT! DO NOT! DO NOT! DO NOT! DO NOT! DO NOT! DO NOT! DO NOT! DO NOT! DO NOT! DO NOT! DO NOT! DO NOT! DO NOT! DO NOT! DO NOT! DO NOT! DO NOT!
Do NOT use Acetone to clean up Epoxy. Ever.
Do Not Use Acetone To CLean Epoxy.
EVER.
Acetone gives epoxy a direct route to the bloodstream through the skin, and most instances of epoxy reactions/sensitivity in the surfboard and boatbuilding industries can be traced back to exposure to epoxy-contaminated acetone."

Anyone heard of this????

Posted: **Mon Oct 27, 2008 2:37 pm**

what's the other site?

Posted: **Mon Oct 27, 2008 3:12 pm**

i'll have to find it again. it was a "how to make a composite skateboard" site.

i'd never heard of that before. i use acetone to clean my mold but the epoxy is already cured at that point. just wondering if there was any truth to the claim.

Posted: **Mon Oct 27, 2008 3:19 pm**

here it is:

http://www.instructables.com/id/Composi ... kateboard/

Posted: **Tue Oct 28, 2008 6:22 am**

For some reason I think this was brough up on this site. Either way... The use of acetone should equate to the use of gloves and in a well vented area?
rockaukum

Posted: **Tue Oct 28, 2008 8:18 am**

I find that acetone doesn't work to clean-up uncured epoxy. I use MEK. (methyl ethyl keytone)

Be sure to review and understand the MSDS on this and any other solvent you work with:
http://www.jtbaker.com/msds/englishhtml/m4628.htm

Always use proper gloves and eye wear and have plenty of fresh air in the room.

-S

Posted: **Wed Nov 12, 2008 8:04 am**

I use acetone to clean up epoxy all the time, so do professionals working with composites.

You can use acetone as a solvent to thin epoxy as well (I use it to thin gel coat for spraying sometimes). Works like a charm!

Posted: **Fri Nov 14, 2008 2:23 pm**

I have heard that acetone allows creates a pathway so uncured epoxy can be adsorbed into skin more easy. This will make it much easier to get to sensitized to it perhaps causing an allergy down to epoxy sometime in the future.

I did a quick search.. some people said on this site (http://www.fram.nl/workshop/controlled_ ... llergy.htm)

Acetone is evil stuff. Apart from completely denuding the skin of its natural oils it washes whatever is on the skin straight through and into the system. Probably not the substance with which to remove epoxy hardener from the skin ! I understand vinegar works OK with epoxy.

and...

The simple way to eliminate problems related to dermatitis in the workplace is to reduce or preferably eliminate contact with the skin. This means gloves. That's it. We wear disposable vinyl gloves. Vinyl is preferable to rubber because rubber gloves are also skin sensitizers. The other, even more harmful, ingredient is contaminated acetone. Like formaldehyde above it is a vehicle for toxins into the bloodstream. Fortunately epoxy can be cleaned up with soap and water. Not standard bar soap but with products like Go-Jo and Fast Orange. These products are water based and don't act as a vehicle the way VOC solvents do.[/url]