Hi Elliot;

I seem to have no lasting reaction to epoxy resin or hardener whatsoever (over a 30 year period), so read my opinions keeping that in mind . . .

After mixing and applying resin & hardener, there comes a point when the stuff finally "kicks" . . . It begins to cure in serious fashion, and the vapors start to get far more intense. I only noticed this in the last year or so, when working with "kayak sized" areas of resin, instead of "model airplane" size. I would wear a respirator, and when finished applying the resin (15-45 mins depending on whether I was wetting of filling), would take off my mask and seal it in a zip-lock bag. I was always surprised how little odor was present when removing the mask right there in the work area.

So little apparent vapor, in fact, that I'd invite the wife out to the garage so she could see the newest glassing effort without discomfort. After about 30 mins or more beyond that phase, we could not enter the garage without the eyes and sinuses informing you that some serious chemical reactions were taking place and outgassing some nasty stuff . . . The mixture was "kicking" . . .

This points out the fact that additional variables (in addition to personal sensitivity) include the speed of the hardener, the temperature, probably the epoxy formulation employed, and whether one works at grandma speed, or more like "The Flash" . . . If you are not an "easily sensitized" individual, and complete your glassing before the cure gets into really doing its thing (and leave), you will probably get away with it.

However, my recommendation would still be to wear an organic respirator for the short period of time it takes to complete your glassing. I did, and I LIKE the smell of epoxy! Like many others, I skip the respirator for small batches, they never start to kick before I finish and leave the area . . .

Safe Glassing, Spidey