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Re: Epoxy: Removing cured epoxy
By:Will N to Go
Date: 8/2/2010, 10:57 pm
In Response To: Re: Epoxy: Removing cured epoxy (Bill Hamm)

The basic rule of MOST epoxy as I understand it, is that once it is cured it's 'food safe' and almost inert. I love epoxy.

I just Googled Bisphenol-A and West System Epoxy (my personal choice) and found a data sheet for West 105 Resin which confirms,
like most epoxies (source Wikipedia) it contains bisphenol-A. Not at all surprising, Bis-A is often found in hard shiny plastics.

Bisphenol-A acts like estrogen (aka the 'female hormone' -- is this why we all wear skirts? and most of us wear lady's PFD's Ms-Fit? just kidding.)
It's definitely not good for fetuses, babies and children, and probably bad for the rest of us--not today bad, like swallowing gasoline, but long term risk if ingested (like not having tuna every day because of mercury). In our 'old man' sport it's bad for the prostate.

I tell my 8th graders not to chew on their pens--some of them just look at me and keep chewing.
Stainless steel water bottles are better than plastic ones, I own three, but continue to tie on my deck refilled 1 liter plastic bottles.... (I'm probably getting a higher Bis-A dose from the hot water running through my almost entirely plastic coffee maker I haven't microwaved in plastic for 15 years).

I'm rambling. My point is epoxy is still wonderful stuff, and it's almost inert after it's cured, but I think if I was sanding cured epoxy I'd definitely wear a respirator. And if I dropped my energy bar on the surface of my kayak I wouldn't hesitate to eat it, though I might snicker and put the video I have of a sea lion bellowing then taking a dump in the ocean.
And I wouldn't want to see a baby or a pregnant woman gnawing on my kayak. It's becoming the current panic chemical. But I think we're a bit more rational than the people who ask us, 'Aren't you afraid of sharks?'

: Year old very cured epoxy isn't a sensitizer anymore, just a dust
: that's not a great idea to breath.

: Bill H.

Messages In This Thread

Epoxy: Removing cured epoxy
Jack Vincent -- 7/29/2010, 1:03 pm
Re: Epoxy: Removing cured epoxy
Eric -- 7/29/2010, 5:00 pm
Re: Epoxy: Removing cured epoxy
Bill Hamm -- 7/30/2010, 12:28 am
Re: Epoxy: Removing cured epoxy
Will N to Go -- 8/2/2010, 10:57 pm
Re: Epoxy: Removing cured epoxy
Bill Hamm -- 8/3/2010, 8:25 am
Re: Epoxy: Removing cured epoxy
Brian Nystrom -- 7/29/2010, 2:01 pm