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Nothing on this website or in direct communications received from us, or in our articles in the media, should be construed to mean or imply that offshore voyaging is anything other than potentially hazardous. Dangers such as, but not limited to, extreme weather, cold, ice, lack of help or assistance, gear failure, grounding, and falling overboard could injure or kill you and wreck your boat. Decisions such as, but not limited to, heading offshore, where you go, and how you equip your boat, are yours and yours alone. The information on this web site is based on what has worked for the authors in the past, but that does not mean it will work for you, or that it is the best, or even a good way for you to do things.
Any attempt to do anything else in or near the working area, while the epoxy is wet, WILL result in you touching the epoxy. Thereby undoing some of the work you just did. And making more mess.
Seriously. When you’re done, just back up, go away, and don’t come within eight feet of it until it’s cured.
Oh, and double-strength cleaning vinegar works great for arresting the curing reaction and making it possible to clean the stuff off before it kicks, if you do get it on something (clothing, skin, hair etc.) that needs to stay clean.
Hi Matt,
I hesitate to argue with an engineer but I think that in your calculations of safety distance you forgot the effect of quantum proximity. When that factor is added the safety distance becomes greater than 5 km between the wet epoxy and the person who applied it. I have verified this through experiment.
Good tip on the vinegar.
Love the vinegar tip—but by “double strength cleaning vinegar” do you mean straight white vinegar, no water dilution? I have not heard of “strengths” of vinegar. Thanks for any clarification!
Great advise! Although I find it sometimes difficult “to leave well enough alone”. It makes sense!
And Matt, that’s a great hack with vinegar. I use it to clean a lot, but never realized it’s effectiveness on epoxy. Thanks guys!
Mitchell Allen
sv Sonata
Regarding vinegar, I used to believe the same. And then I read “Vinegar: Save it for Salads” on Epoxy Works (West Systems). I should research this more, but they are experienced and they are not chemical-paranoid people.
The argument goes that repeated use of vinegar actually speeds the absorption of epoxy into the skin, possibly increasing the risk of sensitization.
Since then, I’ve been doing a better job of keeping it off my skin.
Hi Drew,
Thanks for the heads up. I guess it’s still good for clean up, just not our hands? That said, I have always found alcohol works for clean up, as long as we don’t wait too long. But again, the goal here is to keep any of this off our skin, I think.