[TheForge] TheForge Digest, Vol 74, Issue 17

[Jerry Frost]

The paint makers have expanded the choices for epoxy and you can get satin, 
semi gloss and gloss now, so you don't have to settle for an unsuitable 
finish to get the durability.

If a person is equiped and willing to spray from a gun it's easy to thin 
epoxy with xylene and get a super penetrating but very thin finish coat. The 
downside of course is having all the measuring, mixing, thinning, etc. then 
once you've shot the project comes the cleanup. Fail to get your spray gun 
clean after shooting epoxy and you might as well just toss it out and get 
another. Last but far from least is having to mess with xylene, it's not 
only toxic but it's a trans dermal so just being around while it's in the 
air and it'll soak through your skin. Spraying epoxy is the best reason I 
know of for buying or building a proper spray booth with a strong exhaust 
system and through the wall gloves (whatever they're called) so you don't 
have to get near the stuff.

When I used epoxy paint on the drill rigs I wore my unisuit, (one piece rain 
gear more like a dry suit than rain gear) and my supplied air welding 
helmet. Yes, welding HELMET, the thing was designed to keep any kind of 
harmful airborn stuff the heck away from you. It's a 3M Whitecap 2 or 3 I 
don't recall. Anyway, it has a bib that fit inside your shirt, welding 
jacket or my unisuit so the air being pumped to you has nowhere to escape 
except through your clothes. What this accomplished was it literally 
pressurized my unisuit from my head to my rubber gloves to my rubber boots 
and the positive pressure kept ANY fumes away from me. Avoiding eylene 
exposure greater than occasional light sniffs is worth these almost 
extravagant sounding precautions. Xylene is BAD for you, really BAD.

Frosty the Lucky
-------------------------
If it ain't forged
It ain't real
wrought iron is
The Frostworks



----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Dave Mudge" <dave at magichammer.net>
To: "Blacksmithing List Sponsored by ABANA" <theforge at mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Saturday, March 20, 2010 8:15 PM
Subject: Re: [TheForge] TheForge Digest, Vol 74, Issue 17


> Once again, the epoxy finish would be very durable but very shiny.
> People (at least my clients) don't want a "shiny" rust finish. It
> wouldn't look natural.
> Natural is why they want the rust finish in the first place.
>