Hello all,

I have been building a hood for the dune buggy using stitch-n-glue plywood techniques. Sunday I was mixing up some West System and had 8 squirts worth mixed up. I needed to set it down for a second, but the mixing stick was a big piece of wood and it was sticking up so high that it wanted to tip over the cup. I decided to break it in half. When I did it broke with unexpected force that made my hand swing out and hit the mixing cup full of fully mixed epoxy, sending it sailing. I had epoxy on my shirt, in my hair (and I was wearing a hat thank goodness so it just got the hair that the hat didn't cover), on the washing machine, IN the washing machine (there were no clothes in it), on the air compressor, and all over the porch. Thank goodness the cats were inside!

I decided to let it just cure since the porch is covered in tile, and I have learned from past experience that epoxy doesn't stick to it. I just went outside and peeled up a big chunk of it. Whew! Here's the funny part- when I went to move the grill it was epoxied to the porch! Fortunately the tile released the epoxy bond easily. The same went for the hose, the extension cord, and everything else that was on the porch at the time.

All humor aside, there is a very good safety lesson to learn here. I was donning all my gear and I always wear clothing covering everything, i.e. long sleeves, gloves that go part way up the sleeve, long pants, hat, respirator, and goggles. Yes, goggles. I started not to wear the goggles, and would probably have had epoxy in my eyes if I hadn't. As it stands only the edge of my eyebrow got it, and the epoxy did soak through the shirt even though it was a thick canvass shirt, so some got on my chest. I wore just safety glasses type of goggles, and wish now I had worn the full goggles that seal to the face, but at least I didn't get it in my eyes. Thanks to being safe the tiny bit that soaked through the clothes came right off.