By no means an exhaustive report, but in the time I've been working in the shop I found a few things that work and some things that just don't.
1) Chip Brushes:
As they come from the factory, they are very nearly worthless but a quick modification with a pair of scissors turns them into an awesome tool for spreading epoxy, working out air bubbles, smoothing out wrinkles and scraping out the bottom of the bucket. I also found that if you wrap it in a piece of scrap plastic and throw it in the freezer it'll remain usable for at least a full weekend.
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| Cut about half the bristle length off to turn this piece of garbage (top) into a really useful tool (bottom) |
2) Tyvek Suits:
These are a necessity when spray painting for sure and I'm guessing they can be really nice when sanding as well. But for working with epoxy, they are worthless. They tear easily and if any epoxy gets on the zipper you are done. Instead, use a Tyvek apron. They are much cheaper, last a long time and actually get better with use since any epoxy that gets on it simply cures and reinforces that area. I have several hanging around so I never have to use a sticky one.
Make sure to tie it off either behind your back or preferably against your chest between the apron and your clothes. You want to avoid getting epoxy on the tie straps.
As a bonus, when you are all done you can stick one epoxy coated glove behind the apron near the bottom and pinch a clean section of Tyvek.
Use that to pull the epoxy coated glove off of your free hand and then use your clean hand to pull the other glove off before removing the apron.
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All that epoxy would have been all over my clothes.
Of course they would probably last longer as a result... |
3) Oscillating Tool:
No need to say much about these tools except that I'm not really sure how people built fiberglass things without them.
I use a diamond blade to make all my cuts and then swap over to the sanding attachment with some 60-grit to quickly take down an area before switching to 80-grit and then finally over to some sanding blocks. I have the original Rockwell Sonicrafter.
It works great, but I believe newer models of these tools (across the manufacturing lines) have some sort of "quick-release" mechanism to change out the tools.
I'd highly recommend that option if available since I have to use an allen wrench every time I need to swap things around.
4) Sanding Blocks:
I LOVE my sanding blocks and highly recommend a good set like the "
Dura-Block's".
They are simple, light weight and easy on your hands.
5) Stir-Whip mixer:
LOVE IT!
Easy to clean and does a great job of mixing epoxy and filler without adding a lot of air.
(Depends on speed of course)
6) Bio-Solv epoxy cleaner:
Here
Expensive, but totally worth the price!
The 5-gallon bucket is the most economical way to purchase.
I just transfer some into a smaller HDPE container and squirt out what I need.
I can clean a bucket and tools with about 1/2cup (120ml) of cleaner.
Normally I clean everything three times.
The first time is just to get the majority of material removed and then the second time does the real cleaning while the third time gets out anything left behind. I follow up with a clean dry towel to polish everything and that's it.
7) Paper towels - NOT rolls:
Get
this, thank me later.
The rolls are less expensive, but if you only have one hand free (like when you are pouring epoxy and need to wipe the lip) it's nice to be able to reach over and grab a sheet instead of unrolling a piece.
Of course if you'd just REMEMBER to have a sheet ready BEFORE you start pouring epoxy you won't have to worry about that. <Grrr!>
8) Nitrile Gloves:
These are the best gloves I can find for the price and my latest order will be the last time I purchase the 100-count box. (Next time, I'm going for the 1000-count box.)
I do wish the cuff was just a little bit longer, but the "diamond texture" is not just a gimmick. It really does help out when working with slimy materials.
We literally use these gloves for everything!
Not kidding - car repair, gardening, drain cleaning, materials handling, gutter cleaning and of course epoxy work, sanding, painting and fabrics handling.
Side note here - I have really dry skin and usually have to deal with cracked, bleeding hands during the winter months. Since I started wearing (any brand) nitrile gloves so often in the shop this is the first time I remember having "nice" hands all winter.
