I hate being itchy all the time.

[Frosty]

Does any one know of a way to stop itching after doing a bit of fibre glass work.

I have had sleepless nights of discomfort over itching. I have tried scrubbing very hard with a scrubbing brush---a hard one-- but it helps only slightly.

Whats the opinion on cold water? --or hot water to open the paws?--or if you open the paws will the fibres go deeper?

Ive also hear that after a while it no longer affects you? how long does that take?

Im not doing anything at the moment but I hate it.

[trawler builder]

hand lotion coated on the arms and hands works quite well ,and never wash with hot water ,cold only till the dust and fibres are gone then a hot shower is fine . there is also a product on the market that you put on first before putting gloves on ...i just can't remember the name of it at the moment . other than that time will make a difference ... if you are blond and fair i am afraid you may be in for a long haul of it .
tb

[fiberglass jack]

heres a few ways, hair conditioner while you shower acts like a lub and helps the fibres slip out, the same with body lotion throw loads on and let it sit for a few minutes then shower with luke warm water, use soft sheets in the bed mabye use a fleece blanket or wear a fleece shirt to bed, the linen and cotton sheets are a nightmare for the itch, another trick is to get some sticky tape and place it over your body and pull it off this will pull some of the fibres out, you could always stay up all night, ive had jods in the past that all i did was grind and trim fiberglass some times 16 to 18 hours a day go home and be to tierd to shower and go to work the next day belive me you will get use to the itch and wont notice it any more, also try the goldbond bodylotion it has a itch relief in it works really good, you can also rub baby powder into your skin before you work it helps to fill the pores before the fibreglass can

[SamSam]

you could always stay up all night, ive had jods in the past that all i did was grind and trim fiberglass some times 16 to 18 hours a day go home and be to tierd to shower and go to work the next day belive me you will get use to the itch and wont notice it any more,

Lol. That sounds like Mr. Natural wearing a hair shirt and pushing a big rock uphill as a religious punishment for some primeval sin!

Wearing throw away clothes helps a bunch. Wear throway gloves and throw them away often. They may be miserable, but for a shorter time, and so is the alternative. The lotion is called a 'barrier cream'. It goes on and dries and forms a light, water soluble crust on your skin which helps some. What I do mainly is when showering, soap up and scratch a lot with the fingernails to break off any fibers sticking out of the skin, that's what itches, that stuff rubbing on clothes, etc. Rig up fans/vacums to blow/suck the stuff away to begin with. When grinding,don't use high speed whirly equipment that throws fine stuff all over, use slow speed gnarly stuff and bear down on it so it more or less rips stuff off and moves it out of the way a few inches. It also helps when grinding and cutting to frequently spray with water to keep the dust down and wash it away.

[War Whoop]

Jack is right fibreglass you get used to but ground carbon fibre is another matter like a zillion blackheads

[rturbett]

Hear is another solution- and it furthers the legend that duct tape fixes everything...
After running a vaccuum across my clothing, I take a piece of duct tape and gently dab my forearms with the sticky side.
If you're really adventerous , you could make a whole work suit out of the stuff, sticky side out. If you do, please post pictures!

[flydog]

I've tried this and it works: Slather your skin up with soap and water and let dry so there is a soapy film on your skin. Then work on your boat. When you take a shower the fiberglass will wash right off.

flydog

[bobothehobo]

I am itchy right now. Fit a 52' carbon firbre deck and hull together this AM. Suited up well, tons of air filtration and vacuums but still got some dust on my face and neck.

I have found barrier cream to definitely work in the past. Didn't put any on today. Mildly stupid.

[Poida]

Found out about the itchy bit when I sanded back a kayak I had glassed. I used a rotory sander and I was wearing shorts and a tank top. The sander had an outlet that once had a collection bag fitted. The opening was facing my body.

I had a million needles in my body and acupunture must work as I didn't die from a disease for years after that.

Poida

[Roboj]

Last weekend I was cutting and grinding out some fibreglass doing the prep work to replace the stringers. I did not get the least bit itchy. This is what I did that worked for me:

Wear disposable gloves, I like the nitrile ones, better than the latex. Tape the sleeves of your coveralls so dust can't enter, those disposable ones are great. Wore a full face shield. Use a shop vac to suck up the dust. With one hand I held the grinder and with the other the vacuum nozzle. Make sure you have a fine filter or bag that can contain the fine particles or you will just be blowing the dust out the other end. I think the shop vac really helped. And afterwards, a cold shower.

Good luck

Rob.

[longliner45]

first a cold shower ,,to close the pores ,,then soap up and rince ,,then a hot shower,longliner

[fiberglass jack]

once worked with a kid that the itch drove him mad that he took a piece of 80 grit to sratch with

[Lancerbye]

I guess we all have a learning curve and anyone who has had to suffer the few days of fibre glass itch desease usually vows to do it different next time. Prevention as was mentioned earlier is the only real cure. The real question is ,if you only do this every couple of years, will you remember for next time? I know I didn't. We tend to foget the bad stuff when the final results are what we wanted.

[Frosty]

In the tropics a lot of suggestions cant be done. For instance sweat is constantly running down your face and well everywhere, sometimes into the trigger of the grinder and you get a shock. The natural response to this is to just drop it--what ever or where ever you are. You would be a good man to be able to fight the natural response and hold onto it untill it had stopped.

Wearing a suit or clothing of any kind( apart from shorts and t shirt) is claustophobic.

Ive tried rubber gloves like the doctor uses, but they just fill up with sweat.

All I do at the moment is plan the job to be at the end of the day. Get in there and do it, then with a really stiff yard brush go for a shower and scrub like hell. Yes it does hurt---in places.

[fiberglass jack]

what are u using a grinder for, a sanding block will do and use some 320 the dust is finer and wont itch as bad, god i love the canadian winter minus 30 dont have to worry about the heat and sweat

[Frosty]

Under those conditions I would be using a hose pipe too.

I was refering to situations that need a reshape or grinding back, cutting out etc etc.

I worked in Aus for a while on my boat before it was shipped --one day the temp dropped, and it rained -- I just clammed up I had to go back to the hotel.

[SamSam]

All I do at the moment is plan the job to be at the end of the day. Get in there and do it, then with a really stiff yard brush go for a shower and scrub like hell. Yes it does hurt---in places.

I don't think the brush thing is helping. The best solution is to somehow get someone else to do it.
Also, grinding and cutting aren't always required. A hammer and chisel or axe sometimes works without creating much dust. Sam

[jimslade]

duct tape!

[Ari]

Heh..heh..heh..sorry Jack..can't help it..I mean the 'itchy' :D part but I do really know on how to get rid of the fibre dust or carbon. For first line of protection a proper Personal Protective Equipment(PPE) is a disposable coverall made by Tyvek,safety boot,sock,glove,goggles with dust canister, safety helmet etc.ect. These will prevent dust from settling on your skin - covered part of your body. Please use shower cap at least to cover your hair. I prefer to use home made shawl like those used by muslim ladies, cover my neck right until the shoulder. If you use Tyvek disposable coverall it come with head cover/hood.

Now on how to remove the dust from your skin.

1 kilogram of Wheat flour.
1 cup of water.
Mixing bowl.

1.Mix one cup of flour with a little bit of water at one times and mix it properly until it turn to one lump or stick of flour(doh).You can bake it and make bread if you like.
2.Take the doh and run it over the itchy area. Just roll it , there is no need to plaster your self with the doh but if thats what needed..go ahead.
3.Make sure the used doh are dispose of properly, all the dust are embedded in the doh now.

Try it. All my 'insulation team' workers used this method.Maybe plasticin can be used to substitute the flour. I had never used plasticin before but it may work.:cool:

[Pericles]

Jack Frost,

This worked for me last summer. Strangely enough, we had it quite warm in the UK, so I constructed a ducted cooling suit from a set of disposable overalls and PVC rubbish bags with the bottoms slit and taped together to create a long tube, which was taped to the cold outlet of a portable air conditioner. Bizarre as it seems, this worked very well. The disposable suit inflated and the surplus air leaked out through the weave of the cloth. I was after comfort, but with a little ingenuity and a full face mask, the sanding dust should be kept well away from the body and face. As for how I looked, well I certainly frightened the ladies and stampeded a number of horses.:D :D :D :D

I don't think this could work in colder weather as heat would melt the plastic tube.

Pericles

[Alan M.]

apply barrier cream before work, shower with a pumice stone after. I also think you get used to the itch after a few months....

[Bergalia]

Keep surface being ground constantly wet;Grind in small bursts to allow any 'dust' to settle. Wear gloves, mask, goggles and a large condom.
Shower in cold water, soft soap and scrub with nail brush.
But before beginning coat your arms, hands and any exposed area with 'Rozalex' or similar industrial barrier cream.
Or simply build with timber - nature's own way....:rolleyes:

[Poida]

Bergalia, then Jack would be complaining about splinters.

Poida

[Bergalia]

I suppose you're right Poida. Perhaps he should try building with Plasticine. Or might it be a problem with his personal hygiene... :)

[Rusty Bucket]

I believe the best way to avoid grinding dust and the resulting itch is to do just as little grinding as possible. There is a time between when you finish your layup to the point when the glass gets completely hard that it can be cut with a razor knife or surform. If you "clean up" your work at this stage you can avoid a lot of grinding. I worked as a moldmaker in a production glass shop and I remember we had guys we called "grinder monkeys" who worked all day long out on a black asphalt parking lot grinding fiberglass. These guys would be covered head to toe with grinding dust, you couldn't tell what color their clothes were, I felt really bad for families who had to deal with a washing machine, car, or bed that's just ate up with glass dust, but these guys seemed to take it in stride. Makes me itch just to think about it. regards rusty

[Frosty]

Well I am itchy right now( scratch -scratch). I got one on my foot and I drew blood scratching it, at least it dont itch now.

Any way I found that a bottle of washing up liquid and a yard brush ( the type your mum used to scrub the steps with) does the trick.

But its not for whimps. It hurts a lot but you feel good after too.

Whimps should stick to vaseline-- no pun intended.

[DJMOBILEFIBER]

all you need is baby powder you wont itch no more....

[Lancerbye]

Are we still going on about fibre glass itch. Use the Zen Buddist approach. Mind over matter, if you don't mind , it don't matter. Think non itch. Ahhhmmmm. Remember your Mantra. LOL

[Deeman]

Always wear protective clothing, mask, gloves, eyeware. Tyvek coveralls are $10.00. (Lowes) Tape your gaps up. Set your mind on to getting it done. no breaks, no smokes, no beer. Run a water hose while grinding or cutting. Use air tools, No electrics! It makes a mess but maintains the dust 99%. You, the family and neighbors won't be breathing it in (the worsed). Shop vac sucks the muck up. Wash'r all down when done and have clean start the next day.

[mtnrat]

Pat yourself down with packing tape(cheaper than duct tape) after drying, after the cold shower.

[Frosty]

I knew it --I knew it Everbody has different ways on this.

In the factory where I bought the boat the guys told me to take a dive on the sea.----- I think they were trying to help!!

Its really very iritating though.