So after 20ish boards glassed with epoxy resin, it seems I've developed an alergy to the stuff. I was pretty bummed out about it initially, but I'm trying to be positive and venture into the world of polyester resins. I've shaped primarily with polyuerthane so that's no issue, I'm just hoping some of the older heads here can give me tips on glassing with poly vs epoxy. I got pretty good at epoxy laminations, is poly generally easier? What are they major pitfalls? I know factories like it for the cure time, but can I slow the cure time by using less catalyst? Unforunately, my first go is gonna be a 9'6" for a customer in an 80 degree garage. Typically that would take me ~30 minutes to glass with epoxy but I'm not sure about poly. Poly looks like it's a bit easier to work into/remove from the glass so maybe I can do it quicker? Thanks for any advice you guys can provide. I know about UV cure but I'll be using a dark green tint (it's for a friend) which may inhibit UV curing. I've also gotta navigate some cutlaps. I've heard stories of chemicals almost burning down garages - what storage precautions are there? I plan on researching all of this but I'm hoping you guys can point me in the right direction.
If you're a new builder - let this be a warning. Epoxy isn't the miracle resin it's advertised as. It's great in certain respects (mechanically superior to poly IMO) but it DOES have it's own health implications. Look up epoxiy sensitisation and be wary. I'm lucky in that I only have hives. Some people have resiratory issues or worse. It seems that everyone has their own epoxy exposure limits, so it's not a matter of if but when, especially if you don't take the neccesary precautions. This is especially important when sanding "B stage" resin (i.e. it's mostly cured). Full epoxy cure doesn't happen until roughly a week after kick. Wear a respirator, eye protection, and long sleeve/gloves when working with it.