MJWB
Active member
Sanding off old antifouling. Can anyone advise on the best breathing protection please. In the UK. Many thanks.
Breathing protection
- Thread starter MJWB
- Start date
Poignard
Well-known member
Yes. Don't do it.
PCUK
Well-known member
Only wet sand antifouling. It's not just you in danger it is everyone around you!
rogerthebodger
Well-known member
An air pressure fed helmet as used when my boat was grit blasted
Aquanaught
Member
A half mask designed for hazardous dusts & paints like this is useful as can be used for applying antifouling as well as removal: Link
NormanS
Well-known member
It's so easy to sand off with a "drywall sanding pole" using appropriate sanding gauze, and (crucially) water, that you shouldn't even think about doing it dry.
MJWB
Active member
Okay folks thanks so far. Dumb question perhaps though a genuine ask, but are there any electic sanders that can be used on a wetted surface? Previously I have done it wet and by hand but's a terrible job. Not looking to remove bulk old antifoul, just get a good keyed srface before recoating.
rogerthebodger
Well-known member
Have a look at a pneumatic sander for use wet driven from an air compressor
air sanders - Google Search
Martin_J
Well-known member
MJWB - I would say that it's not just breathing protection you need when dealing with many antifouling.
The ingredient holding many of them together is Colophony (more commonly known as Rosin).. Allergies to this, which can build up over time, give rather bad skin reactions..
Check out this previous post for some photos...
How toxic is antifouling and what are the long term effects?
The ingredient holding many of them together is Colophony (more commonly known as Rosin).. Allergies to this, which can build up over time, give rather bad skin reactions..
Check out this previous post for some photos...
How toxic is antifouling and what are the long term effects?
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pcatterall
Well-known member
In the past to remove coatings I have preferred to scrape rather than sand. Quicker and less dust. I guess that nowadays with antifoul it is still a no no?
doug748
Well-known member
Not suggesting you copy me but this is what I have just done:
Dry is not recommended as above, I did some as there was a bloody great wind and a deserted yard, even so you get covered in dust, it gets into your eyelids and for a few days you look like David Bowie The rest I did wet or semi-wet using a 15 quid sander:
..... plus drywall sanding mesh.
I scraped the loose stuff off first and then used the wetted mesh, worked ok. Trick is to clean the clogged mesh into a bucket of water with a washing up type brush and keep the water on the platten as much as possible and away from the body of the machine. If you use the same bucket you can save the planet by leaving it to settle, drawing off the water from the top and then disposing of the paste residue that is left behind. Ditto if you use some sort of groundsheet you can brush up the bits from your initial scrape.
Those sanders are double insulated so, in theory, you should be safe but I am not sure that even I would trust my own advice on electricity. FWIW I was also using a cheap 850 watt generator. The RCD I had kept falling out of the plug so was largely useless and I am not even sure if it gives any additional protection anyway, experts may comment.
It worked ok but doing it by hand does as well, just a bit slower and harder work. Bear in mind that I was just flatting off not trying to remove all back to a bare hull
I Take the sander apart after use and spray the bearings with WD40 or they seize.
.
penberth3
Well-known member
No, don't!!! Dangerously wrong advice. "Double Insulated" refers to electrical insulation only. Nothing at all to do with water resistance. See the ventilation slots in the photo?
doug748
Well-known member
It was emphatically not advice.
thinwater
Well-known member
It is interesting that most US marinas specify vacuum sanding and prohibit wet sanding. The worker will also wear and N100 mask. These are not low-dollar, messy places. The patrons are very environment and safety conscious, and will not accept dust getting on their boats. They just have a different way of looking at it. Both methods can be safe.
Keith-i
Well-known member
That’s probably more to do with the Americans love of suing each other than environmental reasons.It is interesting that most US marinas specify vacuum sanding and prohibit wet sanding. The worker will also wear and N100 mask. These are not low-dollar, messy places. The patrons are very environment and safety conscious, and will not accept dust getting on their boats. They just have a different way of looking at it. Both methods can be safe.
thinwater
Well-known member
The real reason is that wet sanding can leave a mess on the ground, and that is a problem for the marina, so they ban the practice. Yes, you can contain and clean it up, but it only takes a few messy people to ruin that option.
The US does have a ground contamination fetish, this is true. But once vacuum sanding equipment becomes widespread, it is really quite easy and neat. Why not? I believe someone mentioned drywall mesh above. There are many paint removal specific grids on the market, intended to be used with vacuum sanders, including 3M Xtract systems and Diablo Sandnet. I used both last time and found them fast, durable, and dust-free. Much easier than mucking about with water and messy paste residue. In the US, it is the pro solution.
Diablo Sandnet
Momac
Well-known member
I wet sanded my antifoul recently and used sanding mesh on a sanding plate on a pole for most of it with just the fiddly bits by hand,
The sanding mesh was brilliant stuff, rinsed with water regularly. Not a great deal of mess although I did wear gloves and safety glasses. A mask not really necessary.
I already had the GRP/aluminium extending pole from a DIY decorating job at a earlier date
The sanding mesh was brilliant stuff, rinsed with water regularly. Not a great deal of mess although I did wear gloves and safety glasses. A mask not really necessary.
I already had the GRP/aluminium extending pole from a DIY decorating job at a earlier date
NormanS
Well-known member
Ah, but think of all the air pollution coming from the electrical generation required to power your sander and vacuum equipment. One man power is all that's required.
thinwater
Well-known member
I didn't barge and insist wet sanding was nonsense. I only offered a method that works and is accepted by a very large community.
If throwing rocks is you primary talent, go for it.
If throwing rocks is you primary talent, go for it.
NormanS
Well-known member
What a strange response. Who's throwing rocks at you?