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I've been using zpoxy for pore filling, and always use nitrile gloves, and am careful to wash hands thereafter, just in case.

Last night I went through the usual process, and after leaving the area, noticed a strange taste in my mouth, felt a little lightheaded. I was also wiping down the necks with a bit of Naptha, but the volume was pretty low, fumes weren't terribly strong and it doesn't usually affect me that way.

Do I need a respirator when working with epoxy? Thanks.

Yes! Sensitivity happens and is not pretty.

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http://www.chassonguitars.com

If you become sensitized to epoxy then you need to avoid it at all cost period.

Thanks all. Todd, you're right, in terms of overall exposure I'm on the low end of the scale - 7 or eight guitars over a period of 5 years. I'm sure there are people who were exposed daily for a long time before developing sensitivity. You may be right on the Naptha as well. Either way, I'll take your advice, wear a mask, and improve the ventilation.

Everybody is different in developing sensitivities. One time exposure can be enough. You mentioned washing your hands afterwards. Washing your hands with soap and water is not enough to remove all epoxy residue, as I know from my own experience. The last time I used epoxy I got lazy and only used soap and water after getting a small amount on my hands. An hour later I got the worst runny nose I ever had and it lasted for two weeks. Other times that I only used soap and water I got hives on my wrists, even though the epoxy was not on my wrists. For me, washing with naptha or ethanol has been good enough in the past, but I am really afraid to use epoxy unless I really need to for some kind of repair around the house. Some solvents carry the offending chemicals through your skin and into the blood, making everything worse. For example, when I was about 13 years old, I mixed epoxy with a plexiglass solvent (something like "methylene dichloride") intending to invent a new glue. My whole body turned red like a sunburn and my skin hurt so much that I was in agony from my clothes touching my skin. So, although I think it is safe to clean up with naptha or ethanol, I would be cautious of other solvents. I personally would not be able to use epoxy for other than a tiny repair. I would be afraid to use large areas such as pore filing or laminating, because I am just too sensitive.

In the FWIW department, epoxy dust is nasty nasty stuff, and you're best to avoid it as much as possible. Wear gloves and definitely a respirator, and try to vacuum the stuff when sanding. There's nothing wonderful about epoxy.

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"I want to know what kind of pickups Vince Gill uses in his Tele, because if I had those, as good of a player as I am, I'm sure I could make it sound like that.
Only badly."

Well, I'm not a doctor but please do not was epoxy (or anything else) off with any solvent, ethanol can definately be absorbed through the skin and if your washing epoxy off with it, the epoxy is going to absorbed too.
Epoxy is a strong skin sensitizer, so be carefull.
I agree with Filippo, it's pretty inert once cured, that's not to say Don and others aren't sensative to the dust.

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Jim Watts
http://jameswattsguitars.com

One could argue that breathing any kind of dust into one's lungs isn't a good thing...

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"I want to know what kind of pickups Vince Gill uses in his Tele, because if I had those, as good of a player as I am, I'm sure I could make it sound like that.
Only badly."

The biggest problem with the sanding epoxy dust is that it comes from the surface and the surface is covered with the amine blush. If you first wash the surface with warm soapy water you can eliminate this - which is standard practice in most composites shops. If you wash the suarace, the threat is no worse than that posed by dust from the substrate.

It is the amines that are released during cure that provoke the immue systems in those of us who are allergic. Wearing a resporator is highly recommended.

As for clean-up, the best practice is to use a barrier cream and gloves to prevent contact. By using the cream, you seal the pores to prevent absorbtion and provide a layer that is easily washed away with warm soapy water. It any sticky residue is left, Vinegar is a better choice than solvents

-jd