I am having an issue with dust. What is everyone doing to keep dust off of the epoxy while drying? I make sure the rod is dust free before applying epoxy. I was thinking about getting a couple of air purifiers to filter the air.

They will certain help.

Generally it is not dust, but airborne dust that is the problem. So you shouldn't be stirring the air from any shop operations just prior to or during the time a rod finish is drying. Some builders have found static electricity to be a problem as well and will introduce a bit of humidity into their shops during the drying operation.

.............

Cover the rod. I use the CRB tent but before that, I just rigged up some visqueen.

Doublass,
If you don't have one - pick up an electric leaf blower.

Then, once a week, open the windows in the rod building area and starting at the door - use the leaf blower to go over every square inch of your rod building area with the leaf blower and blow all of the dust out the windows.

Obviously, before doing this, make sure that all of the light items in the rod building area are clean and put away so that you don't blow a bunch of guides or thread out the window with the dust.

Also, if possible, do not have any sanding or grip shaping area in the same place where you do your blank and guide wrapping and finish application and drying.

Finally, if you don't have one already, make yourself an enclosed rod drying area, if you can not rid yourself of the dust. The majority of dust that falls, comes from above. So, normally, if you just have an open fronted box to enclose your rods while applying finish and drying will cure the vast majority of dust type issues.

Good luck

--
p.s.
I do all of my grip shaping and sanding in a separate building. After I have finished a job and have swept the floor, I open the doors and windows in the building and use high pressure air to completely blow off every surface - including the ceiling walls, floors and all shelves and benches so that the area will be ready for the next job.

It is amazing how great a cleaning job that high pressure air or high veloccity wind does to remove dust from the surfaces and air of a building or working area.

Doublass,
If you don't have one - pick up an electric leaf blower.

Then, once a week, open the windows in the rod building area and starting at the door - use the leaf blower to go over every square inch of your rod building area with the leaf blower and blow all of the dust out the windows.

Obviously, before doing this, make sure that all of the light items in the rod building area are clean and put away so that you don't blow a bunch of guides or thread out the window with the dust.

Also, if possible, do not have any sanding or grip shaping area in the same place where you do your blank and guide wrapping and finish application and drying.

Finally, if you don't have one already, make yourself an enclosed rod drying area, if you can not rid yourself of the dust. The majority of dust that falls, comes from above. So, normally, if you just have an open fronted box to enclose your rods while applying finish and drying will cure the vast majority of dust type issues.

Good luck

--
p.s.
I do all of my grip shaping and sanding in a separate building. After I have finished a job and have swept the floor, I open the doors and windows in the building and use high pressure air to completely blow off every surface - including the ceiling walls, floors and all shelves and benches so that the area will be ready for the next job.

It is amazing how great a cleaning job that high pressure air or high veloccity wind does to remove dust from the surfaces and air of a building or working area.

Better and new air filter helps. Keeping the work area clean and minimizing traffic in the work area helps. A humidifier helps. Reducing static charge helps by using a cling-free clothes dryer sheet helps, but be extremely careful if you do as those things sometimes contain silicone which is very bad for epoxy. A poor man's tent over the drying rod, which tent can be made from long pieces of aluminum foil helps. Unfortunately, there is no one size fits all, certain to work solution.

I use a free standing Honeywell HEPA filter for at least 24 hours before any epoxy work. I turn it and the ceiling fan off during the work and cure time.

Doible posted. Sorry



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/31/2018 09:02PM by Gary Kilmartin.

Thanks for the information everyone. I will give them a try.