Safety Supplies

The safety products on this page should be considered minimum protection. One of the major problems in a wood shop is wood dust. Asthma, bronchitis, and other respiratory problems can result from breathing wood dusts, particularly decay resistant woods which are the type used in boatbuilding. Your wood working area should be well ventilated, and ideally a vacuum collection system should be used on sanders and saws. Sanding dust from epoxy resins, together with skin contact can cause "sensitization", an allergic reaction that will reoccur whenever epoxy is again used. Epoxy resins and rot resistant woods are what make modern wood boatbuilding possible; don't shut yourself off from this rewarding past time by being careless with your health. Always use dust masks when working around dust. Always wear gloves when working with resins and solvents. Always use safe hand cleaners when cleaning your skin. If the proper precautions are taken, boatbuilding materials are safe. Make sure that you have sufficient safety materials before you start.