Fiberglass Splinters

[RightOnTarget1]

I just started working on my new boat and I quickly learned that the inside of the engine compartment is a great source of fiberglass splinters. A friend of mine recommended taking the boat to a fiberglass shop and having the inside of the engine compartment gel coated, but I bet that would be expensive and messy.

What's the best practice here? How do you avoid the splinters?
Thanks,
Jim

 

[kustomkarl]

Well Jim, I never get splinters.I always wear boat sneakers and try not to touch the interior with my skin. Imagine that everything under the lid is HOT. You could just spray white paint on the surface too if it's really clean and allowed to dry before you apply it.

Karl

 

[JPX]

I always wear nitrile gloves when working on cars or the Seadoos. Mostly because I've become a wuss and don't want the dirt under my nails anymore. In particular, I HATE the smell of gasoline on my skin which never goes away even after lots of hand washing.

That said, the glove help buy me a very small margin of protection from the fiberglass splinters and occassionally a skinned knuckle. Unfortunately some of the fiberglass splinters do get through the glove and right into my hand......and yeah, that REALLY sucks.

For temporary shielding, I line the lip of the engine compartment with duct or masking tape to keep the small fiberglass dust from grinding into my forearms. If the area is really bad, I will throw one of those thin mailing foam sheets in there.

Glassing the interior is a LOT of work, but if you have a really bad patch of splinters, then maybe it makes sense.

 

[sporsterjoel]

JPX i use snap-on mechanics gloves fit nice i foget i have them on sometimes, ringer make good gloves aswell.

 

[RightOnTarget1]

Thanks!

Thanks all! Karl, does the white paint coat and cover up the splinters?
Thanks,
Jim

 

[Nate Surveyor]

Boy did I ever get them, when changing out the fuel lines!

Wife had me use a pair of panty hose, with soap to help remove the splinters. It did help, AFTER the fact.

Also, I have a few long sleeve t shirts, that I now wear, when reaching down inside.

Fiberglass. It don't feel good! (you already knew that!)

But the above has helped me.

N

 

[kustomkarl]

I have used the "white cover up paint" from my jet ski stand-up race days. I use to swap out motors between heats if I had a problem. The white paint filled all the imperfections that might have wanted to dig in my skin. Kawasaki's had a fairly smooth gel coat finish, but it still had glass sticking out looking for a home in your skin. Even on 2008 200 speedster the inside hull looks pretty rough. I know the first time I have to pull an engine, I will be coating it to be smooth. I use the blue latex gloves too when I get near oil, but I prefer to have the feel of wrenches without gloves...plus even in my A/C service bays at my company, it's still warm in there(engine bay). I wear shorts and short sleeve shirts everyday, so I avoid the fiberglass like the plague.

Karl