Bugged

[davef]

OK... there probably is no cure for this but in the past I've occasionally (all right... generally) been amazed at the resourcefulness and cleverness of everyone on here. So here's the question. I've just finished putting down the first coat of poly on the hull and I've got a fair number of mosquitos that have imortalized themselves in the finish. Being from Wisconsin where the things are our state bird, I'd rather find a way to keep them out of my paint. I'm going to have to sand them down between coats one-and two but was wondering if anyone had a good idea.

I'm in a one-car garage that isn't sealed very well. If I do seal it, I figure I'll asphyxiate (spelling?).

[John Blazy]

Mix mosquito repellant into the final batch of varnish :D

Ok, I guess you need something serious. Try coating the hull inverted - hang it from the cieling, keel down. Or close the garage door immediately prior to final coat, lay it down quick, and leave before fumes get to you. None of the above is really going to work tho. Just razor slice off any dust nerds and insect carcasses after cure, then, after full cure, buff those spots to gloss by wet sanding with 1000 grit wet paper, and buff with rubbing compound followed by swirl mark remover (super high gloss compound).

[SailBoatDude]

If planned correctly, those beasties can be used as an organic anti-skid on your decks. You could build a plastic tarp surround with light weight drop cloths and furring strips. I do this for varnish work and any serious painting jobs. A more soild job of it, would have an A/C filter at one end and box fan blowing out mounted at the other, supplying clean air inside.

[Phil Young]

Do you guys have moscquito coils over there? Little coils of some stuff a bit like incense, that smoulders away giving off smoke that repels mossies. One of those in the garage should keep em out

[warthog5]

davef Were you painting at night? When I used to live in Pa. My buddy and I were painting cars on the side and the car's were somehow alway's ready to paint at night. We would go around the car with the first coat and the fumes would stir up every bug that was in the shop due to the lights being on.
The throught it a a freaking aircraft carrier to do touch and go's or crash and burn's.
We would have to wash the whole car down and start over. This was with one coat on, so it wasn't alot of paint. We of corse had to keep going because the paint was all catilized. After the car was all washed down, the bug's wern't a problem. Do you think using the paint gun like a bug sprayer helped? HeHe
Moral of the story is do your painting in the morning. :D

[Aramas]

If you're doing it at night, then you're probably SOL, particularly if you leave the light on. If you can't get it done before sunset (apparently some people have to work smile.gif ) then you could try the mozzie coils as mentioned earlier, citronella candles and/or those nifty UV bugzappers that go bzzzt. Try to keep lighting to a minmum and turn it off as soon as you finish. Anything that works in the wondrous land of Barbakuaria should work as well in the workshop. Anyone know what happens to epoxy if you add citronella or neem?
I like the idea of working surrounded by a mystical shrine of citronella candles smile.gif
Oh yeah, and citronella burns ok in oil lamps and hurricane lanterns.
At least your mozzies won't give you dengue or ross river fever (I live by the Ross River smile.gif )
If all else fails you could pick up a mozzie net at the disposals and work under that. The colonials used to live under those things.

[ 08-04-2003, 07:58 AM: Message edited by: Aramas ]