Metal polishing, danger!

["Greg McNair" <gmcnair@domain.elided>]

I have been in the process of polishing my 84 Spider cam cover since I had to
remove it for other maintenance checks.  My buddy, who has done this with his
corvettes and other vehicles, is very skilled at the "art" of proper
polishing.  I spent the better part of this past Sunday morning with him,
assisting with the sanding from 60 grit to 1500, then moving to the buffing
wheel with the polishing compound.  The result is magnificent.  The cover is
drop-dead gorgeous, and it is nearly complete.  There are a few detail spots
to finish.  My buddy did the lion's share of the work while I watched and
learned, sometimes holding the part at odd angles so he could get to it with
the sanders.  Here's the bad news.  My buddy was very lethargic Sunday night,
and all day Monday.  He felt sick enough Monday night to go to the ER.  Doc
checked him out, didn't find anything, then started asking more questions
about his activities over the weekend.  My buddy explained that he felt like
this before when he polished metal.  The doc immediately clued in to the fact
that the compound used to polish the metal, a red block of polishing wax held
to the wheel prior to part application, produced an unseen smoke which
produced heavy carbon monoxide.  Once the doc figured out it was CO2
poisoning, several specialists were called in.  The docs also discovered that
he has enough metal dust in his lungs now from all the previous polishings
that he has early stages of lung disease, and he will feel it later in life,
that what has been done is irreversible.  I think back to the several times I
could be found at my own bench grinder, cleaning parts on the wire brush
wheel, or sharpening lawn mower blades.  All the while I did not wear a
respirator.  And neither did my buddy.  Despite the cool air conditioning in
his garage Sunday morning, I suggested that we open the garage doors and vent
the dust, and maybe move the Z06 outside so it doesn't get a coat of aluminum
dust.  According to the doc, this was far from good enough.  We should have
had respirators on and a fan blowing the dust directly outside.  I ask that if
you are stubborn like us and don't wear a respirator, that you might consider
doing so even on smaller "dusty" projects.  Lesson learned too damned late,
and nope, it isn't worth it to have a shiny cam cover.  God knows, if it's in
his lungs, then I am sure it is in mine.

Greg
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