Kuhls Brochure Opens Up A Cautionary Conversation!

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5200 before 5200

I have always loved the graphics of KUHLS, so when I found this brochure on ebay I scooped it up and now sharing with you. But as I look at the design I started to did in and do some research on the company. Which BTW, is not really around. In fact the trademark is closed. So it’s gone! But I did find a can with a Benjamin Moore logo on it, which kinda tells me it was bought by them back in the 50’s or 60’s .

This is how mergers are played out.

Turn the page

All the cool products

Seam compound

BUT, I did find some more digging on ebay of all places. Vintage cans and brochures tell a story for sure. And one thing caught my eye. ASBESTOS!

A detail from a Kuhl’s BUILDING BROCHURE Not a marine one. But got me thinking. 

Yup. That word! And then my brain filled in the rest. NOW! TO BE CLEAR, I am not sure of the internal makings of old marine compounds. But its fare to say its full of stuff that you should avoid.

Thats a lot of chemicals

And it lead me to think as stated above. . ALWAYS A BAD IDEA BTW. As you are restoring that wonderful time capsule barn find. Be careful what you are cleaning and sanding, and creating dust with. The one thing for sure to avoid with Asbestos is dust. If any of you are into this sort of thing, it’s an interesting topic to discuss as we go indoors and to work on our boats.

Sniffing varnish is one thing. I am seeing a new coffee cup design here for sure.

COUGH COUGH!

 

11 replies
  1. Dan T
    Dan T says:

    My Festool vacuum/sanders are one of the best tool investments I’ve ever made. Practically dust free sanding. Well worth the money!

  2. Jim Staib
    Jim Staib says:

    Years ago I tried to buy Victor Gasket catalogs to fill in some years that I was missing. At the time it was not unusual for them to bring $4-500. Come to find out it was lawyers bidding on them because they touted the use of asbestos in their gaskets.

  3. Frank@Falmouth
    Frank@Falmouth says:

    I was going to mention the exact same two…but remembering my youth… playing with mercury in science class and melting lead bullets to make fishing weights or model boat ballast…..and free use of acetone and tolulene & God know what else..to clean stuff and self! …. breathing bondo dust from auto repairs…. Ive been lucky….. so far it seams …. I should probably have a “California warning” sticker on myself…
    Now we spacesuit up to grind and sand and need fresh air ventilation if we want to use those two part chemical miracle finishes….. which meant I was well prepared for covid… N95 protection?… Nothing to it… Got way better stuff now…
    Kids “huff” whatever is in air duster cans or gasoline to get high? Now I guess even peanuts arent safe and PB&J sandwiches arent allowed at school lunch tables…. Arrrgghh “get off my lawn!”

  4. Tparsons56
    Tparsons56 says:

    50 years ago my brother and I spent every spring scraping and painting bottoms with old copper based paint with no protection. So far no issues have come up but I wouldn’t do that today with what we have learned.

    The only bright spot when Covid hit last spring was that I still had several slightly used N95 masks left over.

  5. Ollon
    Ollon says:

    Interesting that yesterday you featured The King of Cool and today asbestos. Steve McQueen died from Mesothelioma. He thought he picked it up while he was working on ships in his teens.

  6. Jeffrey Martinson
    Jeffrey Martinson says:

    PITA to find, put on and wear glasses, masks and gloves, but well worth it in the long run. Good to know what poisons are in the can, too!

  7. Bilge Rat
    Bilge Rat says:

    I had a project this summer restoring a 100 year old cast masonry park-type bench that had been in my wife’s family since new. Some masonry restoration and new custom fitted planks. I had to bore some anchor holes and put in some wire rebar to reinforce some masonry repairs. I knew that cast masonry this old must have asbestos fibers in it as a bonding agent as that was common practice in the day. Did the drilling outdoors and wore a mask while drilling but as others have stated, I have breathed in so much stuff from my career and working on boats that I have to believe the asbestos was the least of my worries.

  8. John Rothert
    John Rothert says:

    Damn , I have the same bench! Won’t dig into it.
    Back in my youth I used Carbontet to clean my HO railroad rails and we had a deal called a “manual wall grenade” a class sphere filled with carbontet….you threw it at a fire and it went right out and changed your future forever too I guess???
    back from Going Boating to more covid restrictions…I am going back….John in Va.

  9. Briant
    Briant says:

    Chemicals schemicals.

    Nothing beats a long cool slurp from a garden hose on a hot summer day.

    Never gonna give that up.

    • BRUCE
      BRUCE says:

      I agree! Someone needs to market a garden hose flavored bottled water. Not that it tastes great, but for the instant transport back to 10 years old. I see a green hose flavor, an old-school red one, maybe black with a stripe. Matt? You’re the marketing genius.

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