10 replies to this topic

[The Inventor Guy]

Hey guys, it's been a while.

So recently while performing routine maintenance on my Nerf blasters, I've noticed a few barrels needed to be reattached. I secured said barrels using epoxy glue.

My question to you is, what products do you use to clean your skin or your work area of fresh and cured epoxy and other adhesives?

My biggest concern is the products on my skin, I mean I know it'll go away eventually, but I'm both impatient and I prefer my skin to be clean of adhesives so I don't get it all over my projects!

I usually use Methylated spirits for my cleaning, or Acetone (Nail polish remover), but epoxy is a stubborn one.

Suggestions?

-Tidge.

[One Man Clan]

Acetone or gasoline are corrosives and will usually remove everything after a while. However, I have no real experience using either to remove epoxy. You best bet is to invest in latex gloves and just throw them away when you are done. They work great and keep the mess of your hands. They really don't hinder the ability to work with your hands all that much either.

[keef]

Drycleaning solvent will BURN cured epoxy to death. It eats it up. My dads a drycleaning and we recently painted the floor with blue epoxy paint. A week ago he had a big "bleeder" in the clothes, and the solvent spilled ALL over. It ate up the paint.

Just watch it, its industrial and it burns like sleeping in poisen ivy with herpes.

[bobafan]

I usually use lava soap, strait dishwashing soap, and paint thinner to clean stuff.

[Pineapple]

Drycleaning solvent will BURN cured epoxy to death. It eats it up. My dads a drycleaning and we recently painted the floor with blue epoxy paint. A week ago he had a big "bleeder" in the clothes, and the solvent spilled ALL over. It ate up the paint.

Just watch it, its industrial and it burns like sleeping in poisen ivy with herpes.

I was about to say...industrial solvents are pretty much not so good an idea, as they are absorbed readily into the skin, and the toxic vapor and absorbed solvent can do all kinds of things with your brain. Which is why wastoids sniff solvents and paint (toluene) to get a temporary buzz before they end up in the E.R.


I usually use a homeowner-strength solvent like acetone, followed by a good scrubbing with an abrasive cleaner like Micro-brush, or Orange GO, then peeling away any residual epoxy.

I wouldn't know much, though. I use a spatula and blade, and rarely get epoxy on my hands...and when I do, I simply wipe the epoxy off with a shop rag before it has a chance to set. Using "putty" type epoxies helps out a lot too.

My worktable is covered in laminate, which is pretty slick. Any spills that set up are simply knocked away with my knife. If you work on a kitchen table, you'd best put a sheet of cardboard or wood to protect Mom's nice dining table.



-Piney-

[KyleDarklighter]

Well I'm new to this board but I've been doing prop modding & constuction for 13 years or so. My best advice is to echo the use of latex gloves. They are a life saver. Also it's a good idea to layer down scrap paper or a plastic mat over your work area. It's a lot easier to replace those than a table top. Baring that if you have epoxy and other adhesives stuck on the table top you have very few options. Laqueur thinner is about the most powerful OTC solvent out there but it will take the finish right of the table, even metal ones and if it doesn't have a finish it will leach into the wood and eat away at it. The scrapper method is a bit more gentle. If the glue remnant is stubborn you can take a heat gun to it.. Bear in mind heat releases the toxic fumes in the adhesive so wear a mask and ventalate the room very well.

Garrett

[deathwolf]

In my experience, rubbing alcohol will take off epoxy with a little elbow grease. It works best when it's 70% alcohol or higher.

[CaptainSlug]

Just so you know, anything strong enough to really remove hardened epoxy is also going to eat away at the plastic too.

[The Inventor Guy]

Yeah, I wouldn't use any of these products on Epoxy that's on an actual project/blaster, I would carefully sand or scrape it off with a knife.

OMC, thanks for reminding me about Latex gloves, that's a great idea! Guess I'm off to buy a box of those then

I can't believe I haven't used these suggestions before, I'm usually the first to say something like that anyway!
Newspaper, gloves, common sense...Jeez!



-Tidge.

[CD-R]

Chemically, epoxy is really strong stuff. As captainslug said, anything that will dissolve epoxy will probably dissolve the plastic as well.

[hornet]

Nail polish remover works realy well for me.

Edited by hornet, 20 December 2007 - 12:41 AM.