What takes uncured sticky epoxy resin off? Acetone?
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Acetone?
- Thread starter Black_Fly
- Start date
Probably. It's worked for me. Wear a respirator and gloves. Switch rags often as they become saturated with epoxy. Don't throw them in a pile or in the trash. Lay them out flat so they can dry with good air flow. I don't know if acetone is prone to spontaneous combustion or not but I've never wanted to experiment.
Alan
Alan
G
Guest
Guest
How large a mass of uncured sticky resin?
I always set out a can of acetone, rags and little folded squares of paper towel to handle any errant drips or dribbles when working with epoxy.
A larger mass of uncured (and uncuring) sticky resin is a different dilemma.
I always set out a can of acetone, rags and little folded squares of paper towel to handle any errant drips or dribbles when working with epoxy.
A larger mass of uncured (and uncuring) sticky resin is a different dilemma.
Alcohol will work also but not quite as well, but it is less toxic.
Jim
Jim
I'll try a little patch with rubbing alcohol first. I have denatured alcohol too. I had that bottom so smooth and prepped. This is a PITA.
There a couple of solvents that work to thin epoxy, I imagine they would also work in this case
https://www.epoxyworks.com/index.php/thinning-west-system-epoxy/
Depending on the area, I would be tempted to try a scraper to get off as much as I could before trying to use a solvent ... of course this depends on the area we are talking.
Brian
https://www.epoxyworks.com/index.php/thinning-west-system-epoxy/
Depending on the area, I would be tempted to try a scraper to get off as much as I could before trying to use a solvent ... of course this depends on the area we are talking.
Brian
I bought 3 bottom kits, not one had any hardener.
I checked the website and they can't ship it with hardener. Wierd, I've got skid plate kits shipped with hardener.
I checked the website and they can't ship it with hardener. Wierd, I've got skid plate kits shipped with hardener.
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I clean uncured epoxy off of mixing cups, stir-sticks, and application tools with white vinegar. A lot cheaper than acetone.
G
Guest
Guest
There are too many variables and unknowns to offer much suggestion.
Obviously resin can be shipped with hardener, but it requires a little paperwork and (minor) Hazmat shipping charge.
If you attempted to install a skid plate kit without adding any hardener that may be less of a problem than resin applied with improper amounts of hardener, but the type of resin included in the kit matters. Old Town skid plate kits are the only ones I know of that still come with urethane resin, but those now cost a whopping $300 per kit.
Most other skid plate kits (usually about $100 a kit) come with what seems to be (by odor and viscosity) plain epoxy resin. West System resin (without hardener added) can be cleaned using lacquer thinner, acetone or denatured alcohol. I’d test a small area, starting with the least aggressive solvent first, to see how the underlying hull is affected.
It is possible that some inexpensive off-brand skid plate kits may come with cheap polyester resin. The hardener for poly resin is a little tube of catalyst, added so many drops per ounce of resin. I miscounted that mix back in the day and produced a batch of resin that never set up, even days later after moving the boat out into the hot sun. I used a plastic scraper and solvent (don’t recall what) to remove what I could and top coated the still sticky remains with a new coat of poly resin, mixed a little “hot” with additional drops of catalyst.
If you are going to try to flood the still sticky resin with alcohol, vinegar or some other solvent I’d try to keep the sludge from dripping down the hull into the outwales. Mask it with plastic, or try to do it somehow with the canoe upright.
Got a website link to the skid plate kits? That at least might help determine what kind of resin was included.
Good luck. Keep us posted.
Obviously resin can be shipped with hardener, but it requires a little paperwork and (minor) Hazmat shipping charge.
If you attempted to install a skid plate kit without adding any hardener that may be less of a problem than resin applied with improper amounts of hardener, but the type of resin included in the kit matters. Old Town skid plate kits are the only ones I know of that still come with urethane resin, but those now cost a whopping $300 per kit.
Most other skid plate kits (usually about $100 a kit) come with what seems to be (by odor and viscosity) plain epoxy resin. West System resin (without hardener added) can be cleaned using lacquer thinner, acetone or denatured alcohol. I’d test a small area, starting with the least aggressive solvent first, to see how the underlying hull is affected.
It is possible that some inexpensive off-brand skid plate kits may come with cheap polyester resin. The hardener for poly resin is a little tube of catalyst, added so many drops per ounce of resin. I miscounted that mix back in the day and produced a batch of resin that never set up, even days later after moving the boat out into the hot sun. I used a plastic scraper and solvent (don’t recall what) to remove what I could and top coated the still sticky remains with a new coat of poly resin, mixed a little “hot” with additional drops of catalyst.
If you are going to try to flood the still sticky resin with alcohol, vinegar or some other solvent I’d try to keep the sludge from dripping down the hull into the outwales. Mask it with plastic, or try to do it somehow with the canoe upright.
Got a website link to the skid plate kits? That at least might help determine what kind of resin was included.
Good luck. Keep us posted.
Methyl ethyl ketone peroxide (MEKP) is the catalyst (hardener) for many ester resins including vinylester resins. It is a highly-reactive oxidizing agent and quite unstable. It is shock, sunlight, and heat sensitive and undergoes undergoes explosive decomposition at 230 degrees F. It is not stable in storage, so most retail sources of vinylester resins will not include the catalyst in kits, and there are restrictions on shipping. It is also highly irritating to skin and tissues and can make you go blind if you get it in your eyes.
G
Guest
Guest
Pete, I have never worked with Vinylester resin. Is MEKP the catalyst included in auto-store polyester resin kits?
dang, I knew MEKP was hazardous to health, I didn’t know it was that unstable.
Blackfly, if what is missing from your skid plate kits is MEKP it is sold on Amazon, or at most marine supply stores.
https://www.amazon.com/s?k=mekp+catalyst&crid=153DBKKGP353A&sprefix=MEKP,aps,203&ref=nb_sb_ss_i_5_4
dang, I knew MEKP was hazardous to health, I didn’t know it was that unstable.
Blackfly, if what is missing from your skid plate kits is MEKP it is sold on Amazon, or at most marine supply stores.
https://www.amazon.com/s?k=mekp+catalyst&crid=153DBKKGP353A&sprefix=MEKP,aps,203&ref=nb_sb_ss_i_5_4
No, I found Bondo Fiberglass Hardener in .74 oz tubes on Amazon. Darned expensive, but it's MEKP and should work with the kits I purchased. I got all the resin off with acetone. Alcohol (either kind) didn't seem to work. Acetone still took elbow grease and lots of rags. Kept a fan and the garage door open and that stuff stinks. Hope I don't come down with a tumor.
The vendor said the licensing to ship MEKP is cost prohibitive. You know it has to be some powerful stuff using at a 50:1 mix.
The vendor said the licensing to ship MEKP is cost prohibitive. You know it has to be some powerful stuff using at a 50:1 mix.
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G
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Guest
As a buyer beware, or at least heads up for folks looking for manufactured skid plate kits, do you have a link to the vendor?
Nope, this was a bottom kit. I'd rather not specify the vendor. I'd say the buyer beware statement is sufficient.
G
Guest
Guest
Northstars “Canoe Recoat Kit” perhaps?
https://northstarcanoes.com/accessories/repair/
$60 per kit for two pints of resin, a roller and a sleeve.
There is probably a thousand cumulative years of canoe construction and repair experience on this board, and $180 for three of those kits would have gone a lot further toward bottom repairs had you asked for advice.
A gallon of Hi-bond Vinylester resin runs $128 at Jamestown Distributors and they carry MEKP as well. Or West System epoxy; gallon of 105 resin ($87), quart of 206 hardener ($45), set of metered pumps ($17). Hazmat ORM-D shipping cost $4.50 no matter the quantities ordered. $154 for enough epoxy resin to last for years.
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Yeah, I've used Jamestown for marine polyurethane varnish. Should have checked them out. Like I said, ordered off my phone in my driveway.
They did send PLENTY of resin. I used part of one can on a 17.5 foot canoe. I may do two coats. My fault for not reading the fine print on the website, then I would likely have done my due diligence.
They did send PLENTY of resin. I used part of one can on a 17.5 foot canoe. I may do two coats. My fault for not reading the fine print on the website, then I would likely have done my due diligence.
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G
Guest
Guest
Once you have everything laid out on the bench, roller, pan, tip out brush, gloves, rags, acetone, etc, and have the hull staged and prepped and taped and etc. the time required to lay down a second coat is minimal.
I have never worked with Vinylester resin. Is there any wet sanding or special prep work recommended between coats?
I have never worked with Vinylester resin. Is there any wet sanding or special prep work recommended between coats?
If you are working on an epoxy built hull, you don't want to use Vinyl ester on it.
Stick with epoxy, even if it is built with Vinyl ester ! No shipping hassles., and will probably work better.
I'd order kit from Northwest Canoe. They use epoxy in their kits. I Easy enough to make up your own kit.
Jim
Stick with epoxy, even if it is built with Vinyl ester ! No shipping hassles., and will probably work better.
I'd order kit from Northwest Canoe. They use epoxy in their kits. I Easy enough to make up your own kit.
Jim
G
Guest
Guest
Blackfly, a little late to ask the question, but what make/model 17.5 canoe are you bottom coating?
Several manufacturers, Savage River, Souris River, Hellman and probably others, use epoxy resin.
Epoxy resin over Vinylester is fine, Vinylester over epoxy not so much.
I can not imagine why anyone would use MEKP instead of MEK substitute as a solvent or thinning resin. MEKP is a little scary and MEK substitute smells like almonds, is used to decaffeinate coffee and is less volatile then Acetone. It is similarly toxic to acetone though evaporates more slowly. White vinegar as suggested above is probably the least toxic.
