How to Remove Epoxy
Put on gloves, goggles, and a mask., Wear clothes that cover your skin., Soak the surface in acetone., Aim a heat gun at the epoxy for several minutes., Heat small areas at a time., Scrape off the heated epoxy.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Put on gloves
When heating epoxy, vapors will be produced that are not friendly to your eyes.
Do not settle for wearing glasses.
You need a pair of goggles that covers your eyes completely, sitting flush against your skin, with no holes or air entry points.
Similarly, you should wear rubber gloves that come down at least 3 inches from your wrist.
If at all possible, find ones made with elastic so that air won’t seep in.
Finally, wear a simple fabric face mask to protect your lungs., Find a pair of tight pants and a tight fitting long-sleeve shirt.
If the shirt is a button-up, make sure all of the buttons are secure.
This is meant to protect your skin from reacting to any vapors that may arise from heating the epoxy. , If the epoxy is attached to a wooden surface, soak the area in acetone for an hour or more before using heat to soften the epoxy.
You can either place the object into acetone, or drip acetone onto the surface where the epoxy is set in.
Acetone will only soak into a wooden surface.When dealing with epoxy on plastic, marble, cement, vinyl or metal, any chemical will interact with the top of the surface, but they do not penetrate down into the layers like they do with wood. , The objective is to raise the epoxy temperature to over 200 degrees, its softening point.
Work the heat gun in small strokes, rather than letting it stay at the same position for minutes at a time.
If the epoxy is on a plastic or wooden surface, keep an eye on the surface so you don't warm it up too much and burn it.Rather than using a heat gun, you can use a soldering iron.
After the iron is heated, apply it directly to a specific area of the epoxy bond line.
This will soften the epoxy.If the epoxy you are seeking to heat is located on an object, rather than the floor tiling, you can place it on a hot plate.
This will accomplish the same thing as the heat gun, and is more frequently available. , Don’t heat the entire bond line of epoxy at once or you won’t be able to keep the epoxy hot for long enough.
Instead, work on segments that are about 2-3 inches in length.
After you have one segment done, work on the segment right next to the first.
It will be easier to scrape off with a now open edge., Use a strong, plastic scraper to remove the epoxy from the surface.
You may notice that the heat did not penetrate all the way down into all of the layers of epoxy.
In this case, keep reheating the area and scrape until all the epoxy has been removed.Do not heat right after you have already heated an area.
Wait a few minutes for the epoxy to cool off before you go back and reheat.
Otherwise you could cause the area to catch on fire.
Do not use scrapers made of metal because they can easily cause damage. -
Step 2: goggles
-
Step 3: and a mask.
-
Step 4: Wear clothes that cover your skin.
-
Step 5: Soak the surface in acetone.
-
Step 6: Aim a heat gun at the epoxy for several minutes.
-
Step 7: Heat small areas at a time.
-
Step 8: Scrape off the heated epoxy.
Detailed Guide
When heating epoxy, vapors will be produced that are not friendly to your eyes.
Do not settle for wearing glasses.
You need a pair of goggles that covers your eyes completely, sitting flush against your skin, with no holes or air entry points.
Similarly, you should wear rubber gloves that come down at least 3 inches from your wrist.
If at all possible, find ones made with elastic so that air won’t seep in.
Finally, wear a simple fabric face mask to protect your lungs., Find a pair of tight pants and a tight fitting long-sleeve shirt.
If the shirt is a button-up, make sure all of the buttons are secure.
This is meant to protect your skin from reacting to any vapors that may arise from heating the epoxy. , If the epoxy is attached to a wooden surface, soak the area in acetone for an hour or more before using heat to soften the epoxy.
You can either place the object into acetone, or drip acetone onto the surface where the epoxy is set in.
Acetone will only soak into a wooden surface.When dealing with epoxy on plastic, marble, cement, vinyl or metal, any chemical will interact with the top of the surface, but they do not penetrate down into the layers like they do with wood. , The objective is to raise the epoxy temperature to over 200 degrees, its softening point.
Work the heat gun in small strokes, rather than letting it stay at the same position for minutes at a time.
If the epoxy is on a plastic or wooden surface, keep an eye on the surface so you don't warm it up too much and burn it.Rather than using a heat gun, you can use a soldering iron.
After the iron is heated, apply it directly to a specific area of the epoxy bond line.
This will soften the epoxy.If the epoxy you are seeking to heat is located on an object, rather than the floor tiling, you can place it on a hot plate.
This will accomplish the same thing as the heat gun, and is more frequently available. , Don’t heat the entire bond line of epoxy at once or you won’t be able to keep the epoxy hot for long enough.
Instead, work on segments that are about 2-3 inches in length.
After you have one segment done, work on the segment right next to the first.
It will be easier to scrape off with a now open edge., Use a strong, plastic scraper to remove the epoxy from the surface.
You may notice that the heat did not penetrate all the way down into all of the layers of epoxy.
In this case, keep reheating the area and scrape until all the epoxy has been removed.Do not heat right after you have already heated an area.
Wait a few minutes for the epoxy to cool off before you go back and reheat.
Otherwise you could cause the area to catch on fire.
Do not use scrapers made of metal because they can easily cause damage.
About the Author
Michael Ford
Writer and educator with a focus on practical cooking knowledge.
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