Dissolving 2 part epoxy

[MarcD]

A few years ago I bought a second hand Springside LYR pug (part built). It was cheap for a reason it was put together with so much epoxy you can't fit the chassis. So has anyone got a useful tip to dissolve the stuff?

Marc

[john new]

Not done it for a long time but my memory is that hot water softens it enough to get things apart.

[sagaguy]

If it`s 5 minute epoxey such as Araldite rapid,it can be softened by heat,a soldering iron set to low melt solder temperature may help.

 

                    Ray.

[melmerby]

Some epoxies (used to?) degrade with age

I used Devcon 10 minute epoxy on several jobs, Rock hard after a few hours, consistency of rubber after a couple of years, you could scrape it off.

[41516]

If there's no plastics involved, a bath in acetone will do the job.

[Paul Cram]

Brake fluid also works

[drduncan]

I’ve found diy superstore paint stripper has been good at reducing glued kits to component parts - but was the glue expoy or contact adhesive? No idea I’m afraid.

 

D

[Krusty]

There's a reason epoxies are verboten on any sort of industrial plant handling oils or solvents – most of them will delaminate epoxies sooner or later.

 

One of my less-proud moments was kitsetting a split axle when a little bit of bearing oil managed to wick its way onto the joint (the replacement, with the joint a couple of millimetres further away from the bearing, is still going strong).

[41516]

1 hour ago, drduncan said:

I’ve found diy superstore paint stripper has been good at reducing glued kits to component parts - but was the glue expoy or contact adhesive? No idea I’m afraid.

 

D

The main active ingredient in many paint strippers is acetone (which is why many 'aren't as good as they were' as the real nasties have taken out)

[Pebbles]

Bath of Caustic Soda.

[doilum]

Left field idea. If it assembled in an acceptable manner apart from the excess epoxy, rout out the excess with a Dremel or similar tool.

Mask is essential.

[CEINEWYDD]

Nail varnish remover - the active ingredient of which is -----Acetone.  When I mentioned the reason for buying multiple bottles of NV remover to my local chemist, he said they could get small bottles of real deal.  I assume the varnish remover is diluted with summat!  

 

Usual warning regarding Acetone etc, highly flammable so be very careful. 

Edited December 9, 2022 by CEINEWYDD
More information.

[Mike 84C]

Just dissasembled  an L&Y Dreadnought, real Dettol is your friend! Dunk and soak is the way took about a week to work. Then scrub/pick at the epoxy but do not run the parts under the hot tap until all the poxy is removed. It will go hard again, I know this!

[doilum]

11 hours ago, CEINEWYDD said:

Nail varnish remover - the active ingredient of which is -----Acetone.  When I mentioned the reason for buying multiple bottles of NV remover to my local chemist, he said they could get small bottles of real deal.  I assume the varnish remover is diluted with summat!  

 

Usual warning regarding Acetone etc, highly flammable so be very careful. 

Acetone is available in 5litre containers from suppliers of fibreglass and resin. H&S rules apply.

[Jol Wilkinson]

Acetone is available through Ebay. At least one supplier appears to delivers by RM for under 5 litre containers.

 

It seems that H&S or the RM's own rules are ignored.. I once received to aerosol containers of carburettor cleaner solvent in a jiffy bag through the post.

[doilum]

On 10/12/2022 at 09:54, doilum said:

Acetone is available in 5litre containers from suppliers of fibreglass and resin. H&S rules apply.

Sorry, I really meant: be careful how you use it. Lots of ventilation required. Don't spill it on the kitchen worktops or dining table........

[ejstubbs]

Or accidentally drop your credit or debit card in to it - although you may be able to use the remnants for contactless payments, as demonstrated on TV recently by Hannah Fry: https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m001f1td/the-secret-genius-of-modern-life-series-1-1-bank-card (from 26'24").