Tips for the getting this #*&% stuff off?

[luckywizard]

Hey folks!

Any ideas how to get this stuff off more easily? I've started by prying it off with a knife, but it's been taking an hour or so per (small) deadlight and I may or may not have accidentally stabbed myself a few times today. As a result I've been expanding my repertoire of curse words. We are trying to clean the deadlights up to remount them, but I'm worried the weekend will be over before I ever get them clean.

The material is very tacky and pliable, making it difficult to cut with a knife or remove from the metal cleanly. Any thoughts on what it is and how I can remove it? I'm a total newbie!

Thanks for your help!

[capngeo]

[minaret]

Anti Bond.



ANTI BOND Anti-Bond 2015 at West Marine

[rw58ph]

Originally Posted by capngeo

I agree a wire wheel on a variable speed drill.

[roverhi]

If you use a wire wheel, make sure it's Stainless Steel or Bronze. A plain steel can/will leave small particles of steel in the fiberglass that will produce rust stains forever. Major Major long term headache.

[FlyingCloud1937]

The wire wheel would be so gummed up in short order as to render it useless.

The West Marine Anti-Bond works as long as you have time and plastic wrap. And not to mention that the price per ounce is absolutely out of this world. It's mostly Denatured.

Here's My recipe. I part Denatured Alcohol, 1 part Isopropyl Alcohol, and 1 part Turpentine.

It also makes a great fender cleaner.

Lloyd

[minaret]

Originally Posted by FlyingCloud1937

The wire wheel would be so gummed up in short order as to render it useless.

The West Marine Anti-Bond works as long as you have time and plastic wrap. And not to mention that the price per ounce is absolutely out of this world. It's mostly Denatured.

Here's My recipe. I part Denatured Alcohol, 1 part Isopropyl Alcohol, and 1 part Turpentine.

It also makes a great fender cleaner.

Lloyd

It's not mostly denatured, and it's not from West Marine. That just happened to be the first link to it I found. No plastic wrap required.

[sww914]

Yeah. I know how to do it easily but not cheaply.
Auto body supply stores sell long trays designed for soaking the 2 sided tape off of body side moldings on cars. Pour a gallon of wax, grease, and silicone remover in one of those trays and let it soak overnight and it will scrape off really easily with a putty knife.
Collision Services - Show Product

[capt-couillon]

Heatgun and a stiff scraper ground down to fit the width of the deadlight frame. Heatgun is big help in removing 5200, 4200, Butyl and Urethane caulks. If you are using on "glass" areas (eg deck fittings) be careful not to scorch the gel-coat

[colemj]

Originally Posted by luckywizard

As a result I've been expanding my repertoire of curse words.

There's a website for that - I wouldn't have finished many projects without its help. Don't do boat work without it!

The Foul-o-Matic, generate your own swearwords, cursewords & insults!

Mark

[tamicatana]

colemj's generator would also be great for generating boat names ;-)

[colemj]

I just went there and got this: "Wanktastic butt milf experiment"

Sounds more like a racing boat name than a cruising boat name to me…

Mark

[Roy M]

Ditto Minaret: Anti Bond.

[Suijin]

I have some scrapers that I made from 3/8" thick acrylic sheet, made them about 8" long by 1.5" wide, with one end beveled. They make short work of taking silicon and caulking off anything without scraping it. They work much better than metal scrapers or wire wheels. They dull quickly but they are quickly sharpened with a sanding block.

[thinwater]

If it is actually tacky it is probably white butyl. I think most of us are assuming it is polyurethane, which would not be tacky. Debond won't work on butyl.

a. If you are going back with butyl there is no need to get all of it off. Just as much as you can. The plastic scraper idea is good.

b. Mineral spirits should cut it (not the "low odor" or "eco" stuff--only old fashioned). Alternatively, xylene will work very well but is less user friendly. But you really don't need to get it shiny clean, just everything that comes off reasonably easily. The new butyl will bond with the old.