Urgent: How to Remove Cured Epoxy From LPU paint???

My idiots (employees) got epoxy on the final paint job in literally a dozen places a couple days ago. How can i remove it safely?

Same day they also....

Improperly filled the core in 8 holes
Destroyed a $250 sheet of lexan with a short cut
Destroyed a permanently affixed window slide track
Took too much off my engine mount making it wobbly
Wrote i permanent marker on my finished instrument panel
Cut an aluminum support pole wrong

In ONE DAY!

I literally hate having people near my boat. I still paid these idiots.

Trying to make a launch, but they see! to be setting me back. Keeping them to bottom job, rough glassing and pushing the boat out of the shed.


Rant over.

How do I safely remove the cured epoxy from the final lpu coat?

 

Good luck.

The only ways I know are sanding (bad for on a final finish), heat (probably only reasonable with a very small area with something like a soldering iron).

No matter what I expect the paint to be discolored. If you have a real craftsman he might get the epoxy off such that you only need to do a final polish for the color.

If I was doing it I wouldn't expect it to work. Sorry.

Lets hope for an expert.

 

Shave carefully, a layer at a time, with a hot, razor sharp scraper. Heat the scraper by attaching it to an electric soldering iron. Like shaving a corn, the old fashioned way. http://www.mamashealth.com/foot/calluses.asp

 

Thanks for the input.

Consensus seems to be the heat/blade method.

I'll give it a shot.

For paint runs, I also have these, which I will use in conjunction to help protect from any slip ups.

http://www.walmart.com/msharbor/ip/...-Sags-Nibs-Wet-or-Dry-Sandpaper-Auto/39151493

 

I had never seen the paint run shield, thanks.

Looks just like an erasing shield for manually made drawings, used to limit the area you hit with an eraser.

 

Here's a couple of tips from the gunman, a bit of masking tape to perimeter is usual, The single sided razor might help- I'll usually round the corners off on an oilstone, I've never had a curtain run that needed the overfill(yet), these might help or a plastic scraper & gentle heat would be my first try with the epoxy. Not sure if your paint is buffable either. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mn6nPky0HGs

Jeff

 

Bit harsh there, hope they're being given the time, materials & leadership required.............
Maybe you should pay them more?

J.

 

They make a little rasp type tool for shaving paint runs, they look like an old body file used with wiping metal in bodywork in the old days. Really it should take the same finesse you would take shaving a run, if you get lucky you will be able to get it down to where you can wet sand and buff . Clearly you are not hiring experienced tradesmen.

 

Thanks guys. I'll experiment with the tips.

No, there are no marine professionals I was able to find here. People claim to be, but then were not. Then again, most marinas and boat yards don't do a great job,either. I no normally do not let other people work on my boats or cars.

The guys couldn't transition from rough work (glassing and fairing) to finish work is the problem.

They have ruined a lot of things I/we put substantial time/money into. They also lost many tools and leave electric ones outside in the rain. Really had it, frankly.

My solution is to reduce my commitments in my other work to nearly nothing, so I can do all finish work myself. There is still a bottom job, pushing the boat out of the shed, installation of fuel and water tanks, so still a bit left for them. Everything else, I'm doing.

 

You could try a paint run removal tool.
http://www.eastwood.com/painters-nib-files-set-of-three.html
http://www.eastwood.com/motorguard-run-razor-blocker-set.html

 

Yes Gonzo, that's the tool I described above, I couldn't remember what it was called. I think it may work but only in skilled hands.

Steve.

 

It works like a plane.