Does a NON-toxic cleaner exist to remove polyester & epoxy resin from hands & tools?

Discussion in 'Boatbuilding' started by magentawave, Jul 19, 2013.

  1. PAR
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    PAR Yacht Designer/Builder

    West 207 is only diamine hardener they have of their 105 resin series, and this is typical (diamine) of many formulators interested in nonreactive viscosity additives, particularly clear mixes. West does sell higher end, more refined goos. Most with some experience don't use the 105 series, if only for cost.

    We can get into the technical aspects of the formulations, but it's going to get thick pretty quick without a good working understanding of the chemistry involved. Maybe Paul O would like to drop in and offer some novice friendly cycloalipha formulation (and others) descriptions, to help confuse the masses.

    Acetone's properties are well understood and documented. The PDF you list, I've seen before and it's pretty clear about why and how acetone use on skin clean ups works.
     
  2. michael pierzga
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    michael pierzga Senior Member

    For cleaning cured epoxy, 5200 and other miracle stuff off drill bits, screw drivers, putty knives....... I use a heat gun and a brass wire brush. Works pretty good.

    Dont burnt the tools...just heat soften the epoxy and brush off
     
  3. magentawave
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    magentawave Senior Member

    Good idea. Thanks!

     
  4. magentawave
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    magentawave Senior Member

    And does anyone know if Goop type hand cleaner works to clean polyester resin off the hands?

    And here is a totally unrelated to cleaning resin question...

    Does anyone know if the clear liquid catalyst (it looks like water) used for hardening polyester resin can also be used to harden Bondo filler?
     
  5. michael pierzga
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    michael pierzga Senior Member

    Probably. Abrasive hand cleaners are handy around the shop.

    A secret weapon for cleaning white hypalon Rib dingies is abrasive hand cleaner.

    No particular brand...work in the shade..do small sections with hand cleaner and a supersoft white scotchbright pad, then hose off with water.

    Brand new rib
     
  6. the1much
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    the1much hippie dreams

    a grinder.......


    sorry i jus had ta say it lol
    ;)
     
  7. rwatson
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    rwatson Senior Member

    It has worked for me. The only trouble is that the Bondo 'builders bog' we buy has the hardener mixed with a red filler, so that the whole mess turns a uniform pink colour when properly mixed. With a clear catalyst, you run the risk of poor mixing.

    Its only in the last few years I have seen separate tubes of 'bog' hardener for sale. before that, if you ran out of hardener, you wasted the pot of 'bog'
     
  8. hoytedow
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    hoytedow Carbon Based Life Form

    Bondo filler is polyester based putty and it uses MEK peroxide same as other polyester resins and putties.
     
  9. Commuter Boats
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    Commuter Boats Commuter Boats

    No, all of the polyesters require a 2 chemical formula, a promoter and a catalysts. Most of the polyesters use colbalt napthanate as a promoter which is only compatible with MEKP ( methyl ethyl ketone peroxide ). most of the body putties and core bonding adhesives use BPO ( dibenzoyl peroxide ) as a catalysts which is only effective with a promoter that escapes me right now.
    While you might get a polyester to get relatively hard with the wrong catalysts, you won't get it to produce the correct polymer chains, it will never become the intended plastic the manufacturer formulated it to be.
    People need to understand that very complicated things are happening when a polyester resin gets hard and only qualified chemists should be mucking around with the formula if your goal is to achieve the plastic the resin was intended to produce.
    Gerald
     
  10. hoytedow
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    hoytedow Carbon Based Life Form

  11. rwatson
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    rwatson Senior Member

  12. magentawave
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    magentawave Senior Member

    Is this the "MP" cleaner you were referring to? http://www.focus-acs.com/index.php?page=prod&productID=2

     
  13. magentawave
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    magentawave Senior Member

    Okay, vinegar and hand cleaners with pumice are non-toxic solutions for cleaning UNCURED epoxy off of hands but what about uncured polyester resin? Was it just a suggestion to use hand cleaners with pumice for polyester, or is that conclusive?

    Thanks!
     
  14. yipster
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    yipster designer

    were are the material specialist on the forum? they know better!

    my post was based on a product from : http://www.polyservice.nl/
    only now read backside of this old can: specially formulated cleaner for cleaning tools and surfaces. but also: inflamable, dont breath fumes or wear mask

    so not sure its what i meant. in the time i was using gallons of aceton i tried an cleaner that was -i think- non inflamable, environment frendly and more expensive
    while not doing as good a job on polyester as aceton, so only used it once. just mean there are alternatives.

    nowadays only occasionally use epoxy, cleaning as discussed
     

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  15. Commuter Boats
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    Commuter Boats Commuter Boats

    Material specialist....... I think I would prefer to be referred to as something else but I have been getting sticky for over 30 years :rolleyes: and I'm a little embarrassed to suggest that my 2 primary personal cleaning agents are Boraxo powdered hand soap and acetone.... not in that order :( .....
    As suggested, acetone is a very good carrier to deliver what ever is suspended in it through your skin and into your bloodstream!
    Gerald
     
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