I’m wondering what I could use to soften/dissolve Devcon 5 minute
Epoxy that’s stuck inside a 4 mm tube. Will soaking it in acetone
work, and if so, how long might I need it to soak?
Linda in central FL
Where we’re close to a record high temperature today.
I'm wondering what I could use to soften/dissolve Devcon 5 minute Epoxy that's stuck inside a 4 mm tube.
Place the tube in a closed container, cover with Attack and leave
overnight. The epoxy becomes a blob of goo that is smaller than it
was before (or goes away completely, if a small amount) and your
parts will be separate.
Read the warning labels and MSDS.
Elaine
CreativeTextureTools.com
4mm is too small an area to soften any epoxy, quickly.
Id look at all these options, particularly drilling through the
epoxy to increase the surface area to the solvent.
Check with the maker of the epoxy for their guide to the right
solvent.
Lots of other options that are used by auto and engineering folk to
get sintered bearings out of blind holes.
For example the right sized rod, grease and an O ring and big
hammer.
Get some Attack, most jewelry suppliers cary it. Acetone may soften
the epoxy but may not depending on its formulation and it certainly
will not dissolve it.
James Binnion
James Binnion Metal Arts
try using a product called Attack. you can get it from stuller.
I'm wondering what I could use to soften/dissolve Devcon 5 minute Epoxy that's stuck inside a 4 mm tube.
Acetone will work, eventually. Methylene chloride works better, but
is hazardous to work with. Paint strippers contain methylene chloride
and are safer but slower. You don’t say what material the tube is,
but high heat will burn it off (proper safety precautions, of
course.) Lower temperatures will soften it.
How long it takes depends on too many factors to guess.
Al Balmer
Acetone should work. It will take awhile as it will be difficult for
the acetone to reach the epoxy. Will probably help if you scrub out
the top layer periodically to let the acetone reach a new area of
epoxy–
Would be faster if you can run a gentle flame over the tube. Is it
metal?
I'm wondering what I could use to soften/dissolve Devcon 5 minute Epoxy that's stuck inside a 4 mm tube. Will soaking it in acetone work, and if so, how long might I need it to soak?
Overnight would be the longest, but if you soak it for an hr or so,
then try to press it out, that might be enough. I use acetone for
that sort of thing and keep it in an airtight jar CLEARLY LABELED,
that way you can shake the jar gently every once in a while, and be
pleasantly surprised when it loosens in just an hr or so. Overnight
should always be enough, at least that has been the outcome for me.
Thomas III
Acetone will soften it a little and that might allow you to poke the
set resin out but to dissolve it you need to use methylene chloride,
which is the active component of paint stripper. Nick royall
Warm it with a flame, it will crumble and poke right out.
Michael
Acetone in a glass jar.
Suspend in heated ultrasonic cleaner.
While all the suggestions would work, there is a better way. While
chemicals would seem easy yet take longer, there are concerns as to
your health and well being of your body. Acetone if it is used often
with no gloves to protect your hands can break down the tissues
(fatty portions of molecules) in your hands. Better to not use it if
there is an alternative. Other chemicals in the same ilk can do just
as much damage or worse.
Using a gentle flame on such a small piece would take it up to high
and could compromise things. “Notice I said could, not would” The
easiest way and quickest is to get a good heat gun. It;s not a hair
dryer, but a good tool sold at Home Depot or the like. It has a much
higher heat than a hair dryer. It is what is used to melt epoxies.
How do I know this? My husband bless his heart sent me to Austin
Texas to learn to make custom golf clubs. He would have gone, but he
doesn’t do well with things that don’t have a keyboard. It’s a wonder
I have 2 kids. Anyway, they taught us how to melt the epoxy used in
making golf clubs. It doesn’t take long on really large items. It
also doesn’t take the temp up to the point that it would anneal the
tube you have. Best of all you get a new tool for your work. It gets
hot enough to do some of the metal clays on the market. My words of
wisdom, wear gloves, and put the heat gun into a vise so you have
both hands free.
Now once the epoxy is melted, just use a smaller bit of wire to push
the mess out.
Thanks, all, for the suggestions on removing the 5 minute epoxy from
the 4 mm tubing. I’m going to try soaking it in acetone overnight,
since I already have the acetone. I’ve already tried drilling the
epoxy out, which was much more time consuming than I wanted to deal
with.
Just FYI, thetubing is sterling, approx 10 mm long, and is closed on
one end. It’s good to know that I could also try burning it out, but
the overnight soak sounds easier.
Linda
When in the US Navy we used to daily dump 5gallons of actions into
the intake of the jet engines to clean them out. Back in the 60’s
and early 70’s no one even thought about the long yearn effects of
exposure. I am 66 now and still making jewelry after years of no
protection from it. I do now use more ventilation in my work area
then we did way back then… Thinking on it. Ow might have been the
cause of me being so crazy as to go into this crazy business. Now I
can blame it all on the US Navy:-)
Epoxy doesnt melt, it is thermosetting so you would have to heat it
enough to burn it out. Nick Royall
Epoxy doesnt melt, it is thermosetting so you would have to heat it enough to burn it out. Nick Royall
It thermosets at moderate temperatures, but cured epoxy softens at
higher temperatures. 5 minute epoxy generally softens around 200
degrees F. I routinely remove epoxy-dopped stones in boiling water.
Al Balmer
If you are in a hurry another trick to remove epoxy is to place the
item into a cup of hot water about 140 to 165 about the temperature
of a really hot cup of coffee.
Soak it in that so the epoxy gets heated to the core. This will
soften the epoxy to a silicone rubber- like consistency. Then use a
sharp tool to puncture and peel off the unwanted epoxy. As it cools
it will harden right up so dip it back in the hot water as needed.
All epoxy’s are not created equalso some will come out easier than
others.
Sessin Durgham
Rio Grande Technical support
Nick,
I would strongly suggest you tell the people in the golf industry and
in particular Golf Smith in Austin Texas, that epoxy doesn’t melt. It
would make it simpler for all concerned if they could just throw out
those darned used components such as shafts, heads and not bother
with replacing grips, The thousands of students who have burned
fingers on MELted goo (once epoxy) can breath easier knowing it will
never happen again.
Now that my old lady ranting is over, I apologize. I’ve told things
are not true, as I have been taught in universities, and other places
like Gold Smith. In fact there is not a substance on this planet
given enough heat does not melt. Hence we were once a molten glob in
space. Please research your answers. Some of us old farts get a bit
heated when we get attacked.
Better to ask, Does it really melt?
Pissy old Aggie in the heat of Fl.