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Old 06-08-2008, 08:19 PM   #1
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I have a television antenna that has been fastened to the roof of the trailer with epoxy. Any ideas what I can use to loosen the bond to remove the thing?
cheers
Ian
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Old 06-08-2008, 08:58 PM   #2
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.......rumor has it that SOME of that tap water over on the rock works great at resin removal, LOL!!!!
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Old 06-08-2008, 09:06 PM   #3
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I've cleaned up smaller epoxy mishaps with acetone, but not large ones. Maybe worth a try, though? It might soften it up a bit so you can pry or scrape it off.
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Old 06-08-2008, 09:33 PM   #4
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I don't know of anything that will loosen the bond between cured epoxy, and fiberglass without destroying the fiberglass.

That being said, I'd start with a dremel, or a grinder with a cut-off disc, then kick in with the polish. Work slowly to minimize error correction later.

HTH
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Old 06-08-2008, 11:09 PM   #5
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I remember a demonstration project where a small engine's block, cylinder head, piston, and associated parts were all made out of one type of epoxy or another. About the only parts that were made of metal were the crankshaft, cylinder sleeves and bearing surfaces. Alas for your antenna attachment, the beauty of epoxy is that its very tough.
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Old 06-09-2008, 01:01 AM   #6
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Could you turn it into a wind vane??
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Old 06-09-2008, 02:53 PM   #7
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Could you turn it into a wind vane??
Possibly; they use specialized epoxy to cement the ceramic fan blades in jet engines into place.
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Old 06-10-2008, 11:51 PM   #8
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I am building a wooden kayak. To soften partially cured epoxy and break its grip, you can heat it with a hair dryer. I don't know if this will work when the epoxy has cured for months or years. Beware: if the epoxy does soften, it will most likely be a sticky mess. Do not get it on your skin.

You might want to visit some epoxy manufacturers' websites for more information. Try West Systems, MAS and System 3. They may have tips for cleaning the site after you remove the antenna.

Marv

Hey Ian, look what I found on System Three's site:

What solvent can I use to clean up cured epoxy resin products?
Cured epoxy systems are very chemical resistant, and need to be removed with an epoxy-type paint stripper containing methylene chloride, or by a combination of heat for softening followed by scraping. Uncured epoxy resins and hardeners can be cleaned up with ketones, alcohols, or lacquer thinner. White vinegar will clean up unmixed resin components.
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Old 06-11-2008, 11:20 PM   #9
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Thanks everyone for your help and replies. I will now try to see what works. Thanks again for the info.
Cheers
Ian
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Old 06-12-2008, 12:15 AM   #10
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. . . Cured epoxy systems are very chemical resistant, and need to be removed with an epoxy-type paint stripper containing methylene chloride . . .
Methyl chloride will also dissolve the polyester resins in a fiberglass, so not a great solution for a FG trailer.
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Old 06-12-2008, 07:47 PM   #11
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Methyl chloride will also dissolve the polyester resins in a fiberglass, so not a great solution for a FG trailer.
Peter is correct, I am not a fan of using any chemicals. If you can heat it and apply steady pressure at the same time, it might pop right off. It will leave a blob of epoxy at the site.
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Old 06-12-2008, 08:05 PM   #12
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If you can't get the epoxy off, what about carefully cutting off the antenna a fraction of an inch above the base. It would be annoying to know it's not "perfect", but probably no one would notice--except you!
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Old 06-14-2008, 09:20 AM   #13
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I would use a freshly sharpened woodworker's chisel and a stack of cards.

The cards are used under the chisel. Each cut of the chisel you cut away a card's thickness of epoxy. After you chisel away a thin slice of epoxy, you remove a card and chisel away another card-thickness of epoxy.

I would chose a chisel between 3/4 inch and 1 inch. With a very sharp chisel it will go quickly. The epoxy is soft enough it won't dull the chisel.
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