Everything stuck on with contact cement... Fake fur?? Help!

[IslandArtist4500]

Luckily this is just inside the closet, but in our new-to-us trillium 4500, the previous owners put in a "new" furnace in the closet. It's larger than the original so first weird issue is they made a false closet bottom with drywall which was of course covered in mildew. That's out now and we need to make a new bottom. But since that has me focusing on the closet... he covered the interior with fake fur. I need to get it out. Not only is it mildewy and smelly, it's also maybe not the most fire-safe choice directly above the furnace space. Really my main issue is it's ugly as heck. It's cemented directly the the fiberglass. Is there an easier way to remove it than pulling and scraping? The back is like a tight mesh so the cement is one with the fabric. Uhg! Any advice appreciated!

[ststefan]

Try acetone and then scrape.

[John in Michigan]

I love to see some "before" pictures!

[Doug in Sacramento]

I once gutted a Compact II. After I removed the quilted vinyl from the walls I needed to remove the glue that remained. After trying solvent, scraping, fingernails, etc., I found that a wire wheel on a drill (or grinder) worked great and did not damage the fiberglass.

[wbullivant]

Originally Posted by IslandArtist4500

Luckily this is just inside the closet, but in our new-to-us trillium 4500, the previous owners put in a "new" furnace in the closet. It's larger than the original so first weird issue is they made a false closet bottom with drywall which was of course covered in mildew. That's out now and we need to make a new bottom. But since that has me focusing on the closet... he covered the interior with fake fur. I need to get it out. Not only is it mildewy and smelly, it's also maybe not the most fire-safe choice directly above the furnace space. Really my main issue is it's ugly as heck. It's cemented directly the the fiberglass. Is there an easier way to remove it than pulling and scraping? The back is like a tight mesh so the cement is one with the fabric. Uhg! Any advice appreciated!

Lacquer thinner and possibly Acetone will soften the contact cement if you can keep it wet for a while. I think I'd try to pull / scrape most of the fur off first. Be sure to wear a respirator rated for organic vapors as the fumes will build up fast in a small enclosure. You might even consider a paint stripper but one consideration is that you may actually start dissolving some of the polyester resin in the fiberglass shell (brings back memories of working on an old sailboat).

[Mikmay]

You might want to try a multi function tool with a scraper blade on it

[Tom 72]

Don't forget gloves. That glue it disolves is tougher than your skin.

[stevebaz]

Large amounts of acetone in confined space has to be taken very seriously. You dont want to be part of a big fiber glass bomb. Sparking power tools can make life very interesting

[k corbin]

There is one important thing to know about yellow contact cement. The surface friction of trying to power sand it off will heat up the glue and you will end up with a gummy mess but get no where in trying to remove it.

Acetone is of limited use on old glue, it will work better on fresh glue but on old glue you have to saturate a rag and let the rag sit on the surface for some time. While that works it is basically a terrible thing way to remove the glue. You would need to have full face powered respirator don't do it that way as the fumes are not good for your health. Of course there is also the fire hazard and potential for explosion so forget about it.

I got the best results with good old fashioned elbow grease using 60 grit sandpaper to hand sand it off. It is one of those chores that are simply dreadful to do so put on your face mask, some gloves and some good tunes. Take it easy on yourself, set realistic goals of how many square feet you do before you give yourself a break as a reward. Then get back at it again. No fun at all but that is true of many of the renovation tasks you will have.

[David Tilston]

I used a wire brush on a drill.