New Boat, New Word

My friend Snapper and I are building another boat. This time it's a strip planked outboard.
https://jmlynn.smugmug.com/Boats/Lobster-Skiff/

This one requires real wood working skills so Snapper is doing the real work and I'm handing him tools.

A great deal of epoxy glue is involved and it gets on everything! Today Snapper invented a word that I think should be in common use among boat builders.

The word is depoxy. It means to remove epoxy. As in "Let's not forget to depoxy the tools before we leave today."

I have epoxy on the clutch pedal of my old truck from my build ten years ago. It has not worn off. Tough stuff.

I have epoxy paint spilled injudiciously in my ER from the PO's paint guy. That and the 5200 used aboard will outlast the hull upon which it rests.

I love the term DEPOXY! It's perfectly understandable, clear and succinct.

Parks-indeed a terrific word, sadly a task oft times almost impossible to do.

Ok guys, so what is the best way to remove sticky epoxy?
Currently using denatured alcohol. I tried vinegar but went back to the alcohol.

Things you might try-
Acetone can melt epoxy but takes a long time. It could loosen it up some if it was spilled on the deck.
A can of refrigerant can be used to freeze a big spot solid, then whack it with a mallet to shatter it.
Then there's heat, in some situations you can warm it up and it will soften enough to scrape up. A heatgun for electrical work would do it quickly.
Use acetone for the final cleanup. I don't know if acetone eats fiberglass, so test it on the surface first.
That's about all I have.

HopCar said:

Ok guys, so what is the best way to remove sticky epoxy?

Click to expand...

Hammer and chisel, Parks. I can't believe you really had to ask!

The hammer and chisel will be used to clean the shop floor in a few years when we finish the boat.
Right now we're trying to get uncured epoxy off our selves and everything in the shop.

Depoxy (v.) (alt. depoxify, n. depoxification): to remove epoxy, syn. an impossible task often learned the hard way by amateur boat builders.

Acetone is your friend. For tools, take a container with a lid, put an appropriate plastic tub in the container that holds your tools and let them soak for a while (like overnight if you're done for the day) in acetone before trying to clean them. The lid is to reduce the evaporation rate of the acetone. You will know you're getting serious when you're buying it in 5 gallon cans. Hope those days are behind me.

Ted

Greetings,
1) Depoxy (v.) (alt. depoxify, n. depoxification): to remove epoxy, syn. an impossible task often learned the hard way by amateur boat builders.

2) Depoxy (n.) (alt. n. Black Death, n. the pox): Bubonic Plague.
eg: "Da squire's done for. He's got depoxy."

Peggie and RT, You guys are great! Thanks for the laugh.
Ted I'll give acetone a try. I was hoping to avoid it as I'm afraid of the fumes. If it works better than the bad booze I'm using now I'll have to use it.

Acetone in sealed pot. Soak tools in there. Got to have a snug lid or it will evaporate overnight and leave you nasty goo.

Don't let glue stay in contact with your skin, some people are sensitive to it and causes rash and probably other health badness. Use gloves.

In Carolina, it's called "glue flu".

Another new word for you guys.

Hop,
Why don't you build a wood boat?

Wow!
You've got more tools than a boat builder. Not impressed w your shop footwear though.

Depoxy is probably best done the old way ... mechanically. Really hard chisel and the approprate driver (hammer or heavy mallet). What a nice shop floor to protect.

A stripper is a little too adventureous of a build for me. I gravatate to the other end of boatbuilding. Plywood (w/o plastic) or flat bottoms and carvel planks. Do you consider your boat glued together or fastened together?

Ski, never heard the term "glue flu", very descriptive. I'm aware of the problem and Snapper is real good about wearing gloves, I'm not but I will be better.

Eric, we've built a couple of stitch and glue plywood boats and that is what I'm good at.

This strip planked boat involves a lot of actual wood shaping and Snapper is good at that.

This boat is really glued together. The strips are screwed to the transom and stem but not to each other. That's where all the epoxy should be, between the strips, not on everything else!

"Not impressed w your shop footwear though."
I haven't worn shoes in a couple of years! If I ever have to go where snow is, I'm screwed.

Gyorgy. Vizsla, Redbone or ???

Gyorgy. Vizsla, Redbone or ???


Rufus you really had me confused! You're talking about the dog!
I think he's a Vizsla. He is from somewhere in the middle of Europe.
I'll ask Snapper. It's a really sweet dog.

That was quick, I got a reply from Snapper.


"Vizsla...Gyorgy is getting a brother this weekend. Pickingup a new vizsla puppy on Saturday"

"Greetings,

1) Depoxy (v.) (alt. depoxify, n. depoxification): to remove epoxy, syn. an impossible task often learned the hard way by amateur boat builders.

2) Depoxy (n.) (alt. n. Black Death, n. the pox): Bubonic Plague.
eg: "Da squire's done for. He's got depoxy."

LOL! Speaking as a squire (esquire) who has had innumerable occasions to depoxy during my boating days.

I gotta tell you, acetone is the way to go, or sniff, or rub on you, whatever. Cleans out your sinuses and makes you think crooked.

Greetings,
Mr. HC. I figured Vizsla-pink nose (also known as Hungarian Vizsla) . We're a Redbone Coonhound family ourselves...



(File picture)

I've found vinegar is good if the epoxy is still soft/uncured. Otherwise, yes, acetone.

Rufus that is a handsome dog. Below is a photo of one one of my critters.

The Whisky Plank went in today.
It took Snapper about two hours of shaping the plank on a belt sander to get it to fit. It fit tight!

For those who don't build wooden boats, the whiskey plank is the last plank to be installed. It's traditional to stop and have a drink when it is installed.

I figure we're about 1/3 done.

Whiskey plank

Why not just make them all whiskey planks?? Surely every plank was laid as carefully as the last?

Roger, we actually want to finish this one. I think we've got five months into it at this point.
The other planks don't require much hand fitting. We're using a sort of tongue and groove planking.

That is a GREAT picture! Congrats!!

Thanks Al. We were really getting tired of planking. Glad that's done.
Fitting the whisky plank was an interesting process. My job was to hold things and hand Snapper tools.

We got the boat planked to the point that there was a gap less than two planks wide. Two planks were glued together to form one wide plank. The gap in the bottom was measured at one inch intervals with dividers. The measurement was transferred to the plank. The dots were then connected using a flexible batten and pencil. Snapper then used a hand plane and belt sander to work the edges down to the line. We used a mallet to drive the plank home.

It's like cutting a 20 ft long key in a piece of wood! What a task! What a craftsman!

I would have loved being there for the toast! Not any of that work that preceded the toast...just the toast.

Cheers!!

You would have been welcome Al.