Nobody who has worked with epoxy has ever, ever come out of the project with clean hands. Come on, admit it. Your hands were sticky when you were done.
In the past I've used a variety of solvents to clean off the mess. Most worked, but most were also harsh.
I had read in the past that vinegar (a 5% solution of acetic acid in water) was effective as an epoxy hand-cleaner. But I never believed it. Come on, a water-based solvent effective on an organic sticky mess? Ha!
Well, the joke's on me.
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(Of course, once the epoxy is fully cured, it is cross-linked. That is, the entire bulk of the epoxy is essentially a single molecule of unimaginable molecular weight. No solvent can dissolve it, tho some may infiltrate and swell it, weakening it.)
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3 comments:
They keep a gallon jug of vinegar in the sink here at the shop just for that purpose. Much better than acetone!!
Deb
SV Kintala
www.theretirementproject.blogspot.com
I started using vinegar a couple years ago because I had heard it would cut uncured epoxy. I was looking to save some wear and tear on my hands and skin. I found that it actually seemed that leave my hands softer and moister after washing them in vinegar. So much better than they felt after using acetone.
Yup, one of the main epoxy tricks. I hate vinegar on a salad, but it is always in the epoxy kit. If it is a long project, take a break every hour to wash your arms and wipe down the working area.
I read something scholarly that concluded that it could increase skin absorption and risk of becoming sensitized, so wear gloves and try to keep the epoxy off your hands.
A few more epoxy tips here: http://sail-delmarva.blogspot.com/2017/12/100-best-chapter-13.html
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