Any way to remove epoxy?

AJ168

Petty Officer 1st Class
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May 30, 2005
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My aluminum boat leaks pretty steadily but I can't even get to the hull because it's totally covered in a thick coating of epoxy. Guy before me was a genius. I tried chipping it off, worked for an hour and a half and only did a small area. Is there some better way of doing it? Burning it off maybe?
 

fishingdan

Lieutenant Junior Grade
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Feb 12, 2005
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Re: Any way to remove epoxy?

Use a 4 1/2" grinder with a course sanding disk or one of those flapper sanding disks. Just be careful that you don't go through the aluminum.
 

epresutti

Chief Petty Officer
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Aug 14, 2001
Messages
465
Re: Any way to remove epoxy?

AJ168,<br /><br />Like fishingdan said, grinder. You can also use a heat gun and scrape it off.<br /><br />Grinder is probably the fastest.<br /><br />Peace.<br /><br />Ed.
 

Pogo123

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Jun 7, 2005
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Re: Any way to remove epoxy?

A paint stripper with a high concentrate of Methyl Chloride will dissolve most epoxies ... slow, but it gets it done in most cases.<br /><br />Also, high temperature will melt epoxy. It has to be heated higher than the temperature at which it was cured, but 150 to 175F should melt most cured epoxy. It can then be wiped away ... carefully!
 

AJ168

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May 30, 2005
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Re: Any way to remove epoxy?

So pretty much you're saying that I can use a heat gun and then scrape it off with a putty knife? Will it get too tacky to do this? I really need to clean all of it off because the next step is taking the boat to somebody that can weld aluminum.
 

surlyjoe

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Nov 21, 2005
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Re: Any way to remove epoxy?

to get the last bit off after scraping it a bead blaster works best, sand works, but will dig through after awhile if you let it. at the boat yards we had a sand feeder for the pressure washer that would strip the rino liner out of a truckbed in one pass :eek:
 

Pogo123

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Re: Any way to remove epoxy?

I'm not sure you can raise the temperature high enough with a heat gun, mainly because if you're talking about the whole hull ...that's a big heat sink to dissipate the heat almost as fast as you apply it. <br /><br />If you get epoxy hot enough, it gets thin enough to run, but, as I say, that's in the 150 to 175 degree range and I've seen it take 210F. Then you can wipe it off. Getting any part of that hull to that temperature is going to be very tough, if not impossible. <br /><br />You can work a small area at a time, say a six inch square, but you're going to then be at it for quite a while.<br /><br />Working with aluminum that thin brings another whole set of problems in grinding and rewelding.<br /><br />I'd recommend looking for a paint stripper with the highest concentrate of Methyl Chloride you can find. It'll probably take more than one applcation, but for less than $10 you can try a small area to see if that's going to work for you.<br /><br />Coating the entire hull in epoxy really makes me shake my head. In principle, not a bad idea, but it's pretty much a one time thing. Any future problems, such as you have now, make it many times more difficult to repair.<br /><br />I wish I could give you a simple answer, but I just don't have one.
 

epresutti

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Re: Any way to remove epoxy?

AJ168,<br /><br />Can you post a picture of the problem and the leak. What comes to mind is: can this be welded ground and painted from the outside? Faster and cheaper than going through the trouble of removinig all of the epoxy. Is it just a seam?<br /><br />Peace.<br /><br />Ed.
 

AJ168

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May 30, 2005
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295
Re: Any way to remove epoxy?

It seems that most of the hull is leaking, there are several spots but I can't see them, the water just comes out of where the holes in the epoxy are. <br />Coating the hull in epoxy is one of the stupidest things I've ever seen done. Even stupider was me buying it but it's such a great fishing boat, totally set up for serious fishing that I just couldn't pass it up, plus the price was right. Of course though the guy ripped apart the livewell which I'd also like to replace if possible. I'll try to get a picture on here as soon as i can, but it's too dark outside by the time I get home from school that the picture wouldn't come out.
 

Pogo123

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Re: Any way to remove epoxy?

From what you've said, I conclude the epoxy coats the outside of the hull ... correct? or, at least it's either outer or inner, not both.<br /><br />You can locate the majority of the leaks by filling it up with a few inches of water while it's out or on a trailer. Look for where the water leaks out. <br /><br />If it's coated inside, you can (maybe) have those spots repaired (welded) or faulty rivets replaced or reseated from the outside.<br /><br />If it's coated outside, (or inside, for that matter) you can repair the holes in the epoxy that you speak of, but it will eventually leak again. That might take a few years, though.<br /><br />What you may have, however, is Gluv-It, (an encapsulating product) rather than epoxy. I would imagine epoxy coating an entire hull of even modest size would be a very expensive proposition. Gluv-It, while not cheap, is far less expensive than epoxy.<br /><br />You could, in either case, recoat the entire hull again, over the old coating. It's compounding a judgement error, I know, but with the situation you're presently in, it may be worth considering. <br /><br />Not to intentionally add to your woes, I'd also be concerned about the strong potential of corrosion build up between the coating and the aluminum. <br /><br />Truly wish I could be more helpful to you.
 

tommays

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Jul 4, 2004
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Re: Any way to remove epoxy?

you cant weld it with epxoy anywere near the weld area it will be drawn in to the weld and FUBAR it.<br /><br />i would speek to a welder who is and Aluminum Specialist as the material may be to thin or the welds may be so LONG that they will distort the hull to much.<br /><br />also if they used anything to seal the material when it was orginaly riveted this will also cause a problem with welding<br /><br />tommays
 

AJ168

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Re: Any way to remove epoxy?

The outside of the hull is what's coated, and it does appear to be epoxy. When I fill it with water, it leaks from several spots. The boat is actaully an 18 foot center console, so I can't just flip it over and work on it. I've been split between getting all the epoxy off the hull or just gutting the whole boat. I'm afraid though that even once I gut it, I still won't have the access that I need to be able to repair it. And yes, there is a great deal of corrosion on the other side of that epoxy. <br />Should I just give up on this boat and try to sell it? My buddy is selling a 17 ft fish and ski that I'm looking at.
 

Pogo123

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Re: Any way to remove epoxy?

What I've implied and what Tommays says is correct ... you must remove the coating (whatever it is) before any welding. He's right, too, in that you should get a pro welder to evaluate the hull.<br /><br />Once cured, Gluv-It looks ans feels like epoxy. I'm still not convinced that's not what you have, but it's of no concern. Gluv-It would have to be removed also.<br /><br />I hate to give up on a repair problem and have rarely had to, but ... in this case? ... I'd personally look for another hull. Even if you get this one fixed, you'd have a lot of money and time wrapped up. <br /><br />If I wanted to just make it last another season or two, I'd fill in any obvious holes, recoat it over the old with something like Gluv-It and figure to junk it or sell it and buy another down the road.<br /><br />Good luck ... I wish you well ...
 

tootoot

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Sep 11, 2005
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Re: Any way to remove epoxy?

paint the outside of the boat with a flexable coating. Dont bother removing the epoxy. Put water in the boat and patch the area outside then coat with a flex paint like a rubberbased pool paint. they make it for boats too. thats the easiest and cheapest way. pull up rubberbased paints on the net. the other way the guys are talking about will work too. depends on how much time and money you think the boats worth and what kind of look you want.
 

AJ168

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May 30, 2005
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295
Re: Any way to remove epoxy?

Well today I pulled out the puddy knife and the propane torch. Came right off. I worked for maybe 2 hours and got half of the hull done. Thanks all for helping me out.
 

bowlin257

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Jan 25, 2006
Messages
42
Re: Any way to remove epoxy?

If it's a rivited aluminum hull and has seen rough water it's going to leak. Just went thru this on a canoe. Coated the seams with Gluv-it and it sealed up perfect. Can be painted over, it fact needs to be painted as it don't like UV.
 
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