Thread: Epoxy Tips - Re-Use and Clean Up

I will not claime to be a volume user of epoxy.....it's not like I buy it by the "44"..... but I have used a few liters.

If the epoxy is not cured, brushes washout in standard GP thinners among other things.....the epoxy must be uncured and you are best washing and immediately shaking out the brush the washing again in clean thinners.

Leave a brush in epoxy laden thinners and it will go off and be useless.

I only use cheap disposable brushes that depending on size are $1-2 each and that is onsies and twosies.....buy in quantity from the right place and they are more like 50c to $1......these have stiff hair bristle and a plain unpainted timber handle......if ya want to pay heaps for the same brush go to a kitchen shop and buy a pastery brush.

rollers
serioulsy..don't waste your time even thinking about reusing them....I use the thin foam rollers and if you have a largish area, they will be buggered before you finish....the epoxy will attack the adhseive holding the foam to the roller and it will start to come away.
These rollers are cheap as chips..the smallest one can be had for arround $1 $1.50 each at any good hardware shop..but in quantity at the right place less.

One big tip...is to use the smallest roller that will get the job done.....this means you throw less epoxy away with the roller and you use the cheapest roller .

Rubber gloves....serioulsy, one of the best things you can be doing when working with epoxy is wear good quality disposable rubber gloves.
I find "Blue High Risk" medical gloves are the best option....my local respray supplier sells em by the box for arround $20.
They fit snug if you buy the right size, they have some thickness to em, but ya still have some feel.....they will hold thinners and other solvents out for a short period, where standard latex gloves will fail within seconds of contact with thinners.

Taking the golves off the right way saves a heap of mess & discomfort.......with the cleanest hand..pinch the glove on the opposite hand just blow the cuff and pull that glove off and let it turn inside out..as it comes free, grab it in the palm of the still gloved hand.
Now grab the cuff of the other hand and pull the glove away allowing it to turn inside out and trapping the other glove inside.

you now have two gloves dirty side in and in a clean single ball to throw in the bin...and clean hands

If I am using the rollers, the last thing I do is pull the roller sleve off with one hand and throw it in the bin..then take my gloves off.

Your bin
If you are playing with epoxy you have to put a liner in your bin, otherwise you will have to chip rather than tip the rubbish out of it

as for mixing containers and roller trays.

There are several plastic graduated mixing containers that can be had....boatcraft pacific sell several as do most resin suppliers and refinish suppliers.
I find that if you have firtsly mixxed your epoxy properly scraping the sides as recomended and you don't scrape every last bit of epoxy out.....once cured the epoxy will come away well from the sides..you mught have to roll the cup or lever the bit out the bottom with a screwdriver...... but it mostly comes out well.....if not this time next.

I mix mostly in 30mL or 60mL measuring cups and I use arround 8 in rotation.
I use one scrape it out then turn it upside down on some paper
next day the cured epoxy generaly comes out pretty clean...if i leave enough behind and with a bit of luck in 1 piece.

There are cheap disposable roller trays that can be had......I find that if the epoxy is left to set it comes away just fine......but there is no real need to clean your roller tray every time.....if you are getting your quantities right and always have some extra parts or wood arround to rolle the last out of the roller onto. there will be very little left in the tray..and letting it cure in the tray is no problem to the next batch..when it gets a bit uggy....find and edge and it should all come away as a sheet.


As far as hand cleaner........vinegar works as does lemon juce...but 'Citri-scrub" is the go....it is a hand cleaner bassed on citrus oil with some ground pummace for abrasion......it shifts uncured epoxy well.....best to wash your hands once rince the wash again.....I've used several hand cleaners in the past and the citri-scrub is one of the best I have tried.

As far as getting epoxy out of clothes.....if you can get the clothes off and get at it before the epoxy goes off.......thinners scrub and rinse with thinnners then wash is ya best chance......... soaking the cloth in vinegar scrubbing then washing sevearl minutes later will get most of the epoxy out but it will very likley leave stains....if ya want any hope of getting epoxy out of cloth....the time is NOW

The single most important mesaage when working with eopxy is to work tidy........if you work sloppy......you will have a lot of very hard mess to clean up.

cheers

I use "soft"plastic kitchen measuring jugs.I let the pox set then just flex the sides and it all falls out
brushes? i use once then throw

Originally Posted by HELLICONIA54

brushes? i use once then throw

I agree. You will spend more on acetone or thinners trying to clean them than the brushes are worth and then you have to responsibly dispose of used thinners anyway.

Better all round to use the cheapest brush you can find, then just throw it.

Cheers, Cameron.