Get epoxy off your fingers

[jcpatrick]

It always seems no matter how careful I am, whenever there's a batch of epoxy some of it gets on me. Instead of using harsh alcohol quickly followed by soap and water, there’s a better way to get the glue off.

Regular hand sanitizer is designed to protect your skin but has about 60% alcohol in it already. Just pour it on and rub as usual, but to remove epoxy you should wipe it off with a paper towel instead of just letting it dry.


And no, it doesn’t work on glue that’s already set!

[MTXMUGEN]

vinegar also works but it smells bad. thanks for the tip :)

[Conehead]

Well I will be darned!! Who would have thought of that. Thanks for the tip. I think there is a bottle of that stuff just about everywhere except my workshop. Off to the store.

Thanks a bunch.
Conehead
Orrin Eldred
Honor, MI.

[EDF30]

Airbrush thinner on a small rag with soap and a tad of water has been working well for me. Small rag, since the stuff's expensive. :D

The alcohol in the Purell is what does the trick. Rubbing alcohol on a rag with a bit of water and soap works too.

....or you can just leave all the mess on your hands and be a real modeler. :D

Bill

[joe manor]

Windex!!! Works great, smells great, (berry) and cleans up the plane at the same time. Streak free!

[FresnoJay]

Someone has seen My Big Fat Greek Wedding. lol. Thats a good tip on the purell. I have kids and that stuff is in every room in every size possible. Nice to know the stuff works well fro that. I have also found that baby wipes work well for whiping excess epoxy off of foam.

Jason

[Ira NZ]

Wipe the epoxy off? Why would you want to do that?

Oh, wait...You mean I'm the only person that's ever been tempted to smear epoxy all over themselves and have epoxy armor plating?:p

[Andy W]

Dang. Brilliant!
..a

[Technex]

Guys, what would be the best way to remove epoxy that has set say in a kitchen sink :). :o

I have some of this hand stuff, shall I give it a go?

[Ira NZ]

Guys, what would be the best way to remove epoxy that has set say in a kitchen sink :). :o

I have some of this hand stuff, shall I give it a go?


It's set? Hehe, I hope not in the drain...I think your best bet is going to be a hammer and chisel.

[rotccapt]

also hand lotion works well too.

[Technex]

It's set? Hehe, I hope not in the drain...I think your best bet is going to be a hammer and chisel.


Hehe, I was washing a paintbrush that I was using to apply 2ton epoxy to a blade grip...


I didn't realise until later, I've tried using almost every cleaner on it.


Is there anything other than that solution? Man tough stuff :/. Something that won't damage the plastic under it. I was thinking perhaps push real hard on the plastic, but I doubt my dad would like that idea :/.

[max jones]

I've been using W d-40 for years to get epoxy off of my fingers. Al

[rkhoo]

Alcohol dilutes Epoxy. And Alcohol penterate well to our skin.

Wouldn't it will make Epoxy too easy for your skin to absorb -- if you are not quick enough to wipe them all off?

Ronald

[catman529]

Germ-X smells better than Purell. If vinegar works, try lemon juice, which is more acidic than vinegar and smells better. I don't work with epoxy so I haven't got it on my hands. Does this work on CA?

[catman529]

I've been using W d-40 for years to get epoxy off of my fingers. Al
Isn't it petroleum based? I wouldn't want it all over my hands.

[Technex]

Germ-X smells better than Purell. If vinegar works, try lemon juice, which is more acidic than vinegar and smells better. I don't work with epoxy so I haven't got it on my hands. Does this work on CA?

I know nail paint remover is a great for getting rid of CA on skin!

I completely glued my finger when CA dropped onto my kicker soaked finger, ouch the pain, it was real hot when the reaction happened, finger was solid. Was pretty worried but I soaked it in my sisters nail polish remover and it's great stuff got it all off!

I found the info on here while I had the glued finger! :eek:

[EDF30]

Believe it or not, good ol'd 60 grit sandpaper :D will get both CA and epoxy off your fingers, and is really less harsh to your skin on the fingerprint side than you would think. I have a water resistant piece that I leave by the basement sink, and just use with dish soap and water, making it a bit less rough.

Bill

[cjbucher]

For me - I need rubber gloves. For whatever reason, even the smallest amount of epoxy on my skin causes me to break out in blisters. Usually all over my hands - even though I cleaned up with alchohol, soap, and water. :eek:

The weird part is the reaction takes a couple days to happen. For years, I didn't make the correlation. I'd make an epoxy repair on my plane and a few days later I'd get these blisters on my fingers. Huh? I kept thinking it was something I was allergic to at the field because usually I'd go flying after the repair was made.

These days, hot glue is my friend. Easy repairs and no cleanup issues. Of course you need to be quick on putting things together - no room for errors... Only use epoxy where I absolutely have to...

[hoppy]

From a Manufacturer-
http://www.glen-l.com/supplies/pxman-cleanup.html

"...Just about all solvents are dangerous products from one or more respects, and costly. Skin contact should be avoided, especially when working around epoxy products. Most of these products tend to open the skin pores and remove protective skin oils, driving both the solvents and the resin more deeply into the skin and perhaps ultimately into the system of the user. The results are a much greater risk of skin reactions of greater severity.

For personal clean-up of uncured resin from skin, ordinary water and soaps or detergents (including ammonia), or denatured alcohol can be used. However, we prefer the use of waterless hand cleaner products which are specifically intended for use with resin products. These usually have added protective oils that keep the resin from being absorbed by the skin and don't tend to dry the skin. Of course, personal clean-up is much easier if barrier cream has been applied-and protective clothing and gloves worn...."

[Zor]

I am trying to understand how some of you get glue, CA, epoxy or whatver on your hands.

I have been using glue for many many years and do not have that problem.

If you ever have to hold a piece with your finger and there is a risk of ptting your fingers where there is glue, in order to hold the pieces put a layer of wax paper under your fingers.

Zor

[Technex]

I was filling a gap with CA and while I was holding it a drop dropped onto my finger which was under it. Wouldn't have been so bad if my finger wasn't soaked in kicker from the leaky spray lid.

[btsai]

....or you can just leave all the mess on your hands and be a real modeler. :D

Bill



Exactly! ;)

[EDF30]

Exactly! ;)
Thank You :D
I made that statement, because I used to do automotive work, both mechanical and autobody for years. The hobby glues and paints aren't nearly as bad on your hands as grease, bondo, and paint solvents. :eek:
Leave CA or epoxy on your hands, and its usually gone in a day or so without doing anything. It used to take a month for my hands to repair, doing the auto work.

Bill

[P-38J-Lightning]

Battery Acid Works!

:p

Joel :D

[Dr Kiwi]

Guys, what would be the best way to remove epoxy that has set say in a kitchen sink :). :o

I have some of this hand stuff, shall I give it a go?

Most epoxies soften with heat... worth a try with a small flame thrower!

[bildo baggins]

How timely. I just finished unpacking from SEFF and found that my epoxy had gotten hot in the trailer and splooged out all over the other items in the ziplock bag. I looke dup and my WD-40 was sitting there so I sprayed it on the bottles and the goo came right off. Doesn't smell as good as Purell but it got the job done.

[Haden]

I use denatured alcohol. I use Gorilla glue in my builds and when I get it on my hands soap and water just don't get the "stickey" -ness off. I found that denatured alcohol works like a charm. Stops the sticky feeling on contact. Of course it just sets the glue and its still on your hands but a least nothing sticks to them.

[Technex]

Most epoxies soften with heat... worth a try with a small flame thrower!

What on a plastic side sink? :O :rolleyes:

[Wingtips24]

Now has anyone figured out how to get it out of your clothes when you drip it on yourself.......uh not that that has ever happened to me but you know for those other guys who might accidentally do that..lol!

Tips

[ziomatrixacs]

You know those rocks that you get from bath and toiletry thingys? they look like bars of soap but they are porous rocks like a giant super rought grinding stone. They are ment to remove dead skin and callus's.. I dont know what its called, I found it in the bath room one day and tried it. It works very well for getting CA plus it makes my hands look like I got a manicure! what could be better?! Now if only I could do this with my toes..

[Ira NZ]

You know those rocks that you get from bath and toiletry thingys? they look like bars of soap but they are porous rocks like a giant super rought grinding stone. They are ment to remove dead skin and callus's.. I dont know what its called, I found it in the bath room one day and tried it. It works very well for getting CA plus it makes my hands look like I got a manicure! what could be better?! Now if only I could do this with my toes..

Pumice.

[bildo baggins]

Now has anyone figured out how to get it out of your clothes when you drip it on yourself.......uh not that that has ever happened to me but you know for those other guys who might accidentally do that..lol!

Tips

CA'd my sweats to my leg one night. That got a few laughs from the wife. :)

[Ira NZ]

I nearly CA'd my lips shut once prying the lid off one of those little foil containers.

Probably would have done me some good, I could stand to lose some weight.

[EDF30]

How timely. I just finished unpacking from SEFF and found that my epoxy had gotten hot in the trailer and splooged out all over the other items in the ziplock bag. I looke dup and my WD-40 was sitting there so I sprayed it on the bottles and the goo came right off. Doesn't smell as good as Purell but it got the job done.
That's a mess. I had a tube leak in one of the small upper drawers of my tool chest about 15 years ago. Like a giant silicone mold, only still gooey, full of tools. Never cleaned it yet. :D

Bill

[Pinecone]

Using a solvent is not a great idea. It will help the epoxy pentrate the skin, leading to possible epoxy allergies.

I use Stockhausen Cupran hand cleaner. You can get find it online or through various safety suppliers in most major cities.

It is also great from removing paint from your hands. Again, using solvents allow the solvents to penstrate the skin, carrying some of the paint with them.

[Zor]

Pumice.

Porous stones from volcanic origin.
Same composition as rhyolite.

[tomahawkflier]

For cured epoxy you'll need to grind, cut, sand it off as once it's exotheremed it's there for keeps.

Epoxy was designed to be impervious to chemicals once cured.

[Pinecone]

Actually for cured, wait a day and peel it off. The skin exudes oil which will loosen the bond.

[LouieB]

Pinecone suggested Cupran as a good remover. I found it at my local Sherwin - Williams paint store and ordered it.

It was $22 for a 2000 ml container. It has a consistancy of Grey Poupon spicy mustard and has a bit of what is probably pumice in it. It also has a rather pleasant aroma to it. This container will probably last me 1 to 2 years.

Thus far it has done an excellent job of removing paint, dried CA, gooey epoxy and gooey epoxy mixed with micro-balloons from my hands and arms.

Thanks Pinecone for suggesting the Cupran.

[Pinecone]

Any time, it is part of what I do for a living.

I fid it works best with a small dab, work it some, then add a touch of water. Paint and others things come right off.

Of course, one should REALLY be wearing gloves, especially around epoxy. Over exposure to epoxy can lead to allegies and the inability to EVER work around epoxy again. So bad, you can't even live with the minor vapors it gives off. For gloves, vinyl gloves are very cheap, but nitrile are better. Don't use latex.

[BMatthews]

Alcohol dilutes Epoxy. And Alcohol penterate well to our skin.

Wouldn't it will make Epoxy too easy for your skin to absorb -- if you are not quick enough to wipe them all off?

Ronald

Right on all counts. The best way to get epoxy off your skin is to avoid the contact in the first place. This is why I keep a box of disposable gloves for bigger epoxy or polyester resin work and for a lot of other varnish projects.

Epoxy resins are harsh on our systems. I've seen two friends that would get extreme eczema like reactions to contact with epoxies. One had it naturally and the other developed it from exposure over the years to epoxy back before he knew what it would do to him.

The only time I don't use the gloves is for small coin size batches of 5 minute. If there's a small medicine cup worth of the stuff the gloves go on first.

[MTXMUGEN]

...Of course, one should REALLY be wearing gloves, especially around epoxy. Over exposure to epoxy can lead to allegies and the inability to EVER work around epoxy again. So bad, you can't even live with the minor vapors it gives off. For gloves, vinyl gloves are very cheap, but nitrile are better. Don't use latex.

this is what makes vinegar good. it turns it into a chunky, almost slime like consistancy that i doubt could make it into the skin. i could be wrong though.

[Pinecone]

ANY time you make it softer/more liquid, you run the risk of skin absorbsion.

1) Use gloves or barrier creams.

2) Use a hand cleaner specifically formulated to remove resins.

[Ron Williams]

I know of three people whose lives were shortened by exposure to epoxy. One was quite young and the others had long lives but with very uncomfortable ends. The young one was a floor refinisher who used it in large quantities but was very careful using it. The two older ones were modelers, one a free flight builder and the other used epoxy and polyester resins on his boats as well as in modeling.

The memory of them makes me very paranoid around epoxy and extremely careful. Wear gloves. Don't get messy with it. Have great, not just good ventilation when using it.

[BMatthews]

Ron raises a good point. The fumes from epoxy are not that smelly so we tend to dismiss them but they are damaging.

[Technex]

That is a good point indeed, you can't really smell epoxy at all, I tend to use it inside... Perhaps I should start to use it outside now. CA really upsets my eyes so I keep miles away from that when I'm using it! Epoxy does nothing but the damage is long time!

[ziomatrixacs]

CA is probably just as bad. I wont lie, I dont use it in the best ventalated area..but I dont use it often. Maybe about 5 hours out of a year but probably much less. When your eyes start feeling crispy, then its time to stop!

[Ira NZ]

That is a good point indeed, you can't really smell epoxy at all, I tend to use it inside... Perhaps I should start to use it outside now. CA really upsets my eyes so I keep miles away from that when I'm using it! Epoxy does nothing but the damage is long time!

I can smell my epoxy pretty easily. It reminds me of tuna.

[MTXMUGEN]

In conversation with a person in a biology major, epoxy came up. She told me that the pure form of the chemical (or was it chemicals?) in the flake variety, if inhaled, would actually put holes in your lungs and eventually cause a person to bleed to death/drown witch ever came first.

pretty serious stuff

[Ira NZ]

There are hundreds (Or more likely thousands) of chemicals that we run into every day that would quite easily kill us if we were exposed to them in their pure form.

[Pinecone]

True.

But the big problem with epoxy resins are becomign sensitized to them. In that case, being around epoxy, without even touching it, can lead to shortness of breath, rash, hives, and various other reactions. In severe cases, it can lead to death.

But the worst part is, you will be unable to work with epoxies on your models.

The person you want to talk to is an Industrial Hygienist. These are the people that deal with cronic exposures to various hazards, including chemicals, dusts, fumes, mists, vapors, radiation, noise, ergnomic hazards, etc.

I just happen to be one. :)

[tomahawkflier]

I can smell my epoxy pretty easily. It reminds me of tuna.

That's Polyester resin, Not epoxy.

[groundfx]

Epoxy? We don't need no stink'n epoxy!

Titebond I, II, III or Weldbond are usually more than enough and they all clean up with just water.

[Pinecone]

Hard to do carbon fiber or fiberglass with TiteBond. :)

[Ira NZ]

That's Polyester resin, Not epoxy.

Interesting, seeing as the bottle clearly says, "Contains epoxy resin." Maybe you should contact Pacer Technology and notify them that their Z-poxy bottles are incorrectly labeled?

[FlyingWingNut]

Funny, I always thought epoxy smells like peanut butter.

[tomahawkflier]

Interesting, seeing as the bottle clearly says, "Contains epoxy resin." Maybe you should contact Pacer Technology and notify them that their Z-poxy bottles are incorrectly labeled?

Polyester resin smells fishy, Always. Even after years of being cured and in use if you sand a little of the dried epoxy and have a sniff you can tell if its polyester resin, It still stinks.

[vintage1]

Polyester resin smells fishy, Always. Even after years of being cured and in use if you sand a little of the dried epoxy and have a sniff you can tell if its polyester resin, It still stinks.

I would have said that epoxy smells more fishy, polyester..smells like polyester!

[Pinecone]

Actually polyester smells like styrene. Styrene is both a solvent and reactant in polyester resins.

I agree, epoxy smells more fishy, polyester smells more solventy.

[Ira NZ]

I may have to check when I get home from work, but I don't think any of my fish smell like epoxy. :p

[groundfx]

Hard to do carbon fiber or fiberglass with TiteBond. :)
Yes, right now that's true, that's why I like wood. :)

I've read that some people have used water-based polyurethane floor varnish for fiberglassing. I haven't tried that yet. I wish one could buy WPU floor varnish in smaller containers.

FYI, hobby epoxy usually contains Bisphenol A (Google it) which is oestrogenic (I.e. mimics female hormone) and many claim it messes up growing children... not good. Best to avoid (especially around children) as a precaution IMHO.

[tomahawkflier]

[QUOTE=groundfx]Yes, right now that's true, that's why I like wood. :)

I've read that some people have used water-based polyurethane floor varnish for fiberglassing. I haven't tried that yet. I wish one could buy WPU floor varnish in smaller containers.

[\QUOTE]

In New Zealand we can buy Cabbots WBPU in 300 ml (Half a pint) tins.

[Pinecone]

Yes, right now that's true, that's why I like wood. :)

I've read that some people have used water-based polyurethane floor varnish for fiberglassing. I haven't tried that yet. I wish one could buy WPU floor varnish in smaller containers.

FYI, hobby epoxy usually contains Bisphenol A (Google it) which is oestrogenic (I.e. mimics female hormone) and many claim it messes up growing children... not good. Best to avoid (especially around children) as a precaution IMHO.

WBPU works well for lightweight fiberglass on foam. Not so great on thin balsa as the water causes warps.

Check around, I can get Minwax in small cans.

The Control Line guys are using carbon fiber veil and applying it with dope.

Not none of these work really well for molding composite only pieces, only for material on a solid substrate.

[aeronca52]

Just a simple FYI(and I'm not trying to hijack this thread), but the hand cleaner thingy with 60% alcohol is also used by Scouts as a fire starter on small twigs and such. Or so I was lead to believe by the father of a Scout. Although I don't think it is explosive, be careful if you're smoking while using it.

[groundfx]

tomahawkflier and Pinecone,

I have checked around but I cannot find WBPU floor varnish in small containers. (Only 1 gallon containers.) Supposedly, the floor formulation is a better formulation (I guess it has too be tougher to resist wear.) Then again, maybe what I've been told is just a ploy to sell me a larger container.

[Pinecone]

I don't use floor WBPU, just normal Minwax gloss or satin WBPU.