I pulled out some old foam from under the cockpit of a recently purchased used Eski. I plan on putting in new foam, but want to get rid of all the old adhesive first. Has anyone done this? Help, thanks.
Try "Goof Off"
I took one of those stickey seat pads off glass and it worked fine… GH
Good question…
…and I would like to know how you guys get those last pieces of foam out after pulling and scraping out what you can.
JackL
Removing Adheasive
I’ve done this several times and it’s always a pain in the butte but it does work. Saturate the area with Goo Gone or similar product and leave on until dry and do it again but this time start rubbing with a rag. I believe the key is to keep the old cement saturated. Lacquer thinner for the final cleanup.
Acetone for sure
Acetone is the most pure solvent you can use. There is about nothing it won’t cut through and break down. It is a cleaner than lacquer thinner, which leaves a residue. I clean “crap” of all sorts off fiberglass every day in the shop and only use acetone.
Follow-up question
Same situation in a canoe, removing old kneeling pads. This is on a kevlar layup. Any worries about solvents like goof-off or lacquer thinner damaging the hull?
Two potential problems with acetone
– Last Updated: Sep-03-04 3:12 PM EST –
1) Acetone will dissolve epoxy. I'm not sure how it affects polyester and vinylester resins, but I'd be careful with it.
2) Unless you can find "virgin" acetone, it may not be very pure. Most acetone on the market is recycled and it's often contaminated with oils. The folks at MAS epoxy cautioned against using it for thinning, as their customers have reported a lot of problems. When used as a cleaner, you may need to follow up with another solvent to remove any residue.
I do keep acetone around the shop, but I don't use it for removing glue on boats.
No problem with glass or Kevlar
However, I wouldn’t use it on Royalex.
Thanks. I wasn’t certain.
Appreciate the reply.
Goof Off Solution
Thanks everyone, Goof Off worked great although it took a little work. I’m ready to put in my new foam and make this boat my own.