howdy. i’m trying to get old silicone out of the seam where a fiberglass bulkhead meets the glass of the hull. i’ve been able to pull off sections, and rub away other bits, especially where the fiberglass was slippery smooth, but getting it all off is proving a challenge. i want to remove as much as possible, so i can glass this seam for a more close to permanent structural seal.
any ideas, chemical or otherwise?
Be careful, but try a heat gun… maybe?
Think I remember using one on some nasty silicone used to seal a bathtub. I’d think once it warms up it’d roll or peal off.
Utility blade to cut then hold
perpendicular and use as a scraper … this will really work fast AND prep your surface for glass too. If you want to kill yourself a little bit, acetone on a towel ( not paper or a t-shirt, a towel ) works pretty good for the last little bits you gotta rub really hard + then you have to sand again you now smeared everything around.
Also, if this is a plastic or non-epoxy boat, acetone not really too good to be rubbing hard with. Read Do Not use.
Interlux Fiberglass Solvent Wash 202
Will remove all traces of the silicon, including the residue so that new goo will stick.
Very nasty stuff.
Work outside.
Wear a respirator.
Wear heavy neoprene rubber gloves. Not latex or plastic, it will dissolve them instantly.
Thanks, may need to know that
someday.
It’s probably not silicone…
…and it shouldn’t be, as silicone bonds poorly and leaves a residue the prevents bonding. No reputable kayak manufacturer would use it. More likely, the material is Lexel, which is a much better product for the purpose.
think it was
found on the bulkhead seams on the non glassed side on Impex. was quite difficult to come off, used something called de-sol-vit, also called contractors solvent. lots of elbow grease and patience. then soap and water, then dry, then acetone. then epoxy and f/glass mat strips, heavy saturation along the seam. looks good and sturdy, hope and expect it is completely sealed for good…