In the dark ages, a credit car/drivers license followed by regular (leaded) gasoline did the trick. (When 15-16, you are still dumb enough to believe you are immortal.)
But the usual petroleum distillates are not going to cut it when glassing over an old deck with epoxy.
Any Sways pearls for removing wax that will not affect epoxy bonding afterwards?
Hot water or hot gun with some old rags…and a light sand of course.
Honestly I would scrape as much off as possible. One of those plastic drywall knives like you get at Walmart and a little heat from a heat gun. If it is soft or melted a lot of it will wipe off with a clean cotton rag. I think you could use odorless mineral spirits to get the rest of it, but then you would need to scrub throughly with a 3M “Scrubbie” and Blue Dawn. The next step would then be to wipe down throughly with DNA. Yes there is a little risk in using the mineral spirits. I think though that if you wipe all the mineral spirit residue off with a clean cotton rag, let it evaporate for a few hours and then do the Blue Dawn and DNA you’ll be fine. I have never had the kind Epoxy contamination issues others on this site have had. I find Epoxy very simple to use.
i do same as Mc Ding, i use something called essence F in France (solvent F or F spirit or light spirt from traduced) after hot scraping. It’s a solvent mix make to clean plastics, not as grease as white spirit more volatil some use it in zippo. Let evaporate, scrub with water and scotch brit, then sand as needed.
Thanks for the input gentlemen.
Laquer thinner with polsihing pad. Takes wax right off. Wipe down with clean cloth to remove any residue.
Man! I have always had a lot of faith in Brian and Greenlight; but I have got to say that is some of the worst and most toxic advice I have EVER heard anyone give on this website. Stone burner thankfully too smart to take it. Man!
Meanwhile you are off glassing poly boards in a Garage…
a wetted scrubber with lacquer thinner?.. Ohh the insanity!!! The environmental horror!!!
John Mellor suggested Coleman fuel. Sounds like Lemat said the product he uses is similar to Zippo lighter fluid. Coleman and Zippo are very similar in composition. I bought mineral spirits last year to clean up adhesive after a mediocre vinyl flooring installation I got.
As you get older, life is all about risk management. The MSDS for Zippo and Coleman are the least alarming with mineral spirits a close third — lacquer thinner being most alarming. I bought 12 oz of Zippo on Amazon for $7.50.
When the weather improves and I can comfortably strip wax outside, I will try the Zippo and Spirits. If I did not have to buy a gallon of Coleman, I would test it too.
I like to use Windex as a de-greaser.
Will report the results.
I use an old credit card or similar for removal. Old AAA membership cards and a warmed surfboard scrape off 98% quickly, then out comes the sawdust hand rubbed over the remnants.
Goo Gone adhesive remover or another citrus based cleaner is faster than the sawdust, which I might not have on hand, but the residue left behind requires either 91% rubbing alcohol and some clean paper towels to remove the oily film left over. If No IPA, then DNA, before sanding the cleaned epoxy. The citrus based cleaner on a clean paper towell and what appears to be a wax free surface, still comes off greyish brown, so I usually go a bit beyond what appears to my eye to be wax free.
I pretty much always have a 50/50 mix of distilled white vinegar and 91% rubbing alcohol handy. I use it in middle and exterior ear canal pre surf, as well as on my ear plugs, and post surf sucked Pushed wiggled deep past the exostoses, and as a general sanitizer as well. It works better than either DWV or IPA alone, especially when cleaning epoxy laminating tools.
Ahhh yes, the magic ear elixer. The diamond, in among the gold. Newbie’s, pay attention, this will save you a ton of grief.
Yes sir and Epoxy as well. With a very good Charcoal Respirator and gloves. No open containers of Acetone etc. So I take it you approve of using Lacquer Thinner to remove wax. No mention of respirator or gloves?? Lacquer thinner goes thru skin and gets into the blood stream faster than even Acetone. In a room full of lacquer fumes a Charcoal Repirator will saturate in about 1 1/2 —- 2 hrs. I as a cabinet finisher in my younger days have had lacquer poisoning twice, but avoided the hospital. Symptoms include euphoria(you are high) stomach illness, vomiting. And the shits. You go to bed and wait for your lungs and body to recover. Before you insert your foot in your mouth, know something of what you speak. PS. Your bros over in the Oceano Barrio huff lacquer thinner on rags.
I’m sorry to jump in with this but my basic anatomy stuff gets in the way… ‘external’ canal is from ear drum to the outer ear. ‘Middle’ would be inside the ear drum and assuming the ear drum is intact, inaccessable to the solution described. That said, it’s astonishing what sort of crud can be found in the external canal… https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dchgw8XjzjM
Thank you John - That was sweet!!!
Dr. Pimple Popper needs a spin off, Dr. Ear Harvester…
easiest way in my book is to grab a handful of foam dust from the shop vac and scrub the wax off. easy.
then sand…no chems
I’m not saying it’s a good idea but I’ve been known to use WD40 on wax. Works great. Then again, I’m usually trying to get black, years old wax off of vintage dinged up boards.
I like the alcohol/vinegar idea. Might have to move to that instead.
The vinegar alcohol mix is not going to dissolve wax and allow its easy removal. I use it after mechanical removal, and then using a citrus based adhesive remover. the vinegar/IPA mix is used afterwards to remove the oily film left by the citrus based cleaner.
I do use the IPA/vinegar mix as ear drops, ear plug and ear plug container sterilizers, and to also clean tools of uncured epoxy. It is kind of my goto for just about anything needing to be sterilized, rather than straight IPA alone, and in my opinion works better than just DWV alone in cleaning uncured epoxy from tools.
But it is not goinig to dissolve surf wax and allow its easy removal
All hail mc ding the judge of all who have and do not have knowledge. Hahahahaha
All hail mc ding the computing judgment king.
All hail mc ding.
Sometimes this shit gets over thought. How about scrape it, wipe with a clean rag, then sand it. Your going to sand it anyway if your putting another layer of epoxy on. Right? IPA? I enjoy a cold IPA when working on boards, too. Hah! Mike
Sanding contaminated surfaces might just push contaminants into the sanding grooves, inhibiting secondary bonding to some degree, possibly.
Regarding beer, I can enjoy one IPA, followed by cheap american swill. I like the strength of IPA, but they turn my stomach after more than 1.
But then I am drinking a Rolling Rock right now, in tribute to my late Uncle frank