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Solvent Needed

  • Thread starter Thread starter Pete Logan
  • Start date Start date
P

Pete Logan

Guest
Thanks to my own stupidity I have an unhardened polyester mastic spread all over a piece of plastic seat base. Does anyone know of a solvent which will take this stuff off ?

It's car body repair stuff, and the only description on the tin is 'glass fibre reinforced polyester mastic'.

White Spirit and petrol don't take it off.

Thanks for any help.

Pete
 
Is it close to being cured? You could toss the whole works into the freezer and try to break it off in a few hours. I've used that stuff in the winter and it takes for ever to set up in the cold so bringing it up to temp can also help. I'm not sure if there is a thinner available. Did you put any hardener in it? I'd hate to be in your shoes if you didn't. :lol: You'll probably have to put down a layer of hardener but that might cause a fire.

Cheers, Steve
 
Thanks Steve - Not reading the instructions correctly, I didn't put the hardener in :oops: :oops:

I guess I'll just have to keep working at it - something to do on a cold day :D

Pete
 
I work with the stuff all the time.
Styrene is the usual solvent but is stinky
and hard to find, Acetone is the closest
that is commonly available..
Mo
 
Re: Solvent Needed

Pete, its unlikely you will be able to mix catalyst into the mastic sufficently uniform enough to cause it to cure reliably. In any event, polyester base fillers and resins adhere very poorly (if at all) to injection molded plastics such as seat bases. side covers etc. For removing the uncatalyzed mastic from your seat base, probably the easiest thing to do would be to use a old teaspoon and scrape as much off as you can, then use rags dampened with either acetone, lacquer thinner or MEK solvent. The MEK solvent is not the same compound as the mek base catalyst, so be sure and ask for solvent. Also, wear rubber gloves and particularly if using the MEK. Absorption is not good for you. :-)

On plastics, epoxy is the adhesive to use.

Spirits and petrol have no effect because polyester is not petroleum based. Its alcohol based.

Earl

Pete Logan said:
Thanks to my own stupidity I have an unhardened polyester mastic spread all over a piece of plastic seat base. Does anyone know of a solvent which will take this stuff off ?

It's car body repair stuff, and the only description on the tin is 'glass fibre reinforced polyester mastic'.

White Spirit and petrol don't take it off.

Thanks for any help.

Pete
Click to expand...
 
Thanks everyone. I'll go with no hardener, scrape off what I can, and acetone for the rest.

Thanks again.

Pete
 
Re: Solvent Needed

earlfor said:
Pete, its unlikely you will be able to mix catalyst into the mastic sufficiently uniform enough to cause it to cure reliably. In any event, polyester base fillers and resins adhere very poorly (if at all) to injection molded plastics such as seat bases. side covers etc. For removing the uncatalyzed mastic from your seat base, probably the easiest thing to do would be to use a old teaspoon and scrape as much off as you can, then use rags dampened with either acetone, lacquer thinner or MEK solvent. The MEK solvent is not the same compound as the mek base catalyst, so be sure and ask for solvent. Also, wear rubber gloves and particularly if using the MEK. Absorption is not good for you. :-)

On plastics, epoxy is the adhesive to use.

Spirits and petrol have no effect because polyester is not petroleum based. Its alcohol based.

Earl

Pete Logan said:
Thanks to my own stupidity I have an unhardened polyester mastic spread all over a piece of plastic seat base. Does anyone know of a solvent which will take this stuff off ?

It's car body repair stuff, and the only description on the tin is 'glass fibre reinforced polyester mastic'.

White Spirit and petrol don't take it off.

Thanks for any help.

Pete
Click to expand...
Click to expand...

We used to use a lot of MEK solvent on plastic airlines but since we have become more regulated and informed we have found other solvents that are more environmentally friendly. I can remember in some of the RCRA courses I attended it was our prime offender and was referred to by the instructor as Methyl Ethyl Death. Even acetone is not used near as much as it was in the past due to the waste problems.

This is just a heads up so you know the value of wearing gloves and protective equipment.


Mike
 
Thanks Mike. I have to admit that I am normally just as stupid about protective gear as I am about reading the instructions :oops:

I'm going to try acetone, but I'll put the gear on as well.

Thanks for the heads up.

For the seat builders - the previous cover was fixed with staples, but I can't get anything to drive staples thru the seat base. The best I can think of is to use rivets - drill and pop rivet. Does this make any sense, or is there a much better way to secure the seat cover ??

Pete
 
Rent or borrow an air staple gun. Set the air tank to about 60 lbs of pressure and you can staple merrily away. I recovered my 1150 seat last week and it took me all of about 5 minutes. :-) :-)

Earl

Pete Logan said:
Thanks Mike. I have to admit that I am normally just as stupid about protective gear as I am about reading the instructions :oops:

I'm going to try acetone, but I'll put the gear on as well.

Thanks for the heads up.

For the seat builders - the previous cover was fixed with staples, but I can't get anything to drive staples thru the seat base. The best I can think of is to use rivets - drill and pop rivet. Does this make any sense, or is there a much better way to secure the seat cover ??

Pete
Click to expand...
 
I might have guessed the answer would be "More Horsepower" :D

Thanks everyone.

Pete
 
Acetone, MEK or Xylene should help soften a bit, but as stated earlier these solvents give off a lot in the vapor department so use in a very well ventilated area or the christmas tree won't be the only thing lit this holiday season 8O
 
Thanks - I did it outdoors (froze my butt off but no ill effects).

Pete
 
Hoomgar said:
Pete, what is your Avatar? I can't make it out. :?
Click to expand...

Yep - it's a crap photo. It's a modern dress replica of a Scottish basket hilted sword. I'll see if I can get a better pic, or replace it, but tomorrow now, got to go feed the family :)

Pete
 
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