Removing epoxy

[Hippocampus]

Had work done on my upper deck. Epoxy was used. I’ve been told initially drips are clear but with UV exposure and weathering they turn a sickly yellow dark reddish color which I have in small places. Other than painting over it is there anyway to remove these stains?

 

[TJM]

Are the droplets cured? Hard ? Have you tried chipping them off with a chisel? You can sand them off flush also. If it is cured, then they are not really stains, right ?

 

[Hippocampus]

Thanks for responding. Issue is they are in non skid of gelcoat. Can’t figure out how to get them without damaging pattern. Too small to use a chisel. Can’t get them to lift with dental tools.

 

[DDW]

Very careful work with a Dremel and small tools is the only way I've been able to do that. I'm told that boiling cured epoxy in acetone will remove it, but that may be hard on the deck .

 

[TJM]

Have you tried a heat gun to soften then pick them? Epoxy will soften at 250°F Maybe boiling water at 212°F if you dont have a heat gun. I would not use Acetone, it sounds like you are pretty particular about your boat. Acetone degrades gel coat.

 

[Hippocampus]

Will soaking it in goof off help?

 

[RT Firefly]

Greetings,
Mr. (Dr.) H. Anything that might soften the epoxy might well soften your non-skid. Can you possibly post a photo, or two.

 

[jgwinks]

Dental pick would be my first choice but apparently didn't work. Maybe try the heat gun and pick at the same time, it might pop off before it gets too hot for the gelcoat. I have the same problem on my boat, now before doing epoxy over the deck, I put down a coat of wax first. Any drips pop or peel right off.

 

[RT Firefly]

Greetings,
Mr. jg. Smart. I'm stealing THAT idea!

 

[Max1]

I use a heat gun to soften the epoxy and scrape it off with a 1" drywall spatula.
If they are epoxy rivulets, you need to get under it and it will pop off.
Sometimes I'll use a Stanley knife to get under it.

 

[Comodave]

I am assuming that the epoxy that you are referring to is a drip on the deck from a repair above the drip. I would use acetone to soften the epoxy and then use something like a sharp point of a utility knife or the dental pick. I have used acetone on gel coat many times without any damage to the gel coat.

 

[RT Firefly]

Greetings,
When cleaning up after a paint job with AlexSeal (an epoxy) I used vinegar as a cleaning solvent. I wonder if soaking the epoxy globs with vinegar would work? Saturate a rag and let it soak...

 

[Bacchus]

I will guess that the very bottom of the non-skid grooves may be the weakest bond and a good place to start to remove.

I would try using an awl to pop the epoxy...
The sharp point will allow you to get to the bottom of the non-skid texture and a scratch there will likely be less noticeable.
A good awl will have the metal working end extend all the way through the handle providing a place to tap using a hammer.
I'd try different size hammers to see if it helps?
Above assumes the epoxy are small drops... if a larger area may not work as well but worth a try?

 

[Hippocampus]

Great ideas. Thanks guys. Will work through this list of ideas

 

[dhays]

All of the above ideas look good. When I used epoxy to cast some threads in my boat deck, I masked the surrounding with tape. Before I did that however, I used lanolin on the non-skid. Any overrun, drips, or just sloppiness popped off clean after it cured since the lanolin prevented adhesion to the deck. Wax would likely do the same provided you could get it down in the valleys of the non-skid pattern.

 

[Bacchus]

One other though for how to apply heat w/o affecting a large area... you could try a small pointed soldering iron to heat very locally and start to pry up/off.

 

[NWboater2]

The sickly uv damaged epoxy drips will eventually fail or disintegrate and come off easily but they look bad until they do.

 

[Skiff Builder]

Use a very small flat blade screw driver that has been heated by a torch. Place at edge of drip for a moment , tap with a small hammer.

 

[Maerin]

For future reference, to prevent adhesion, Rain-X. When I had extensive repairs completed after some yahoo fell asleep and plowed into my boat in its slip..... I digress...
I noticed a bunch of Rain-X spray bottles scattered around the shop. I asked why, and learned that they spray it anywhere they don't want overspray, drips, or shoe transfer. It isn't permanent enough that it can't be removed, but does a great job at preventing adhesion. Quick and easy. It works!

 

[amxr39]

Thanks for responding. Issue is they are in non skid of gelcoat. Can’t figure out how to get them without damaging pattern. Too small to use a chisel. Can’t get them to lift with dental tools.

Does it look like this? Zoom in.