How To Get Resin Off Wood

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Epoxy resin is an extremely versatile material and working with it offers a number of advantages. As long as the resin stays where it should. If the resin gets to places where you don't want it, it is sometimes very difficult to remove it again. During removal, the advantages of the material, namely the exceptionally good adhesion and the fact that epoxy is extremely hard and stable after curing, quickly turn into quite a few disadvantages. With our tips, however, it will still be no problem for you to remove casting resin that accidentally gets on your skin or other objects.

1 Removal of not completely hardened Casting Resin
2 Removal of fully cured Epoxy on Surfaces
- 2.1 Adhesive Remover
- 2.2 Universal Thinner
- 2.3 Denatured Alcohol / Ethanol
- 2.4 Heat Gun
3 Removal of Resin residues on the Skin
- 3.1 Vinegar
- 3.2 Acetone
- 3.3 Citrus-based waterless Hand Cleaner

Removal of not completely hardened Casting Resin

The removal of not yet completely cured epoxy resin is of course much easier than if the material is already completely dry.

For this purpose, the use of isopropyl alcohol (also known as isopropanol) is the most suitable option. Epoxy can also be removed very well with vinegar or acetone if it has not yet dried through.

epoxy solvent

Removal of fully cured Epoxy on Surfaces

If the resin is already completely dry, removal is much more difficult. However, there are still some methods you can use to remove the casting resin after it has cured.

Adhesive Remover

If some epoxy has accidentally been applied to a surface, it can be effectively dissolved when dry with a special adhesive remover. However, this method is more suitable for small spillages on wood or plastic.

Universal Thinner

A solution of denatured alcohol and paint thinner, a so-called universal thinner, is also suitable for removing resin residues from surfaces.

ebook epoxy resin

Denatured Alcohol / Ethanol

If the epoxy resin is not yet fully cured, it can be removed very easily from the corresponding surface with denatured alcohol. To do this, a cloth is soaked in ethanol and the area to be treated is then briefly wiped clean. If the casting resin is already completely dry, the affected area must first be softened with paint thinner before treatment with ethanol.

Tip: A cheap alternative to the expensive pure alcohol is methylated spirits. The effect is practically the same and the spirit can be used for many other purposes. When using methylated spirits, however, note that it is extremely flammable.

Heat Gun

Fully cured epoxy can be extremely stubborn to remove, but a heat gun is a very useful tool help with this. The dried resin is softened by the hot air and can then be removed mechanically, e.g. with a spatula or paint scraper. Hot air guns with temperature control have proven to be effective in this procedure, as epoxy resins usually soften from around 200 ° C. We recommend that only small sections of the resin to be removed are heated at a time and then removed.

As always when working with epoxy resin, your health should be your first priority. Wear gloves to protect against burns and a respirator to prevent inhalation of the vapors generated by the heat.

epoxy remover

Removal of Resin residues on the Skin

Vinegar

Vinegar is a very effective remedy if some epoxy resin has accidentally landed on your skin. This agent even helps when the resin is already cured. Put the vinegar on a cloth and soak the area to be cleaned on your skin with it. Once the resin is softened it can be easily removed.

Acetone

The use of acetone is also a very effective means of removing casting resin from the skin. Like vinegar, acetone has the advantage that you often have it in your house anyway and do not have to specially buy it. To remove the resin, soak a cotton swab with acetone and rub it into the appropriate area. The resin softens in this way and can be easily removed.

Watch your safety here too. The vapors contained in acetone should not be inhaled for an unnecessarily long time. Therefore, you should only use this product in rooms that you can ventilate properly. Since acetone is extremely flammable, make sure that there are no open flames in the vicinity.

Acetone removes a lot of moisture from the skin. Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water after removing the resin. A moisturizing cream quickly makes up for the loss.

Tip: As nail polish remover consists mainly of acetone (exception: there are some that may note "acetone-free" on the packaging) it is also suitable for removing epoxy resin from the skin if pure acetone is not available.

Citrus-based waterless Hand Cleaner

The removal of resin residues with vinegar or acetone is an extreme strain on the skin. A much more skin-friendly alternative is a citrus-based foam cleaner. This is also much less stressful for the respiratory tract. To clean it, simply apply some of the hand cleaner to the affected area, rub it in thoroughly, and then wash the foam off with water. The only disadvantage of this method is that it is much less effective than the other two methods.