What is the best way to clean tools (roller, squeegee, etc.) after using them with epoxy resin (I use RR)?
Asking cause I’ve seen claims (on internet and sway) you can use dawn dish soap, all the way to acetone or vinegar. Thanks for your help.
Throw away brushes,gloves, rollers and squeegee. Watch Greg Loehr’s Epoxy 101 video. There are some good tips throughout that video. I think he used one of the orange based clearers that mechanics use and paper towels.
Fiber glass scraps then alcool and paper towel for squegge. Rubbish bean for brush and roller. Keep your skin far from epoxy. Water and soap if you have some on skin NEVER acetone. Eventually white vinegar before soap wash. Best is to protect right. Nitril gloves, no latex.
There is no good way to clean rollers or brushes. For squeegees I pour/drip any extra resin on them. When the resin sets the resin cracks off cleanly.
I use the heavy duty black disposable gloves and wipe them wipe a paper towel after each step. I can usually do a board with one or two psi of gloves.
Yeah letting the squeegee harden is a good trick. Honestly be cause I also glass with Poly, I usually just drop my squeegees in a two gallon pot with an inch or two of acetone. I buy two gallon pots at Sherwin-Williams with a lid. Leave them in there for awhile and the Epoxy resin dissolves. Then you can take them out (very careful not to splash)and wipe them clean and dry with a paper towel. A pair of household kitchen tongs can be used to fish them out of the pot.
I don’t know if it’s the “best” way but you can use methylated spirits to clean up and also to thin epoxy. It takes a bit more work than acetone/polyester but it works for me. I’ve never tried it on a roller though. They are usually a throw away
Yes it work but you should carrefuly use it, as all solvent. The circulation of solvents through epoxy resin is not easy, solvent catch in resin reduce stifness and fatigue strengh. You should only use as little as needed. For cleaning epoxy be really carefull with use of solvent that open skin barrier, can cause hard allergic reaction. Many guy’s i started to work epoxy with, 35 years ago can’t use it anymore. Even if there are big progress to reduce resin toxicity you must be carrefull with skin contact with not fully cure resin. Sanding is a hot spot.
Thanks for all the input. I’m just trying to figure out something as those metal rollers (for making fins) are $10+ a piece and I don’t really want to throw one out every time I make fins.
Wich kind of rollers? Those for push bubbles out ?
They clean up easy after a soak in acetone. If you can suspend them an inch or two above the bottom of the bucket of acetone (just enough to cover them), the resin will dissolve and settle to the bottom of the bucket. Wipe them clean with a clean rag. Don’t shake them or splash.
Yes, the kind that get out bubbles in the resin.