Cleaning up epoxy,,,

[Grouser1741]

After putting the scales on your blade, how do you deal with the squeeze out? I thought I saw somebody the other day wipe off the squeeze out with a wet rag, what was on the rag? Thanks everybody

 

[steve.knight.792]

you can clean up epoxy by rubbing it with sawdust. otherwise lacquer thinner or acetone. but the sawdust is great to get rid of the bulk and stickiness.

 

[Coy Ranch]

I use alcohol and q-tips and a rag and a knife tip to really get down in there.

 

[Bill DeShivs]

I use isopropyl alcohol.

 

[Maineiac1]

As I've read someone else mentioned here a while ago, use a brass rod and grind a tip like a chisel. worked wonders for me! also isopropyl alcohol.

 

[Hengelo_77]

I used acetone before, use alcohol now.
But don't drown your scales with acetone.
If they are wood they can suck up the acetone and prefent a good joint.
I had scales come off because of that mistake.
I now use foulded up bits of coffee filter damp with alcohol and sometimes wooden toothpicks to clean up.

Also it is ok to see a very fine epoxy joint in front of the scales

 

[skillgannon]

I have heard: alcohol when the epoxy is wet and acetone when its dry. That's what I have been doing lately and it seems to work.

 

[TLR]

Denatured alcohol. If isopropyl works though I would definitely switch over.

 

[Bill DeShivs]

Isopropyl IS denatured alcohol.

 

[Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith]

Isopropyl is NOT denatured alcohol. Denatured alcohol is ethanol ( two carbon atoms)which has been made undrinkable by adding methanol ( one carbo atom). Isopropyl is a 3 carbon atom alcohol. Denaturing was originally done with camphor.

Denatured alcohol is the proper solvent for uncured epoxy. Acetone is the solvent for cured epoxy.

Isopropyl alcohol has a high water content, and isn't as good as a solvent, but it will work.

 

[Drew Riley]

Personally, I just let it cure as is. The epoxy around the sides and bottom area of the handle will be ground off when I flush and shape my scales. The squeeze out at the top can be "picked" off with a pointy brass rod shortly after the epoxy starts to cure.

 

[3fifty7]

I’ve used acetone in the past for uncured and cured epoxy clean up.
I’ll be trying denatured alcohol next time.

 

[Bamph]

I saw a live stream of a maker who used an old toothbrush dipped in alcohol. I gave it a try on my last knife and thought it worked great.

Ben

 

[milkbaby]

Isopropyl alcohoil has a high water content, and isn't as good as a solvent.

As Stacy noted, if you get isopropyl alcohol at the drug store or grocery store, where it's often sold as "rubbing alcohol", choose the highest strength solution. You should usually be able to find 91% isopropyl alcohol but some places like the dollar store will only have 70% isopropyl alcohol. I personally found that the 91% isopropyl alcohol works fine for removing uncured epoxy from the knife or even my gloves (I'm messy). I use it as the last step in cleaning the scales and tang before glue up too as many people have reported that acetone alone can leave a contaminating film that interferes with epoxy.

 

[Grouser1741]

Thank you all so much for the answers and time you took to help me. Have fun in your shop.

 

[Maelstrom78]

q tips to get the top stuff. Then the last bit a q tip dipped in rubbing alcohol.

The rest I don't worry about like another poster said that all gets ground off when I re profile the works.

 

[Bill DeShivs]

91% is what I use, and it works fine for uncured epoxy.

 

[jdm61]

Acetone, denatured alcohol, WD40. All work for me.

 

[Kevin Kf knives]

Baby wipes.

 

[weo]

What I use for any cured epoxy I missed during wipe off is a new x-acto blade. Perhaps a brass rod does just as well