Some 35 years of boatbuilding with epoxies hasn't helped the brain cells, but has helped with clean-up on my file-worked knife projects. I use WD-40, a soft cloth, and a glue brush with bristles cut short, for stiffness, to clean-up. WD-40 is a moderately aggressive solvent for epoxy,( which will not pull the epoxy out of your joints), will not promote rust on your blade, or bleach any handle material I know of. The petroleum residue left will also usually allow you to pick off any overlooked ball of epoxy after hardening.
Acetone is a more aggressive thinner, so much so as to pull epoxy out of places you want it to stay. It also bleaches some woods, dries the steel thereby promoting rust, and as a fast drying thinner, can leave a thin layer of hardening epoxy where you don't want it. It's flammibility and health risks are, I hope ,obvious. It's useful for parts cleaning, however.
De-natured alcohol is a very aggessive solvent, much safer in use, but with the same problems of rusting and bleaching as acetone.
Tolulene is a slower evaporating solvent preferred in the marine industry, safer in use than acetone, but still not something I feel comfortable reccommending, when good old WD is so effective, relatively safe, and leaves your steel and handle material in good shape for further treatment.
Finally, no solvent should ever be used to clean epoxy off your skin. The drying action will allow the hardeners to promote skin sensitizing, which, believe me, you don't want. NON-ABRASIVE Gojo is about the best easily available skin cleaner.
The various resists, vaseline, crayola, etc, will work quite well. I just don't like picking about on 1000 grit finished metal or polished ivory, or finding "epoxy prints" on the work later. When the knife has been thouroughly cleaned with WD-40, I can examine it under a strong light, and then gun-oil the finished product. Still, "there must be 50 ways..."
Too much info?
JOHN
