Excess Glue Clean-up

K

Ken Cox

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I intend to pin and glue brass spacers and carbon fiber scales to my short sword when it comes back from heat treatment by Thomas Haslinger.

By design, the spacers and scales will not go all the way to the edges of the full tang, thus leaving a visible border of steel.
I would like to use enough glue so that I have no voids between materials, and this fairly guarantees some of the glue will extrude from between the layers and get on the visible steel border, brass spacers and carbon fiber scales.

I had planned to use Brownell's AcraGlas, and now I have second thoughts about cleaning up the excess epoxy.

Can someone please recommend an epoxy and solvent combination that will allow me to satisfactorily clean the excess glue from the steel, brass and carbon fiber before it hardens?

Many thanks.

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Luke 22:36, John 18:6-11, Freedom
If one takes care of the means, the end will take care of itself.
 
You may want to try it on some extra, but I found with cleaning up epoxy that plain old white vinegar does a great job, just dont use enough that it runs into your joints and eats the epoxy out from the insides!!

Try it you will be surprised how it cuts that sticky goo!

Also you could wait till the epoxy is in that "semi hard" state and just cut the excess off with a bamboo or brass chisel...

Just some ideas!

Alan...

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If a Man talks in the forest, and there is no Woman around to hear him, is he still wrong?
 
Two options come immediately to mind (though the first may be a little difficult given the space confinment).

The first option is to ensure that the areas you do not want to have anything stick to be coated with a release agent (Pam spray, KY jelly, Vasolene or anything with an oil base that is viscous). This is what Gunplumbers use to release a bedded action from the stock that has just had AcraGlas installed.

The second option is to use acetone (nasty stuff but does have its' uses) to clean up the excess Glas. Double check before you apply it to a finished piece to determine that it wont affect anything else (scales, clips, etc).

I really like the vinegar idea though...

All the Best

Dileas Gu Brath
 
Ken
Use 24 hr. epoxy then you will not have to rush the cleanup and can do a better job, joint will possibly be stronger.
To clean up use WD-40 or acetone but remember to use latex gloves to save cleaning yourself up. Lots of paper towels, pipe cleaners and a brass pick.
Using the 24 hr. epoxy will allow you to go back multiple times to clean up the enevitable epoxy ozzes up to 12-14 hrs after initial application.

Robert http://members.tripod.com/knifeworks/index.html
 
You don't need anything fancy. As Alan says, vinegar works. I use plain Rubbing Alcohol and it works great, even after the epoxy is semi-hard. ALL of my knives have epoxied spacers, and I remove the excess with an exacto knife for the big globs and alcohol for the rest.

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Jerry Hossom
www.hossom.com
 
It's the simple threads like this that make Bladeforums so wonderful. By the time I get my workbenches done and my grinder set up, I might actually know at least SOMETHING about making knives.

It's really great that you experienced knifemakers are willing to share your knifemaking tips with us. Everyday I check this forum I learn something new. It really is incredible.

THANKS! I really appreciate it.



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Hoodoo

The low, hoarse purr of the whirling stone—the light-press’d blade,
Diffusing, dropping, sideways-darting, in tiny showers of gold,
Sparkles from the wheel.

Walt Whitman
 
being in the surfboard industry for 22 years...I believe acetone is only next to coffee as the most important substance in the world.....I buy it in 5 gal cans...used to buy it in 55 gal drums...when i put a handle on a knife without a guard and the epoxy oozes out...(same with a stag handle as you want the stag to be about finished when you put it on and dont want any glue on it)..i first wipe all the excess off any way i can...this includes paper towels and q tips mostly......then i load up some qtips with acetone and try and get most of the rest off...if there still some thats thick anywhere i might use a paper towel soaked in acetone.....when i get it all off....and it looks really good...i put a few qtips in some WD 40 and wipe it off all around where i cleaned it up...WD40 is a GREAT cleaning agent for steel.....I use it constantly, buy it by the gallon.....this is while the epoxy is still wet...then in about an hour you should check it again.....but the way i do mine once works good...i use T 88 exclusively and it takes about 4 hours to harden unless i put it out in the sun...which i often do....

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http://www.mayoknives.com


 
Acetone in 55 gallon drums? WD-40 by the gallon? Tom must spill a LOT of epoxy!!!!
biggrin.gif
 
send me 5 lbs of talonite and i will send you a great surfboard that you can hang on your wall....or even better, strap to the top of your car and drive around town like they do in japan....
smile.gif


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http://www.mayoknives.com


 
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