how do I melt epoxy?

[AGoodeblade]

I have glued and shaped my handle but have got some epoxy in the filework along the tang.
Is there a solvent I can use or am I "stuck" with it (pardon the pun)

 

[Josh Feltman]

Loctite recommends EasyOff oven cleaner. They also recommend testing the oven cleaner in an inconspicuous place first. I would be really careful with this stuff around handle materials. It might affect the blade finish as well. I think I remember reading that acetone will also dissolve epoxy, but I don't know for sure.
--Josh

 

[Costas]

Epoxy is very strong chemically, and it is very difficult to "attack" it without harming the handle material as well.

BUT epoxy is not so hard, and it can be picked bit by bit using a thin and sharp scalpel blade, so the best way to remove it is mechanically (if possible, of course, depends on where the problem is).

 

[Blade Santa Cruz]

There are two broad classes of plastics, thermosets and thermoplastics. A thermoplastic can readily be dissolved or melted, while a thermoset cures and changes. Once cured, it forms a tough, crosslinked network which resists solvents and will degrade instead of melting. Epoxy is a thermoset. The advice to trim or slice it off is good. Solvents like acetone or whatever, unless extremely powerful and dangerous, will have little effect on a cured epoxy. Things that easily swell and dissolve epoxies will do the same with rubber or plastic gloves or portions of your anatomy.

 

[cpirtle]

Heat will soften the epoxy.

But be acreful not to mess up your handles in the process - I would try heating a dental pick red hot and then picking the epoxy out and see what happens. If not spot heat it with a heat gun or even dip that section in boiling water to soften it.

 

[bladefan]

you can try to burn it off with a soldering iron... or try some very small files or sandpaper to get it out...

 

[Jeff Clark]

There are solvents that will soften epoxy and make it easier to remove, but they are likely to marr your handle surface. If you took a piece of string and soaked it in xylene (carburetor cleaner) you could lay it along your file worked area. You need to leave it there for up to 24 hours. You might need to resoak the string in the mean time. Then you need metal dental picks to scrape out the epoxy. Due to the risk of the xylene staining or hazing your handle finish you it might be safer to forget the xylene and just use the picks.

You can significantly soften epoxy by heating the knife up to 140 to 200 degrees fahrenheit. You can do this with a desk lamp. Once you get that hot you will need to handle the knife with a rag or thick gloves. Dental tools should work easily then. Be careful not to get too hot or the handle may suffer.