removing silicone ??

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M

Morrie

Anyone have an opinion on what's the best solvent to remove the leftovers of silicone caulking? My chain plates are all leaking. A previous owner gooped silicone caulk all over them and the deck around them. I've already scraped off as much as I can, but I want to make sure the 5200 or LifeCaulk I use to re-bed them will stick well. I'm also getting ready to paint the deck and want to make sure the paint will stick to the areas where I've scraped the silicone off. Also, any opinions on what product to use to bed the chain plates? Thanks, Morrie
 
A

Art Femenella

Silicone Remover

I am a stained glass restorer. The following company makes an excellent product for cleaning up cured silicone. AMTEX Chemical Corp. 890 Fern Hill Road, West Chester, PA 19380 Tel (610) 436-4813. Manufacturers of CCR-Silicone Remover. Completely and safely removes smeared silicone from stained glass and other surfaces.
 
Dec 2, 2003
4,245
- - Seabeck WA
Art, not a week goes by that someone like you

tickles me to death. :) That is so cool. I went to their web site; http://www.amtexchemical.com/pages/1/page1.html?refresh=1067351487284
 
C

Chris Burti

Blowtorch...welllll...

Jes' kiddin'...maybe not that extreme, but, the stuff is just awful. I won't have it on any of my boats unless I have to seal certain plastics and then the tube goes home immediately. Once you have scraped (or try Art's suggestion, I'm not familiar with it) all of the visible 'rubber' away, you have to eliminate all traces of the silicone chemicals in order to avoid 'fish-eyes' in your new paint job. The tried and true method is to thoroughly wipe down a two-foot circle around the fixture with acetone. The junk (silicone) migrates like you wouldn't believe. While you are wiping, continually turn your rags to clean areas and replace them frequently to avoid just smearing it around. It doesn't take much silicone (less than you can see) to spoil a paint job if you are going for high gloss. When working with acetone wear appropriate gloves and work in a well ventilated area. We used the stuff to clean our hands of epoxy and polyeurethane when I worked for a boat manufacturer. A lot of my old friends who did it often back then are suffering for it now...it is pretty nasty stuff regarding long term health issues. Best Regards, Chris
 
J

Jim

Thanks, Art

Didn't know such an animal existed. Thanks for the info. If this stuff will take silicone off of glass it will take it off of anything! Regards, Jim
 
T

Terry

Art, is it safe to use on gelcoat? Some can...

harm the surface. Great product source. Thanks for the tip. Terry
 
A

Art Femenella

Gentle

My understanding and experience is that it is very gentle. Suggest testing in a small inconspicuous spot. It sometimes takes a while, but give it time. We have used it to dissolve silicone that was used to glue to pieces of 3/4" thick glass together. It penetrated into the crack and safely seperated the glass.
 
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