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Epoxy Stripper??

topcoat

Contributing Member
Ok so I have an unusual situation. Customer has a custom bench that was carved/chainsawed out of a rather large pine log. The artist who made it applied West System epoxy to it. Not the type of epoxy that is intended to be an exposed coating, but the type that is intended to hold wood joints together or repair wood failures and live under a coating. So, needless to say, this thing has been outside by the swimming pool in full sun exposure for about 2 months and is turning all sorts of crazy shades of pukish gray/green. It is intricately detailed and cannot be sanded either electrically or manually. Is there a chem stripper that can dwell on it and then be washed off that would be hardcore enough to remove epoxy? There is alot of exposed endgrain in the details that is loaded right up with West System. Bad scene, and if there is a solution out there I would like to save this rather expensive piece. I will post up a picture on monday. Any suggestions on a supplier who might be able to help would be appreciated. (it feels kind of nice not the be talking about jitb)
 

Mathew Johnson

New member
We use ACR 760 for most wood and stripper cream from eacochem for the really hard stuff. I would try a few very small test areas with whatever you can get your hands on.... you may be surprised and get it stripped easily.

Hey Randall, how is the arm?
 

James Foley

New member
I use a Stripper( a paste ) called INstrip from Eaco chem for some special stuff !. It comes off better when scraping. Not sure about Epoxy ? It does not fir the wood.
 

Ken Fenner

Active member
I think it is highly unlikely you are going to be able to remove it. This is not releasing a fragile bond between wood and coating since the whole epoxy process is chemical and changes the molecular structure at the bond. That epoxy is probably a part of the wood now.
 

topcoat

Contributing Member
Thats my fear as well. I have not seen West System exposed and failing before and it is very ugly. I'll get some pics tomorrow. Its an unfortunate situation...expensive piece. There is alot of exposed endgrain in the carving of the piece that was like a sponge for the epoxy and I know will not come out. I would only feel worse if my company had put the initial coating on. Its a bummer when we cant solve a problem for a good customer!
 

plainpainter

New member
Thanks, Dan. The 505 looks like the best candidate of the three. I wonder if it would lift West System. I wonder how thick it is. They recommend no dilution, so I would want to pump it on, dwell and rinse. Have you used it?

I used the 606 when I worked for another contractor years ago. We used those drum pumps - like a little 2 stroke motor attached to a pump - similar to the bobcat that Bob use to make - it sat on top of a 44 gallon drum of stripper and applied it at 250psi - went on like syrup, sat overnight - and we applied oxalic prior to rinsing off - so as to not create a caustic runoff.

The 505 is a newer product that I have never tried - but it says it can lift epoxy, then it can lift epoxy - Diedrich is strong strong stuff! When we used them it was long before this 'green' revolution - so they weren't concerned with human health or the environment - just a product that could do the job - it looks like they are much 'greener' than they use to be.

Diedrich can strip anything, imo. Just was really nasty to work with back in the day - like I said, they look like they make 'friendlier' products now.
 

Ken Fenner

Active member
The 505 looks like it might be worth a shot. I still doubt it will work as we are not talking about an epoxy coating but a resin that is made to withstand marine elements and repair boat hulls. I would think anything of that caliber would be impervious to being attacked, especially since it is made to withstand being topcoated (no pun intended) with other finishes. The 505 claims a special solvent that dissolves resin, so it is interesting to see if it will work. That must be some nasty stuff.
 

James Foley

New member
Top Coat, there is stuff out there do a search? I found 5 things looking and I hit upon some very interesting products I never herd of before. You need to get samples of stuff. I removed Marine grade varnish from garage doors with Instrip.
 

topcoat

Contributing Member
Jim

I have searched. The problem is that this piece doesnt have a traditional epoxy coating. The piece was coated with the type of epoxy that is intended to bond joints and wood repairs. So as it fails from the exposure (which it is not intended to see) it is doing some bizarre things. I will be posting pics tomorrow. If I could paint the thing, I wouldnt be so concerned but it needs to stay natural. I do agree that there are numerous products that claim to strip epoxy coatings, which I believe, but this is a bird of a slightly different feather. So, yes I sure will do some discreet sampling.
 

topcoat

Contributing Member
Heres a couple of pictures of the situation.
 

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topcoat

Contributing Member
Scott,

Nice piece of sculptured wood. What species of wood? Did you confer with West Systems, the epoxy manufacturer?

Its a fat old pine log that was green as could be when it got treated, then put out in a badass exposure. These pics show just 2 months exposure. Failing badly. Good point about calling WS.
 

topcoat

Contributing Member
Moisture has entered the cracks and is under the finish now in those grey areas.


Jim

Good call. The end grain exposed in the carving details is turning the pukiest shade of gray I have ever seen. Its really a shame to see an expensive custom piece fail.
 

topcoat

Contributing Member
It is deceptively large. It takes no less than 12 men to lift it off the base it sits on with nylon handled straps. The local strip shops cant do anything much larger than a door.

Our plan, if I can procure the right chem, is to relocate it from its current spot, set it in a cradle with a troth underneath pitching to a containment drum. Just gotta find that chem. I did suggest draining the swimming pool and filling it with MEK and suspending the bench in it with a crane for a day but no one wanted to go that route. :rolleyes:
 
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