Getting fiberglass resin to release from aluminum?

Anyone know of a way? Some chemical?

The aluminum has a texture to it or I would just grind it off.

ThankS!

 

did you try to put a little heat on the aluminum around the offending resin? enough to soften the resin and not distort the aluminum.

 

Not yet... That is last resort as the aluminum has a backing on it.

 

Laquer thinner? It's a solvent for the resin before it kicks.....

 

Since I'm guessing you didn't wax the aluminum before the resin was applied, you're probably up a creek without a paddle. Once the catalized resin cures, samding or grinding it off is probably your only solution.
Can post a photo and/or give more details?

 

If it is resin not mixed with catalyst/hardener you can use acetone to remove it.

 

Acetone is probably your best choice for removing the resin.

 

are you glassing it or was it already glassed onto the aluminum?
if you are glassing it use a resin release agent or wax.
if it was alreay glassed i would use a little heat...

 

Many large companies that paint corporate jets use a paint stripper to remove epoxy base paint on aircraft. Duncan in Lincoln, Neb is one of them, Cessna in Wichita, Kansas is another. It's some nasty stuff, rubber gloves,face shield,etc. There are many around the country. If the resin is cured, I have use a sander down to really thin and then used a sand blaster/media/ to remove the remainder. Good luck, chuck

 

Just try counting on it holding! Seems everytime I count on something that I need to stay glued it doesn't! Seriously though try leaving it in the sun for a few days the resing is not uv protected. I used to build wooden kayaks and found that you had to cover the resin with some sort of uv protector or it would start to crack and break down. This was over wood but it's worth a try at least! Good luck.
Eddie

 

West System - Clean Up & Removing Epoxy

Removing fiberglass cloth applied with epoxy
Use a heat gun to heat and soften the epoxy. Start in a small area a near a corner or edge. Apply heat until you can slip a putty knife or chisel under the cloth (about 200F). Grab the edge with a pair of pliers and pull up on the cloth while heating just ahead of the separation. On large areas, use a utility knife to score the glass and remove in narrower strips. Resulting surface texture may be coated or remaining epoxy may be removed as follows.
Removing cured epoxy coating
Use a heat gun to soften the epoxy (200F). Heat a small area and use a paint scraper or cabinet scraper to remove the bulk of the coating. Sand the surface to remove the remaining material. Provide ventilation when heating epoxy.
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Contact the Technical Staff if you have additional questions.



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Can you freeze the Aluminum ?

 

Methylene Chloride with disolve cured resins. Just don't get it on you.

 

If you have matted the aluminum, it should release.. aluminum does not take to the fibreglass like steel does.. if the aluminum had no scratch to it prior to the application.. it should pull off.. as mentioned , a heat gun will work.. just dont breath in the heated resin.. I had to take molds off of aluminum wing tips and make fibreglass tips for aircraft useage... .. mold release wax works well..

 

M E K will disolve epoxy resin too.

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MEK Solvent (Methyl Ethyl Ketone)
This is a strong cleanup solvent, particularly effective for epoxies. It is less volatile than acetone. Available in a 5 gallon size by phone order only: (800) 246-5055 Mon-Fri 9am to 5pm (PST).
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I have removed body filler and other epoxy resins with aircraft stripper.

 

Its kind of hindsight now, but next time, you can spray a water soluable mold release on the aluminum or whatever first. After the fiberglas cloth and resin/catalyst are hard you start a little crack at the edges and start pouring water in there and pop, off it comes...