expanding foam. Solvent?

[John B]

What is the best/bang for buck solvent to get this rubbish out of the buoyancy compartments on our new old sailing dinghy?

looks like it might be acetone or MEK next ?

[ 11-13-2004, 12:19 AM: Message edited by: John B ]

[JimConlin]

Wouldn't reducing it to a gooey mass make things more difficult?
I'd favor brutal mechanical means, like a 24 grit disc on a mini-grinder or knives and such.

[ion barnes]

I have used a 1 1/2 chisel and box cutter to get the big pieces out and (I know this is messy but..) a small grinder with a cuppped wire brush to pull of the remaining stuckon bits. Then vacuum up the crumbs.

[Peter Page]

Box of matches.

[John B]

Really, will that work Peter?
should I tip some petrol in first ?

I'll resort to the mechanical method of some sort but its really difficult to get to and I don't want to cut too many access ports. Perhaps I just have to get used to the idea.

[JimConlin]

I envision being head-first into some nook or cranny.
I'd think that continuous vacuuming would be a good idea. Wear your hearing protectors, goggles, dust mask, too.

Bouyancy bags or soda bottles are looking better all the time.

Jim

[ 11-13-2004, 03:39 PM: Message edited by: JimConlin ]

[Wild Wassa]

Originally posted by John B:
"What is the best/bang for buck solvent to get this rubbish out of the buoyancy compartments on our new old sailing dinghy?"

You wrote solvent and compartments, bad luck JB. Is the deck off yet? ... option two.

Any chance of access (?) use a chisel and mallet.

Warren.

[ 11-13-2004, 04:59 PM: Message edited by: Wild Wassa ]

[John B]

MEK don't work.
But you guys knew that eh.

It knifes out but its going to take forever....
I'm thinking I might be cutting a large hole and putting a hatch in... :D

[Wild Wassa]

A hatch? ... a new spinnaker chute.
Warren.

[ 11-13-2004, 06:09 PM: Message edited by: Wild Wassa ]

[paul oman]

hire some kid who needs a few extra bucks.....

paul oman
progressive epoxy polymers

[Todd Bradshaw]

DO NOT HEAT IT! Polyurethane foam gives off very toxic fumes when melted or burned.

[John B]

cyanide off polyurethane isn't it?

I've planned how to do it. 1 fore compartment and side seats wrapping into the aft thwart. I'll chop large holes in the tops (about 7 of them)so I can get in to cut the stuff out and I'll make plywood patches to cover them.... make them look like a cosmetic detail.
joy.

[John B]

still cutting.( amongst other boat tasks going on). combination of sabresaw, short handsaw ( kids)and putty knife.
tip if you ever have to do this job. wear latex gloves, tape them to long sleeves, save forearms.
terrible stuff.

[TimothyB]

For some reason I thought muriatic acid dissolved it, but then you may not want that stuff sloshing around in the bilge. :)

[TimothyB]

AhHA!

Found this on a chemical site:

"...Solvents that may be used to dissolve polyurethane include tetrahydrofuran (THF, T425-4, Fischer Scientific, Springfield, New Jersey), dimethysulfoxide (DMSO), and dimethylformamide (DMF)."

--T

[brad9798]

www.touchnfoam.com (http://www.touchnfoam.com) has what you need ... they sell the solvents as well.

[Todd Bradshaw]

Not if you read their FAQ section about removing cured foam they don't.

[brad9798]

You're right, Todd- that 'cured' word snuck in there ... redface.gif