Acetone?

[Rono007]

Okay. Here's a dumb question for most everyone but me. If I don't know, I ask. :grin:

I have to remove some of the old swim platform step padding on my boat to replace it with newer padding that is a better fit.

The instructions say to pull the padding up. Remove the PSA with mineral spirits. Then to remove the mineral spirits with acetone. Then clean with an ammonia-base window cleaner and a Scotch-Brite pad and let dry before applying the new pad.

I know I can use Goo Gone or similar for the mineral spirits.

I know what acetone is now thanks to the Google, but where can I get it? Home Depot? Any particular brand, or does it matter? I have never had to use it before now, so I'm a complete dolt when dealing with this.

Thanks.

 

[HUMPH]

Home Depot or any other hardware or paint store. Have fun!

 

[SCORPIO]

You can get acetone at Lowes, Home Depot, hardware stores, marine stores etc. I don't think brand matters, get the cheapest stuff you can, its all the same stuff. Wear gloves and have good ventillation, strong fumes and it is FLAMABLE.

 

[Dave S]

Finger Nail Polish remover is also essentially nothing but Acetone.

 

[avguy]

Finger Nail Polish remover is also essentially nothing but Acetone.

Back in the day when I was in retail we used to grab a bottle of finger nail polish to remove just about anything gummy or sticky. Inexpensive & works well :thumbsup:

 

[fwebster]

The purpose of the acetone is to remove the oily residue left by the mineral spirits (also available in a qts. at Home depot/Lowes and a lot cheaper than Goo Gone). Fingernail polish removes have additives, some oily, that remain behind when the solvent evaporates, so fingernail polish remover may leave you worse off than mineral spirits.

 

[Rono007]

Thanks everyone for putting up with me. :smt001

The instructions say to use mineral spirits FIRST, followed by acetone, THEN an ammonia-based window cleaner.

I think I'll leave fingernail polish remover off the list since my wife and doughters don't have enough little bottles of the stuff to do the job (although, if I looked, I bet they may). :lol:

I will make the Home Depot trip tonight, try to stay focused and just get those items, and do the job tomorrow. I will post pics of the SeaDek install on the thread I started in Modifications/Customizations:

http://clubsearay.com/forum/showthread.php?t=30585

Thanks again for all the great information! :thumbsup:

 

[rabyers1]

You will find as you work with the acetone that it evaporates very quickly and that after it dries, the surface you applied it to will look very dry and dull (no oils or wax will remain behind). Be careful to not get it on any painted surfaces that didn't have a hardener when applied (such as those painted with spray can paints - outdrive re-paint, etc), as it will easily dissolve paint very quickly and effectively. Also - use rubber gloves as acetone will suck all of the oil and moisture out of your fingers and can kill the outer tissue - leaving you with white fingertips.

 

[Rono007]

You will find as you work with the acetone that it evaporates very quickly and that after it dries, the surface you applied it to will look very dry and dull (no oils or wax will remain behind). Be careful to not get it on any painted surfaces that didn't have a hardener when applied (such as those painted with spray can paints - outdrive re-paint, etc), as it will easily dissolve paint very quickly and effectively. Also - use rubber gloves as acetone will suck all of the oil and moisture out of your fingers and can kill the outer tissue - leaving you with white fingertips.

Thanks for the advice. All I am cleaning is the non-skid on two swim platform steps. Hopefully it's not a big deal.

These two areas on both side of the boat

 

[Lazy Daze]

I'm curious why the instructions say to use mineral spirits and then acetone. Why not just acetone and skip the mineral spirits step? Maybe it's because of the greater caustic factor of the acetone? If you're outside, I wouldn't worry about it - skip the mineral spirits.

Like mentioned above, acetone will dull surfaces - including gel coat. But, it can be brought back to a shine very easily with a little bit of light compound. However, if you can avoid another step in the process, that is always a good idea.

Put some masking tape around the fake-teak before you pull it off - sort of like you are outlining it. The acetone will eventually eat through the tape, but it will give you a little bit of a buffer before that happens. The big help is that it lets you know where to stop rubbing with the acetone. Who cares if it's dull underneath the pad, right?

Or, Goof Off won't dull the gel coat (you can get Good Off in gallons, too). You'll just need to clean the oily residue off. The ammonia Windex will do that.

Looks nice, though!

 

[Rono007]

Geez. It sounds like if I can skip anything, I would want to skip the acetone!!!!!

This is from SeaDek's website:

[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Q. ​

[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]If I choose to remove the pad how do I do this?

A. [FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Use a plastic putty knife to get under one corner. Grip and pull off. If the EVA seems to be sticking and tearing, use the putty knife to jab the area. You may want to enlist another set of hands to assist. Once the entire pad is removed, there will be a small amount of PSA left on the surface. Soak with mineral spirits for 10 minutes, scrap with the plastic putty knife. Once the PSA has been removed, use acetone to remove the mineral spirits.[/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT]​

[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][/FONT]

[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Q. [/FONT][FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]How do I prep the surface?[/FONT]

A. Use an ammonia based window cleaner and a scotch brite pad to remove any dirt, sunscreen, wax. sweat, etc. Scrub well and let dry completely. If the boat is new, you should repeat several times as new boats have mold release that may hinder adhesion. [/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT]​

[/FONT]

 

[Lazy Daze]

Yeah, I think just about any way you go about this will be fine. Don't put too much thought into it. The important things are protecting the rest of the gelcoat and removing any residue left from a cleaner/stripper.

 

[Rono007]

Thanks. I think I will use the mineral spirits and the Windex. I want to skip the part that ruins my gelcoat and shine - covered or not.

And yes, I can over think anything!