how to remove spray foam residue from fibre glass

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In the process of removing the spray foam from under the v berth with creation of storage hatches. Once I get all the foam out is there any way to get off the foam that is stuck to the fibreglas?

Any chemical that dissolves foam but does not damage the fibreglas?

any suggestions?

thanks
 
After I removed the foam I used a wire brush followed by a stiff bristle brush and them heavy grit sandpaper. After vacuuming the residue I cleaned the area with rubbing alcohol (well vented on a windy day) and then painted it with a glossy, epoxy paint that works great and has a finished look.

Hope this helps.

Nick
"Valkyrie"
 
Just as a suggestion, you might try to "chissel" it off with a blunt or even sharpened putty knife/paint scraper.

I'd even look for some kind of pneumatic hammer do do the job more efficiently with less work for myself, like a muffler tool with a flat blade.

Joe. :teeth :thup
 
This is the sort of thing where I would probably end up trying multiple things to see what might work. Ideas:

1) If you have a "multi tool" (Fein Multimaster, etc.), you might try one of the scraper blades.

2) Some sort of spinning brush type blade in another tool (or manual brush as suggested above).

3) A solvent: Adhesive remover, denatured alcohol, acetone, mineral spirits or etc.

4I) You can use paint stripper on fiberglass, but depending on its strength/type you can possibly start to affect the fiberglass if you leave it on too long.

5) One of the good ideas suggested by others in this thread :thup

Of course, wear appropriate protective gear for any of the above. I'd like to do this project myself - seems like a good way to gain some stowage.

Sunbeam :hot
 
A Fishin C":25b6bcrn said:
In the process of removing the spray foam from under the v berth with creation of storage hatches. Once I get all the foam out is there any way to get off the foam that is stuck to the fibreglas?

Any chemical that dissolves foam but does not damage the fibreglas?

any suggestions?

thanks
Click to expand...


Worked in a plant that manufactured 4X8 sheets of it about 30 years ago. before it has cured we use Methylene Chloride (active ingredient in paint stripper) to clean things up. But it's dangerous stuff and would probably eat through the fiberglass. After it had cured we would soak parts in Sulfuric Acid for days to remove the foam. It would barely touch the stuff (not recommended). I would used the suggestions from above, Scraper or wire brush and paint.
 
If possible you might want to contact someone who actually applies spray foam. I know the product gets on their guns while spraying, and they have to clean it somehow.

I did a little WEB search and found this; dipropylene glycol monomethyl ether (DPM) produced by DOW. From what I read it is the least noxious/toxic product; but the MSDS didn't look like I would keep it under the kitchen sink.

DPM product names were; DOWANOL, ARCOSOLV, PROXITOL, Propasol, Solvent M, Poly-Solv, and PMARCOSOLV. There were more but you might want to see if you really want to go this solvent route.

I used the product "Goof Off" (you can buy at any large home improvement center) to clean foam off of a door frame. I whet crazy when applying spray foam sealant and got it everywhere; but the two foams are not the same product.

One individual on a web board said they used a heat gun to get large "clumps" soft enough to remove with a putty knife.

Good luck!

Merry Christmas!
 
Be careful not to accidentally start it on fire it creates toxic gases and burns faster that you can run. :|
 
jkidd":2y8e6tw2 said:
Be careful not to accidentally start it on fire it creates toxic gases and burns faster that you can run. :|
Click to expand...


It probably emits some of that gas even in the warming process so I'd be careful about breathing in the same room unless you are using a vapor/fume proof respirator.

Harvey
SleepyC:moon
 
Another solvent I keep in the shop is Methyl Ethyl Ketone (MEK--not MEK peroxide which is the catalyst for polyester resin). Do not get MEK on the finished gel coat, but it may help get rid of the small amount of foam which is down between the weave of fiberglass mat.

Of all of the ideas above, probably one of the best is Sunbeam's suggestion of a Fein tool (Dremel and almost everyone else makes them now) with one of the scraper blade attachments. I may do the area under the 22 V berth is this spring--and use those old lazarette hatches I have left over...
 
I'm kinda wondering why work so hard to get ALL of the stuff off. I would think chipping it out in chunks, followed by some scraping with a putty knife followed my some wire brushing, then the good ol' shop vac and you'd be good to go. It is after all, storage. If nothing else, sealing in the bits down in the weave may be a reason to put some tough paint on with a brush. I think the real issue for me would be to keep from breathing the foam dust and the paint, if you use it in such a confined space.

The chemicals listed are, at least for me, nothing I'd want to work with unless I and the whole project was open to outdoors, period. I've removed a lot of sloppy spray foam applications...by me...over the years, and the mechanical removal is the safest. As to sealing the little bits left in the weave with paint? That would be up to how "Monkish" you are. "Monkish," as in the television series, Monk.

Oh, gasoline works really well for removing the stuff. I have a red neck friend who tried that...once.
 
How about an alternative to removing he small stuff:

My Sea Ray is covered in carpeting in all the storage compartments.

Looks good, is quiet, provides nice insulation, and hides the view of the fiberglass hull.

Is held down by contact cement.

Easy and you don't have to remove the small foam, either.

Only disadvantage is you don't want to get it wet, as it would be hard to dry out.

Fortunately, I've never gotten any water in any of the storage areas. (Shouldn't have bragged!)

Joe. :teeth :thup
 
thanks for all the suggestions.

The plan is to scrape then use 60 grit on the orbital palm sander to clean up residue then paint with something like bilge coat. Then try to find some thick solid rubber mat material so things like anchor don't bag the inside of the hull in choppy weather.

Mine was full to the gills (foam) Using a short carpenters hand saw and a stanley flatbar/nailpuller to break off big chunks of foam. Ports side done, 2 1/2 garbage bags of foam.
 
My boat was completely full of foam as well. My favorite tool seemed to change about every 10 minutes. The Stanley bar was good as well as a crowbar and a small sledge. A good "RED DEVIL" putty knife is reinforced in the handle to be hit with a hammer. The saws-all with long demolition blade was handy at slicing deep into the foam especially up in the nose and into the top corners. But for me the most valuable tool was a metal military entrenching shovel. You could get a hard jab in and then using a twisting motion, bust out huge hunks of foam. My foam was incredibly strong and some had not ever cured and was a tacky mess.

I threw some old sheets down and made a few camping trips with visiting guests, so never got to remove the fine stuff. Was thinking an air powered sander might work good. Lightweight, doesn't get hot, flexible sanding disk should follow contour. I did get it pretty clean with a borrowed vibrating tool with the flat blade. Thinking about just painting over the fuzzy stuff. I am not crazy about stirring up fiberglass dust.
 
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