FergusM
New member
What is the best way of cleaning up the Sikaflex squeezed out from round fittings?
Cleaning up Sikaflex
- Thread starter FergusM
- Start date
heerenleed
New member
Let it cure completely first...... No soapy water and fingers to make a clean edge. It will only make maters worse. After the Sika is completely cured, 1/2 weeks, depending on weather, cut away the excess and then use a product by Innotec called Seal and Bond remover to clean away the rests. Works a treat...
cheers
cheers
aidancoughlan
Member
There was a post about this a while back, and the response from Sikaflex posted by one forumite was that mechanical means (ie. abrasion) was the only way of removing sikaflex after it sets.
ie. there is no chemical solution to help remove it.
Edit - oops, just seen the post above. Must be good it it gets rid of "Sticka"flex.
ie. there is no chemical solution to help remove it.
Edit - oops, just seen the post above. Must be good it it gets rid of "Sticka"flex.
john_morris_uk
Well-known member
Whilst the Sika Flex is still wet scrape up most of the excess with a flat scraper - sometimes I use a wooden spatula - sometimes a screwdriver blade. Then use white spirit and a cloth. The white spirit doesn't really dissolve the sika flex, but acts as a lubricant to help you wipe a clean edge. Rub hard and keep using a clean bit of cloth and you can get a perfect finish.
This is how a boat builder showed me how to do it. Works perfectly.
I notice that whilst posting this, another forumite has suggested that there is a cleaner that will remove cured sikaflex. I must get round to trying to get hold of some, as I have tried a few solvents in the past and as far as I am concerned nothing touches the stuff once its gone off!
This is how a boat builder showed me how to do it. Works perfectly.
I notice that whilst posting this, another forumite has suggested that there is a cleaner that will remove cured sikaflex. I must get round to trying to get hold of some, as I have tried a few solvents in the past and as far as I am concerned nothing touches the stuff once its gone off!
steve28
Active member
The way i was taught was to position the fitting, draw around it with a pencil then mask the line, install the fitting, wipe the excess sika away then peel the tape off. This was show to me by boatbuilders.
steve
steve
cardinal_mark
New member
Homebase sell a pack of wipes for cleaning bath sealant which seem to work okay - at least they get the stuff off your hands!
Whilst I'm on, I had the pleasure of re-caulking a few areas of my deck on Sunday (kids ne game is spotting the loose bits and pulling it out in long strips!). Now this is a first for me so I pop into the local swindlery and trustingly (mistake) ask for the appropriate caulking product. I then hand over the GDP of a small developing country and skip off to do the job.
Later, and for want of something better to do, I'm browsing the Sikaflex web site and notice they produce something called 291 DS for caulking. I check my bag and see that swindler has sold me plain old 291 (or whatever the number is) most of which is now curing in my deck!
Now I'm wondering how many £000' s I've wiped off the value of my boat and / or if I'm going to have to dig out the plain old 291 and replace it with the DS version?!! Any advice appreciated.
Mark
Whilst I'm on, I had the pleasure of re-caulking a few areas of my deck on Sunday (kids ne game is spotting the loose bits and pulling it out in long strips!). Now this is a first for me so I pop into the local swindlery and trustingly (mistake) ask for the appropriate caulking product. I then hand over the GDP of a small developing country and skip off to do the job.
Later, and for want of something better to do, I'm browsing the Sikaflex web site and notice they produce something called 291 DS for caulking. I check my bag and see that swindler has sold me plain old 291 (or whatever the number is) most of which is now curing in my deck!
Now I'm wondering how many £000' s I've wiped off the value of my boat and / or if I'm going to have to dig out the plain old 291 and replace it with the DS version?!! Any advice appreciated.
Mark
TigaWave
New member
We used to supply a product called rough touch Scrubs from Dymon, but chandleries were not interested in stocking it.
It cleans off wet, and dry Sika as it has non scratching abrasives in impregnated cloths, I always carry them.
Not sure who's stocking them now, but roof fitters were useinng them to clean sealants.
It cleans off wet, and dry Sika as it has non scratching abrasives in impregnated cloths, I always carry them.
Not sure who's stocking them now, but roof fitters were useinng them to clean sealants.
beneteau_305_553
New member
I remove most of the excess with a scraper then use a J cloth damp with lots of washing up liquid. Never use just water as sikkaflex sticks to damp surfaces. Leaves a really smooth finish. And it cures quickly as it is a moisture cure material.
Clean the cloth regularly in a bucket of water.
You can use white spirit to smooth off silicone but not on sikkaflex 221 or 291 as it prevents it curing.
Clean the cloth regularly in a bucket of water.
You can use white spirit to smooth off silicone but not on sikkaflex 221 or 291 as it prevents it curing.
jerryat
Active member
Hi Steve, I agree. That's the way I do it if possible. Otherwise I generally go with John Morris, scrape away what you can with a screwdriver/spatula, but I then use methylated sprits which seems to do the job very cleanly.
I definitely wouldn't wait for it to cure!! If you do your in for very hard work with a good chance of mucking up the surface you're trying to clean.
Cheers Jerry
I definitely wouldn't wait for it to cure!! If you do your in for very hard work with a good chance of mucking up the surface you're trying to clean.
Cheers Jerry
woody001
New member
no no no!
Use that orange polish stuff from america, forgotten what it's called, but trust me, it works a treat.
I cleaned up loads with it.
Use that orange polish stuff from america, forgotten what it's called, but trust me, it works a treat.
I cleaned up loads with it.
woody001
New member
just remember, you can get it in tesco it's called "orange glo"
honestly, it's really good.
honestly, it's really good.
steve28
Active member
And if your cleaning up uncured sika use petrol, works fine for me, its not fussy if its got 2stroke oil in either. So long as its not seagull mix.
oldsaltoz
New member
G’day FergusM,
A simple end grain wooden scraper made from some scrap will remove the bulk of the sealant and not leave a mark; does not have to be shaped, just a thin, say quarter inch thick stick with a fresh cut end will the trick.
You can avoid most of this cleaning off if you raid SWMBO’s cutlery drawer and borrow one of those white plastic spatular things she uses to clean all the cake mix out of the mixing bowl. It will give a very smooth and uniform finish and leave very little if any outside the work area; any that is left is so thin it’s very easy to remove.
Nowavagoodweekendall……
A simple end grain wooden scraper made from some scrap will remove the bulk of the sealant and not leave a mark; does not have to be shaped, just a thin, say quarter inch thick stick with a fresh cut end will the trick.
You can avoid most of this cleaning off if you raid SWMBO’s cutlery drawer and borrow one of those white plastic spatular things she uses to clean all the cake mix out of the mixing bowl. It will give a very smooth and uniform finish and leave very little if any outside the work area; any that is left is so thin it’s very easy to remove.
Nowavagoodweekendall……
dweeze
New member
I'm with steve
Am doing a lot of sticking down of hardware at the moment and masking is the best method particularly on teak where it tends to leave dark traces.
Have found that once you lay the hardware run a tongue depressor (thin edge of) or something of the like 45 degress to the mated parts to spread the sika to either side and take the tape off about 2 hours later when its only 1/2 set.
End product is a nice finished line with no crap around it
Am doing a lot of sticking down of hardware at the moment and masking is the best method particularly on teak where it tends to leave dark traces.
Have found that once you lay the hardware run a tongue depressor (thin edge of) or something of the like 45 degress to the mated parts to spread the sika to either side and take the tape off about 2 hours later when its only 1/2 set.
End product is a nice finished line with no crap around it