Any Tips for Removing Epoxy?

[rcnuk]

I have a couple of older mag mods and would like to update them to P4s. The emitters are pretty much "potted" and the epoxy is like a rock. Any ideas or tips for removing this stuff before I take a hammer and chisel to the heat sink?

 

[Sway]

Nail polish remover with acetone will soften Artic Alumina epoxy if you let it soak for a day or so. You may want to try and find some 100% acetone at a beauty supply or hardware store it may work a little quicker. I have soaked a few in nail polish remover and it worked OK but it will also pit aluminum, most of it can be polished out with some steel wool.

If it's a single emitter that you don't plan on trying to use again just grab it with some pliers and rip it off piece by piece and use a small scrape or jewelers screw driver to clean up the residue. Not a very elegant solution but you do end up saving one of the two parts

Later
Kelly

 

[ErickThakrar]

If you can do it without compromising other components, try heat. A heat gun or stick it in the oven for a bit at 150-180. That will soften the epoxy and make it lose adhesion.

 

[rcnuk]

Sway & ErickThakrar,
I'll give your tips a try.

Thanks!
Ross

 

[tanasit]

My wife's hair dryer works best.

 

[LuxLuthor]

Besides heat >350°F, another couple options I found a while back, of which the EO-OC worked best:

...apply acetone or Easy-Off Oven Cleaner to the epoxy and let it sit for awhile. Eventually, the epoxy will soften and can be pried from the surface with a putty knife.

 

[cy]

lux, some oven cleaners are highly alkaline and will attack aluminum

 

[Der Wichtel]

I always put mine into the fridge. Then the epoxy becomes very crumbly an you can remove the epoxy with your fingers or a little screwdriver easily

 

[LuxLuthor]

Here's another thing I came accross called "Attack Glue" which claims to dissolve cured epoxy.