Problems cleaning up after using epoxy

P

Porsche 356

Barry,

I am using SPI epoxy primer and activator that is 1.5 years old. When finished spraying the epoxy and tried to clean the mixing cup and gun I noticed that the acetone was not doing a good job of cleaning. There was a "greasey" residue left in the cup and in the brush I use to clean with. I ran the acetone through the gun and thought it was clean but on closer inspection after taking it apart I found a build up of gooy primer. My questions are is acetone the best cleaner for epoxy and why is the acetone not cleaning and what is the residue left behind. I can, after a lot of work get the gun and cup clean. Is this a sign that the activator is going bad. No sand in the paint appearance that has been suggested as a sign of bad activator.

Again thanks for all your help
 
Acetone is a good cleaner but too fast.
Use lacquer thinner or urethane reducer.
 
Thank for the information about the epoxy. Would the fact that I mixed whit and black together have anything to do with my problem. The auto paint stores in my area cannot sell Lacquer thinner, however, I can get it at Home Depot.
 
No, mixing epoxy colors has nothing to do with the clean up problem.
Where do you live? I buy cleaner grade lacquer thinner in 5 gallon containers from my local jobbers.
 
No, mixing epoxy colors has nothing to do with the clean up problem.
Where do you live? I buy cleaner grade lacquer thinner in 5 gallon containers from my local jobbers.
I live in Sacramento, California. Our jobbers are not allowed to sell Lacquer thinner. I can get one gallon cans at Home Depot. Go figure, how can Home Depot sell lacquer thinner but my auto paint supplier can't.
 
Get a gallon of your jobber's cheapest urethane reducer.

If the urethane reducer he gets is the 0 VOC stuff loaded with oxsol then he’ll be back to square one, that stuff doesn’t clean epoxy at all. Better a trip to Home Depot to grab lacquer thinner.
 
If the urethane reducer he gets is the 0 VOC stuff loaded with oxsol then he’ll be back to square one, that stuff doesn’t clean epoxy at all. Better a trip to Home Depot to grab lacquer thinner.
Did not know that, I thought the epoxy was low VOC now and so could be cleaned with low VOC solvent. Happy to live in the sticks, so far this stuff has not been forced upon us.
 
I use lacquer thinner to clean and cut through whatever I'm spraying. I don't like the way lacquer thinner leaves a residue. Someone recommended this aerosol spray gun cleaner by SEM. I still use LT to do the heavy cleaning , then use the aerosol to finish the job. To me it works awesome, it doesn't evaporate as fast as LT and leaves a nice clean surface.
 

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