Dissolving Silicone Adhesive
Silicone glue, which is inexpensive,
widely available, and easy to use, is frequently used in gluing
glass to glass and other sustances. Applications such as
outdoor installations, attaching feet to fused pieces, and securing
supports to the back of pieces to be hung are common.
Silicone can be removed by scraping with a
blade or craft knife, but that can be laborious and isn't always
practical. Instead, try using a solvent that's made to remove
silicone.
There are a number of solvents on the
market, but one of the best is Silicone-Be-Gone, a product made by
DAP and developed specifically for removing silicone. It can
be used both for dissolving cured silicone and for cleaning up the
area around freshly applied silicone. The product takes
several hours to work completely. It's also an oil-based solvent
that has a noticeable odor, so use with proper ventilation.
It's also a good idea to wear gloves to minimize contact with your
skin.
If you don't want to use the stronger
commercial products, you can remove silicone with mineral spirits or
rubbing alcohol. These products are safer, but they will take
longer to work, and they will likely also require some elbow grease
and a fair amount of scraping.
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Copyright 2006 Brad Walker.
All rights reserved.
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