Cleaning Equipment

[gekog]

Good Day. In researching Delts Kits, Glasweld, LR Kits and Glass Technology Kits, I can see no equipment cleaning supplies in any. We (I will be soon) use droppers, mixing cups, bridges and other equipment that resins may come into contact with, and I can only assume that keeping this stuff clean after each use is important to both a perfect repair and longevity of the equipment itself.
I have looked at Brents or perhaps Kory's injector cleaning video, but I wonder if you all use the same cleaning solution on all other equipment that needs to be cleaned, and if you use it on a resin drop that may hit a cowling or a vehicles paint - yes I know it shouldn't, but....

gekog

[adam@gtglass]

Denatured alcohol (watered down or not) can be used in a spray bottle to maintain a clean injector. A few sprays into the injector and a twisted corner of a paper towel works wonders, if you don't have a pipe cleaner (flexible, fuzzy wire sticks). For most people, 1 cleaning per day is enough, but if you are keeping your injector in exposed UV light, cleaning the injector more frequently would be recommended, in my opinion.

[paulrsf]

In the Delta Kits tool case kit there is a small plastic white container used to hold a small amount of denatured alcohol. After each use of an injector I clean it off with denatured alcohol and then using a can of pressurized air (the kind you can get from any office supply store - meant for cleaning computer keyboards and other electronics) I dry out the injector assembly. I may be a little more intent on keeping the injectors clean than most, but I often read stories on this forum about technicians having their injectors freeze up from cured resin left in the injector. Also, the injector assembly is perhaps the most significant and costly tool used for doing repairs and I want to avoid having to replace one if i can.

[Brent Deines]

I do the same thing you do Paul...go figure. The majority of our support calls are from technicians who don't properly clean their equipment. Cleaning is simple and will save a lot of time and money in the long run. You can also use denatured alcohol to remove "wet" resin from glass, plastic, metal, and painted surfaces. We and most of our competitors don't ship it because it requires special HAZMAT requirements that cost $$$. Denatured alcohol easy to obtain from your local hardware or paint store and it's very inexpensive. I think it's safer to rinse Delta Kits injectors rather than spray them, but I can see where using a spray bottle filled with alcohol like Adam suggested would be handy for cleaning up other parts.

If your careful you shouldn't get resin on your other tools or your hands, but when it does happen the the denatured alcohol is all I ever use to remove wet resin. For fingerprints and other cleaning I generally just use my glass cleaner and I use my pit polish to polish the plastic housings and lenses on my lights.

If you are using a water based resin you "may" be able to get it off a hard surface after curing but it's not going to be easy and if you are using an acid based resin all I can say is good luck. The only products we have found that will take it off are so dangerous to use I won't even allow it in my shop. The last product we tried had a skull and cross bones on the bottle...I'm not kidding...and it cost me a small fortune to dispose of it.

When using denatured alcohol to clean your injector parts, be sure you change it daily and always wear nitrile gloves to protect your skin.

[Nomad]

I use denatured alcohol in a small spray bottle and pour a little into a cup to deep clean injector parts. I think regular rubbing alcohol will work too, like what you find in drug stores. Denatured is about $15 a gallon last time I bought it and that will last a very long time.

[GLASSTIME]

I love this topic!

[GlassStarz]

With the LR resinator you want some resin in it I dont clean it other than to wipe it off

[gekog]

Thanks all. I'm off to buy some alcohol!

[paulrsf]

DENATURED alcohol!

[mrchips]

The easiest way for me is to have a small spray bottle of windshield cleaner (alcohol based as everyone mentions) and use it to not only clean your equipment but also the windshield after the repair is done.

I have a few Q tips I use for inside the injector, and throw them out when done and wrap it all up (including my surgical gloves) with the paper towels and clean up stuff! No mess!

I always clean the whole windshield INSIDE AND OUT, AFTER the repair is done!

Using one bottle for everything!

Happy Chippin'