X-Virus-Scanned: clean according to Sophos on Logan.com Return-Path: Sender: To: lml@lancaironline.net Date: Sun, 14 Sep 2008 22:56:03 -0400 Message-ID: X-Original-Return-Path: Received: from QMTA07.emeryville.ca.mail.comcast.net ([76.96.30.64] verified) by logan.com (CommuniGate Pro SMTP 5.2.8) with ESMTP id 3131716 for lml@lancaironline.net; Sun, 14 Sep 2008 12:58:27 -0400 Received-SPF: pass receiver=logan.com; client-ip=76.96.30.64; envelope-from=gary.chris@comcast.net Received: from OMTA10.emeryville.ca.mail.comcast.net ([76.96.30.28]) by QMTA07.emeryville.ca.mail.comcast.net with comcast id Ed5B1a00R0cQ2SLA7gxpbr; Sun, 14 Sep 2008 16:57:49 +0000 Received: from [66.229.89.106] ([66.229.89.106]) by OMTA10.emeryville.ca.mail.comcast.net with comcast id Egxn1a00H2HgYJA8WgxoAm; Sun, 14 Sep 2008 16:57:49 +0000 X-Authority-Analysis: v=1.0 c=1 a=yyqAYf2aAAAA:8 a=6Dw2SJhdAAAA:8 a=rNVVRj2cAAAA:8 a=nGRDunSbQsYAmN72nZoA:9 a=TC-wy7VcWR3Uu8lS9DsA:7 a=8YHDzr-2l3apAzMjjb64Pgc7SbQA:4 a=T7dl6hF01GMA:10 a=EzXvWhQp4_cA:10 a=-ZQhYGXY2L8A:10 a=yvUYU9zc8teI-MK26x8A:9 a=8H2S8fk_ousrMHAtSu4A:7 a=PLmF23axO9U5YeJYpTNn14437ZwA:4 a=AfD3MYMu9mQA:10 X-Original-Message-ID: <48CD428B.9080801@comcast.net> X-Original-Date: Sun, 14 Sep 2008 12:57:47 -0400 From: Gary Hall User-Agent: Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; en-US; rv:1.8.1.16) Gecko/20080702 SeaMonkey/1.1.11 MIME-Version: 1.0 X-Original-To: Lancair Mailing List Subject: re: sticky stuff dispenser cleaning References: In-Reply-To: Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary="------------050403030508040405010700" This is a multi-part message in MIME format. --------------050403030508040405010700 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8; format=flowed Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit For cleaning the pump parts I prefer lacquer thinner over acetone or denatured alcohol. It is the hardener side that need the cleaning, although cleaning the clear resin side won't hurt, just messy. Don't forget to wear Nitrile gloves. http://www.wisegeek.com/what-are-nitrile-gloves.htm Over time, the hardener builds up a thick black hard residue on the the moving parts and they don't work correctly when used. Inside the tube it builds up a coating, like arterial plaque, that reduces the flow and skews the accuracy of the intended measure. I have found that the dispensing tube for the hardener side may have to be soaked longer after running a wire through them to remove any hardened material. The only reason I would replace the unsightly hardener reservoir would be if it was damaged in some way. Make sure everything is clean, dry and moves freely when done. After reassembling, do as Bob has mentioned, monitor your initial samples for accuracy. I have to clean my dispenser (and others) several times over the years and have found that giving the hardener side parts a good soaking overnight in lacquer thinner is best. LT does a better job than acetone because it has slightly more aggressive chemical solvent properties than acetone. Acetone has a higher evaporation rate and is not suitable for overnight soaking, plus it is highly flammable. http://www.artsparx.com/Undmatsolv.html Having said all of that, acetone is used more for thinning hardener than lacquer thiner and denatured alcohol. But because of the dangers of acetone and alcohol I won't recommend them for cleaning. And as a note, adding 5% of acetone or lacquer thinner to thin the resin/hardener mix will reduce the epoxy's compressive strength by 35% when cured so that is not a good thing in building structural items. Now here is a tip: This method is great because you don't have to disassemble and reassemble everything. Every 6 months disconnect the resin side so it will not dispense anything when the handle is used. Remove all the hardener you can because it can be reused after cleaning. You should do this when the hardener side needs to be refilled anyway and is low. Place a cup full of lacquer thinner in the now nearly empty reservoir and pump it through into another container. Replete the process several times (over several hours) using the same original LT. Use clean LT when near the end of that cleaning cycle. After every cup full pump through, run a small wire far up the tube as possible to loosen up whatever material you can and pump a few more cycles. This harden hardener is difficult to remove completely with a quick attempt at cleaning - it will take a better part of a day if you have not done regular cleaning. Use a new cup full of LT for the overnight soaking. Pump enough through to be sure the tube is filled, plugged and let it sit overnight. Common sense will tell you if the mechanism is clean. FWIW. Warm regards, Gary Fort Lauderdale Executive http://www.uslan.com/hinge-kit.html Subject: re: sticky stuff dispenser cleaning From: "Robert Mitchell" Date: Sat, 13 Sep 2008 23:16:34 -0400 To: lml@lancaironline.net Unscrew each nozzle, there is a check valve ball and spring underneath. I soaked them in acetone and replaced. Then, after reassembly I pumped acetone thru the pump (got out some sticky black stuff). Finally I replaced the reservoirs. Works great now. Don’t forget to weigh a couple of pumps to make sure it is dispensing the correct ratio. Throw this initial test batch away in case it is contaminated with acetone. I don’t think acetone will affect the reservoirs, unless they have changed the material. Bob Lancair 56SH --------------050403030508040405010700 Content-Type: text/html; charset=UTF-8 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit For cleaning the pump parts I prefer lacquer thinner over acetone or denatured alcohol.

It is the hardener side that need the cleaning, although cleaning the clear resin side won't hurt, just messy. Don't forget to wear Nitrile gloves.
http://www.wisegeek.com/what-are-nitrile-gloves.htm

Over time, the hardener builds up a thick black hard residue on the the moving parts and they don't work correctly when used. Inside the tube it builds up a coating, like arterial plaque, that reduces the flow and skews the accuracy of the intended measure.

I have found that the dispensing tube for the hardener side may have to be soaked longer after running a wire through them to remove any hardened material. The only reason I would replace the unsightly hardener reservoir would be if it was damaged in some way.

Make sure everything is clean, dry and moves freely when done. After reassembling, do as Bob has mentioned, monitor your initial samples for accuracy.

I have to clean my dispenser (and others) several times over the years and have found that giving the hardener side parts a good soaking overnight in lacquer thinner is best. LT does a better job than acetone because it has slightly more aggressive chemical solvent properties than acetone. Acetone has a higher evaporation rate and is not suitable for overnight soaking, plus it is highly flammable.
http://www.artsparx.com/Undmatsolv.html

Having said all of that, acetone is used more for thinning hardener than lacquer thiner and denatured alcohol. But because of the dangers of acetone and alcohol I won't recommend them for cleaning. And as a note, adding 5% of acetone or lacquer thinner to thin the resin/hardener mix will reduce the epoxy's compressive strength by 35% when cured so that is not a good thing in building structural items.

Now here is a tip: This method is great because you don't have to disassemble and reassemble everything. Every 6 months disconnect the resin side so it will not dispense anything when the handle is used.

Remove all the hardener you can because it can be reused after cleaning. You should do this when the hardener side needs to be refilled anyway and is low.

Place a cup full of lacquer thinner in the now nearly empty reservoir and pump it through into another container. Replete the process several times (over several hours) using the same original LT.

Use clean LT when near the end of that cleaning cycle. After every cup full pump through, run a small wire far up the tube as possible to loosen up whatever material you can and pump a few more cycles. This harden hardener is difficult to remove completely with a quick attempt at cleaning - it will take a better part of a day if you have not done regular cleaning.

Use a new cup full of LT for the overnight soaking. Pump enough through to be sure the tube is filled, plugged and let it sit overnight. Common sense will tell you if the mechanism is clean.

FWIW.

Warm regards,

Gary

Fort Lauderdale Executive
http://www.uslan.com/hinge-kit.html


Subject:
re: sticky stuff dispenser cleaning
From:
"Robert Mitchell" <rmitch1@hughes.net>
Date:
Sat, 13 Sep 2008 23:16:34 -0400
To:
lml@lancaironline.net

Unscrew each nozzle, there is a check valve ball and spring underneath.  I soaked them in acetone and replaced.  Then, after reassembly I pumped acetone thru the pump (got out some sticky black stuff).  Finally I replaced the reservoirs.  Works great now.  Don’t forget to weigh a couple of pumps to make sure it is dispensing the correct ratio.  Throw this initial test batch away in case it is contaminated with acetone.  I don’t think acetone will affect the reservoirs, unless they have changed the material.

Bob

Lancair 56SH
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