Clean-up of Messy Epoxy Tubes and Mixing Surfaces

by Glenn Ruminson (FACETS Mar 2005)

I got tired of getting my fingers gummed up from leaking epoxy and hardener tubes. I avoid the mess by slipping a 2″ by 3″ polyethylene bag over the bottom end of the tube — all the mess stays inside the bag.

This is probably not new to a lot of you, but I also discovered that ethyl alcohol (sold as denatured alcohol or shellac thinner–editor) will dissolve epoxy, hardener, and mixed but still soft epoxy-hardener. A squart of alcohol plus scrubbing with a paper towel makes quick and easy cleaning of sticky fingers, or your mixing surface, as long as you do this before the epoxy hardens.

Cut a paper towel into 2″ by 2″ sections for ease of use in cleaning up epoxy messes. I also find these sections useful in blotting water and debris off stones before checking my cutting progress.

Related posts:

1. Dopping with Epoxy