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Author Topic:   Solvent for Cement on Deck Hatch O-rings

Frank O posted 02-09-2013 02:20 PM ET (US)
The O-rings on the six round and rectangular deck hatches on my 1995 Outrage 21 are all pretty shot, so I'm working on replacing them. I was pleased to find that the OEM for the hatches is local to me (Viking Manufacturing in Long Beach, California), and they sell new O-rings for about a dollar apiece.
When I asked them what they use as an adhesive when installing the O-rings, they said contact cement. Any suggestions on a solvent to use to remove remnants of the old adhesive? I see from an online search that MEK is listed as a solvent for contact cement, but it's hard to find in my local hardware stores. Or perhaps Boston Whaler used a different adhesive?

Frank O posted 02-09-2013 02:25 PM ET (US)
An addendum on further reflection: the hatches and frames would have come as a unit from Viking, so Boston Whaler wouldn't have been in the position of gluing in the O-rings. So I guess I'm looking for a contact cement solvent.
Tom W Clark posted 02-09-2013 02:40 PM ET (US)
If you are trying to remove old cement remnants, just experiment with what you have on hand. I'd start with acetone, as it cuts most anything. Try paint thinner, toluene, lacquer thinner, etc. Whatever you have on hand.
If the contact cement used was a water based product, most solvents aren't going to touch it. I use a lot of 3M 30-NF and that stuff is water based AND tough.
Try mechanically removing it. I typically put on a pair of rubberized "gripper" gloves and try to run the adhesive off with my finger tips and palm. Sometimes this is amazingly effective.
Tom W Clark posted 02-09-2013 02:52 PM ET (US)
If the cement is on the plastic hatches themselves, be careful if using actone; it will "melt" both ABS and polyproplene.
Binkster posted 02-09-2013 09:41 PM ET (US)
Tom is right about acetone. I'm sure it will do the job. One of its many uses is to remove contact cement. It is used by kitchen cabinet builders that build Formica covered cabinets to remove contact cement residue. I have used it in that way also, and it will remove any glue, or grease and it will not affect plastic(don't know about
ABS though), will not hurt gel coat. It might take off some paint though, so be careful there on painted surfaces. Also it won't do any damage to either resin or plastic bowling balls. I use it after every bowling session to remove dirt and lane oil.
You can buy it either as ACETONE in hardware stores, or save money and buy it as NAIL POLISH REMOVER. Some nail polish remover has other ingredients mostly so it smells better(work just as well though) and some will say pure acetone. I mostly buy the pure acetone nail polish remover in Target Stores in the large plastic bottles. Its cheap and I keep a spray bottle of it handy mostly to clean my bowling balls.
It will do anything better than lacquer thinner, except thin lacquer paint.
rich
Frank O posted 02-10-2013 08:40 PM ET (US)
Thanks. The O-rings are installed in the frames, which are made of the same material as the hatches themselves. The Viking Manufacturing website says the round hatches are made of acetone-resistant polypropylene (interesting that they call that out). The material isn't given for the rectangular hatch, but I have to think it's the same stuff. I'll proceed with caution.
Chuck Tribolet posted 02-12-2013 09:06 AM ET (US)
Some nail polish remover has oils and water in it. If you
want acetone, get it in the paint department at the hardware
store.
Chuck
Binkster posted 02-13-2013 07:31 AM ET (US)
I found at Target Stores pure acetone nail polish remover. It is a few cents more that the one with additives. It is cheaper than at hardware stores.
rich
Frank O posted 02-17-2013 04:10 PM ET (US)
I changed out the hatch O-rings this morning and, as it turned out, it wasn't necessary to use any solvent. On my 18-year-old Outrage, the contact cement holding in the old O-rings was well-degraded, and very little was left in the channels when I pulled the old O-rings out. The channels cleaned up nicely with Simple Green and a Scotch Brite-type abrasive pad.

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Author	Topic: Solvent for Cement on Deck Hatch O-rings
Frank O	posted 02-09-2013 02:20 PM ET (US) The O-rings on the six round and rectangular deck hatches on my 1995 Outrage 21 are all pretty shot, so I'm working on replacing them. I was pleased to find that the OEM for the hatches is local to me (Viking Manufacturing in Long Beach, California), and they sell new O-rings for about a dollar apiece. When I asked them what they use as an adhesive when installing the O-rings, they said contact cement. Any suggestions on a solvent to use to remove remnants of the old adhesive? I see from an online search that MEK is listed as a solvent for contact cement, but it's hard to find in my local hardware stores. Or perhaps Boston Whaler used a different adhesive?
Frank O	posted 02-09-2013 02:25 PM ET (US) An addendum on further reflection: the hatches and frames would have come as a unit from Viking, so Boston Whaler wouldn't have been in the position of gluing in the O-rings. So I guess I'm looking for a contact cement solvent.
Tom W Clark	posted 02-09-2013 02:40 PM ET (US) If you are trying to remove old cement remnants, just experiment with what you have on hand. I'd start with acetone, as it cuts most anything. Try paint thinner, toluene, lacquer thinner, etc. Whatever you have on hand. If the contact cement used was a water based product, most solvents aren't going to touch it. I use a lot of 3M 30-NF and that stuff is water based AND tough. Try mechanically removing it. I typically put on a pair of rubberized "gripper" gloves and try to run the adhesive off with my finger tips and palm. Sometimes this is amazingly effective.
Tom W Clark	posted 02-09-2013 02:52 PM ET (US) If the cement is on the plastic hatches themselves, be careful if using actone; it will "melt" both ABS and polyproplene.
Binkster	posted 02-09-2013 09:41 PM ET (US) Tom is right about acetone. I'm sure it will do the job. One of its many uses is to remove contact cement. It is used by kitchen cabinet builders that build Formica covered cabinets to remove contact cement residue. I have used it in that way also, and it will remove any glue, or grease and it will not affect plastic(don't know about ABS though), will not hurt gel coat. It might take off some paint though, so be careful there on painted surfaces. Also it won't do any damage to either resin or plastic bowling balls. I use it after every bowling session to remove dirt and lane oil. You can buy it either as ACETONE in hardware stores, or save money and buy it as NAIL POLISH REMOVER. Some nail polish remover has other ingredients mostly so it smells better(work just as well though) and some will say pure acetone. I mostly buy the pure acetone nail polish remover in Target Stores in the large plastic bottles. Its cheap and I keep a spray bottle of it handy mostly to clean my bowling balls. It will do anything better than lacquer thinner, except thin lacquer paint. rich
Frank O	posted 02-10-2013 08:40 PM ET (US) Thanks. The O-rings are installed in the frames, which are made of the same material as the hatches themselves. The Viking Manufacturing website says the round hatches are made of acetone-resistant polypropylene (interesting that they call that out). The material isn't given for the rectangular hatch, but I have to think it's the same stuff. I'll proceed with caution.
Chuck Tribolet	posted 02-12-2013 09:06 AM ET (US) Some nail polish remover has oils and water in it. If you want acetone, get it in the paint department at the hardware store. Chuck
Binkster	posted 02-13-2013 07:31 AM ET (US) I found at Target Stores pure acetone nail polish remover. It is a few cents more that the one with additives. It is cheaper than at hardware stores. rich
Frank O	posted 02-17-2013 04:10 PM ET (US) I changed out the hatch O-rings this morning and, as it turned out, it wasn't necessary to use any solvent. On my 18-year-old Outrage, the contact cement holding in the old O-rings was well-degraded, and very little was left in the channels when I pulled the old O-rings out. The channels cleaned up nicely with Simple Green and a Scotch Brite-type abrasive pad.