Any proven solvent to remove this silicone?
- Thread starter elnaldo
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audiotemp
Super Member
I'm not an expert on this but I have removed silicone caulking using a remover chemical. As @ConradH notes, it's not stuff you would want to put on your electronics.
Such removers only loosen the attachment and don't dissolve the caulk. Some online how-to's claim that vinegar has a similar effect, only weaker. I suspect it requires soaking although I didn't look into the details and I haven't tried it.
Such removers only loosen the attachment and don't dissolve the caulk. Some online how-to's claim that vinegar has a similar effect, only weaker. I suspect it requires soaking although I didn't look into the details and I haven't tried it.
Blue Shadow
Waiting for Vintage Gear from this century
Dow makes some silicone removal products but they are not for that kind of mess. More of a final cleaning type product.
Semanon
Super Member
The critical component!
petehall347
the brandy coffee man
if its the sift stuff i have used petrol but still needs picking off . has to be outdoors for obvious reasons . acetone might work better or maybe amyl acetate
elnaldo
Lunatic Member
I've tried ethyl acetate and acetone, my usual solvents, but didn't have any visible effect... It's the "rubber like" silicone. Not hard, but strongly adhered to everything!!! Almost impossible to get it off a capacitor sleeve with a sharp blade or your nails!
It's an Adam T10S subwoofer.
It's an Adam T10S subwoofer.
petehall347
the brandy coffee man
submerse in petrol for an hour and see if it loosens it . that's how i did it on a board that was completely covered , also used an old toothbrush . it didn't dissolve it . it did make it break up easier . after that one i now say sorry its a new board needed as its covered in that stuff .
Lavane
Lunatic Member
This one may just kick your butt. I've never seen sooo much silicone used on a board before. Maybe it was the essembler's first day on the job and didn't know how much to use? 
I get using "some" silicone since it's a subwoofer amp, but dang! 
Either way you decide to tackle it, it's going to entail a lot of time and labor.
I get using "some" silicone since it's a subwoofer amp, but dang! Either way you decide to tackle it, it's going to entail a lot of time and labor.
I have used Contractor's Solvent to remove beads of caulk on acrylic.
But I don't know if it would work in your case-that's a lot of silicone.
www.de-solv-it.com
But I don't know if it would work in your case-that's a lot of silicone.
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petehall347
the brandy coffee man
been doing some reading and DIGESIL NC 701 looks promising but i haven't a clue where to get the stuff from or its cost .
Any solvent that will dissolve that silicone is going to be nasty.
Mechanical removal is my preferred method.
Mechanical removal is my preferred method.
elnaldo
Lunatic Member
I see, and I agree, looking at the options, even the most common solvents will be nasty to work with... And I don't actually need to remove all the material. Just some parts to do diagnosing and replace some components.
I'm proceeding carefully with the mechanical removal.
I'm proceeding carefully with the mechanical removal.
Bill Ferris
Lunatic Member
I think contractors strength De Solvent, which was used here removing liquid nails off the living room`s foam acoustic tile glued wall successfully over 14 yrs. ago, is citrus based, and while its cleaning agent fumes were not very offensive, they weren`t something I would wish to smell frequently !
It didn`t dissolve, but got behind the well seasoned liquid nail blobs and broke down the grip to the wall and after soaking for some time the glue globs released from the wall with minimal effort and damage to the wall`s surface with a plastic putty knife .
MEK or methylene chloride would probably do the trick, either one will go through catalyzed paint, but they would probably also eat the board and most of the components. Mechanical picking is probably your only choice. Maybe a little toluene or xylene for final clean up
infullview
Super Member
GE silicone seal can be removed with mineral spirits (common paint remover) it partially melts and looses adhesion. Wipe off excess and slow it to completely evaporate afterwards. I’ve used this to remove sinks that were glued in place and it is very effective. You can get paint thinner at any hardware store and it’s inexpensive.
Bill Ferris
Lunatic Member
When I first saw that picture of the heavily silicon covered board, I realized that it most likely was a powered subwoofer power amp, and the manufacture, rightly so, deemed the amp`s circuit board components would be subjected to intense low frequency vibration for sustained periods of time and physically stress not only the high profile weighty parts, but transferring their vibration to their wave soldered connections, especially if the subwoofer`s plate amp is mounted vertically on the subwoofer`s cabinet.
You ain't kidding. I just dug into the other Dayton amp I got this spring. Had a cap rolling around inside, which seems to have blown itself clear off the board. Except it had no wrapper. Took a while to figure out where it came from, since the silicone that had secured it was still holding the wrapper in place.
elnaldo
Lunatic Member
Exact;y, I'm seeing this white stuff very often lately. Better than the black corrosive glue used 10 years ago, but hard to remove.