What's a good solvent for Dolfinite on teak?

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Duncan
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What's a good solvent for Dolfinite on teak?

Post by Duncan »

(cross-posted from Cape Dory Board)

I got my rubrails off today(!), and now I want to get the Dolfinite off the back of them. (I presume it's Dolifinite,sort of pinkish brown, still sticky after all these years).

I'm guessing maybe mineral spirits, since that's already in the product at low concentration (1-5% according to the MSDS). There's a similar amount of xylene, but I've never used that. I don't want something that would screw up the teak.

It's not easy to pull or scrape off the wood, although it does scrape more easily off the gelcoat.

Does anyone have experience, or a can of Dolfinite on the shelf?
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Re: What's a good solvent for Dolfinite on teak?

Post by Hirilondë »

I don't think either of those solvents will hurt the teak any. But mineral spirits is much safer for you. I think you will find that it comes off very easily with the mineral spirits as well. Dolfinite has virtual no tensile/adhesive strength at all. And because it never cures you will find it dilutes easily with compatible solvents. Basically it is just a mush of solids and liquids.
Dave Finnegan
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Re: What's a good solvent for Dolfinite on teak?

Post by Duncan »

Hirilondë wrote:I don't think either of those solvents will hurt the teak any. But mineral spirits is much safer for you. I think you will find that it comes off very easily with the mineral spirits as well. Dolfinite has virtual no tensile/adhesive strength at all. And because it never cures you will find it dilutes easily with compatible solvents. Basically it is just a mush of solids and liquids.
Thanks, Dave, I was hoping you'd advise me before I headed out today, appreciate it.

"Mineral spirits" is what I was hoping to hear, and "very easily" sounds like a bonus!~
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Re: What's a good solvent for Dolfinite on teak?

Post by Duncan »

Guess I spoke too soon.

It turns out this stuff (if it is Dolfinite, which I am still guessing) is tenaciously attached to the teak. Very rubbery, stretches, and then snaps right back. It gave way fairly easily when pulling the rub rails off, and scrapes off ok from the gelcoat.

It does not want to let go of the teak, though: I tried varsol (i.e. mineral spirits), acetone, and paint remover today, but none of these seemed to touch it. Similarly, the carbide scraper mostly just bounces along on top.

I can essentially grind it off (50 grit paper on the power sander), but that's laborious, and I hate to think of sucking this stuff into the motor.

Am I right in thinking that the heat gun would be the next step?
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Rachel
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Re: What's a good solvent for Dolfinite on teak?

Post by Rachel »

Duncan wrote: It turns out this stuff (if it is Dolfinite, which I am still guessing) is tenaciously attached to the teak. Very rubbery, stretches, and then snaps right back.
That doesn't sound like Dolfinite to me, unless I'm mistaken. Isn't it more like... I guess "putty" is the word (?). I would think it would be hard/flexible by now (i.e. dried out), but not at all rubbery or "snappy."

Your description of "very rubbery, stretches, and snaps right back" sounds more like.... I shudder to say it... silicone (although your previous description of "pinkish brown and sticky" didn't sound like the dreaded S-product).

Weird!
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Re: What's a good solvent for Dolfinite on teak?

Post by Jeremy »

I'm a marine maintenance newb and not up on all my marine goops, but have recently successfully removed from the attachment points of my cockpit coamings a bunch of rubbery stuff fitting the description of what you're dealing with with a heat gun. That may indeed be your best next step.
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Re: What's a good solvent for Dolfinite on teak?

Post by Duncan »

Jeremy wrote:I'm a marine maintenance newb and not up on all my marine goops, but have recently successfully removed from the attachment points of my cockpit coamings a bunch of rubbery stuff fitting the description of what you're dealing with with a heat gun. That may indeed be your best next step.
Thanks, Jeremy, that's encouraging.
I never did get much use out of that heat gun I bought a while back, so I guess now's the time!
Rachel wrote:Weird!
That's what I'm thinking, that there must be something I'm missing. There's sketchy info on the Cape Dory board, but what there is says "Dolfinite". It also fits with the era and with the way Cape Dory did things generally (conservative methods and materials). Of course, it may not be original,
but I am guessing it is.

But, as you say, the rubberiness and strong grip on the teak are not what you'd expect.

I would just rebed over it, except that I intended to varnish the backs to seal them.

Ah well, it was an impulsive project, so it looks like she'll be going back in the water with the rubrails lashed to the stanchions for the time being..
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Re: What's a good solvent for Dolfinite on teak?

Post by Hirilondë »

It would tend to agree with Rachel that it is in fact not Dolfinite based on your description of it's rubbery characteristic. I also agree with Jeremy that the next step would be to try a heat gun. Be careful to start at a fair range away from the rub rails to avoid burning. This is just another example of why we call them *$#@&^(* boats some times.
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Re: What's a good solvent for Dolfinite on teak?

Post by Case »

It might be Butyl. The color is usually grey or black, not pinkish so I'm not certain what it is. One other possibility is window glazing putty. That's usually the same color as Dolfinite, though. The pinkish color really throws me off...

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Re: What's a good solvent for Dolfinite on teak?

Post by Hirilondë »

It could be a lot of things. But the fact that it is rubbery and elastic means it has cured. I doubt any solvent will help now. It has to be physically removed. Heat gun, scraper, sandpaper, curses, etc. are the tools for this. It is just another of the many tedious jobs that make up boat maintenance.

Oh, and this is why sometimes Dolfinite, even though a very low-tech material, would have been a really good choice. It would not have cured and has virtually no adhesive properties. New fangled and high tech are not always better.
Dave Finnegan
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Re: What's a good solvent for Dolfinite on teak?

Post by Duncan »

Hirilondë wrote:It could be a lot of things. But the fact that it is rubbery and elastic means it has cured. I doubt any solvent will help now. It has to be physically removed. Heat gun, scraper, sandpaper, curses, etc. are the tools for this. It is just another of the many tedious jobs that make up boat maintenance.

Oh, and this is why sometimes Dolfinite, even though a very low-tech material, would have been a really good choice. It would not have cured and has virtually no adhesive properties. New fangled and high tech are not always better.
Yes, to every single thing you say.

This is a piece of trim fastened into solid glass. From what you say, Dolfinite would have been great, or I suppose, butyl tape, too.

But I showed it to a couple of other guys at the boatyard, and they both said "Sikaflex" right away.

Sorry for the false alarm re:Dolfinite, I guess sometimes we see what we expect to see.

It comes off, with a sharp putty knife, and some hard pushing. Heat helps a bit, but not a lot.
Cursing works better.

7' feet done, 47' to go. Got the batteries in, the sails aboard, and started the engine. Hull's polished and sealed. Probably launching on the weekend ;)

Thanks, guys. Photos to follow.
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Re: What's a good solvent for Dolfinite on teak?

Post by earlylight »

I find that when faced with problems like this that getting out my Profanasaurus does wonders......not necessarily for the end result, but it seems to be good for my soul :-)
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Re: What's a good solvent for Dolfinite on teak?

Post by Hirilondë »

earlylight wrote:I find that when faced with problems like this that getting out my Profanasaurus does wonders......not necessarily for the end result, but it seems to be good for my soul :-)
Ooh, I need to get one of those. Although I must say I do just fine most of the time without one.
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Profanosaurus wasn't too busy today

Post by Duncan »

A chisel turned out to be the key - it worked very nicely at getting under and cutting through the thickest parts off the Sikaflex.
When I saw how well it went, I knew it was going to be a much better day today.

The routine ended up being "push with the chisel, pull with the carbide scraper, and grind with the power sander" (50 grit).
Another big help was being able to screw down the work, so as to be able to use both hands, and get some weight onto the chisel and the scraper.

Photos as promised:

Here's a close-up of the Sikaflex, showing the pinkish tinge that originally seemed to confirm the rumours of Dolfinite.
There was no sign of any varnish helping to protect the underside of the rubrails.

Image

..and a "before and after"

Image

And here's a before and after of the outward faces.
The previous finish was "Watco Teak Treatment", but I'd let it go, in preparation for this job.

Image

The new finish will probably be Epifanes, although maybe a less 'amber' varnish might save the nice light colour the teak has now?

Any equivalent quality, but lighter, varnish recommendations?
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Re: What's a good solvent for Dolfinite on teak?

Post by Pinching »

Looks a lot like teak flavored Life Calk to me.
Miserable to remove.
P
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