Adana 8x5 Roller Meltdown

Probably the poly rollers reverted. There’s a long thread on LetPress about this that was active within the last couple of days. I’ll try to summarize what I can recall, and maybe some of those who have experience with reverted poly rollers can weigh in too.

Apparently, there may or may not be an adequate solvent for breaking this stuff down. Methyl ethyl ketone, acetone, and lacquer thinner were mentioned as possibilities, but all of those are pretty nasty. I’m not sure on the precise nature of their respective toxicities, but you’ll want to read up before breaking any of them out.

Some have had success in removing the gunk by limiting its adhesive qualities (the “gunk” is pretty sticky, no?) with talcum powder and/or freezing it and carving it off in its frozen state.

Maybe someone who has had experience in this procedure can move you forward from here.

I wonder if anyone’s tried a pressure washer for this task? Maybe even with some kind of fairly aggressive soap/detergent? Of course the water will rust the iron unless it can be dried very quickly after the washing — maybe blow-drying with a hair dryer? This treatment if it worked would be preferable to scraping, using nasty, solvents, etc. as being easier on the paint.

Bob

timbobbow, Heat gun, the kind that can burn you. Sometimes autobody shops use them to remove decals. I used one of these that some composition rollers had ozzed onto some two piece quoins. It’s a nasty job.best james

I have a large showcard proof press out in the garage that has a three-roller brayer ‘built-in’. The rollers have melted into the bed of the press. It is a gooey green mess. I pondered this for a while and then set the whole thing on fire!!!! It worked for getting the bulk of the crap to burn off, now I’ll deal with the messy residue. The amount of unbelievably sticky goo I started with was absolutely daunting, but I think I am left with something manageable now.

Rick

Rick:

Gives credence to the expression “Hot Off the Press.”

—David Smith.

24-fire.jpg

Rick:

I would loved to have seen that! Next time you’re planning on an auto-de-fe in the garage give me a call and I’ll drive down with my antique fire helmet! Good luck with the clean up!

-Denis

amazing on youtube-dry ice cleaning- but will take the paint off as well-years ago I put chalk on some roller meltdown, then meths to clean it off, how about silkscreen emulsifiable screenwash which might not remove the paint, or acrylic floor stripper which is sodium metasilicate???