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Speeding up chipping with calcium chloride?

Hand Lettering topics: Sign Making, Design, Fabrication, Letterheads, Sign Books.

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Kelly Thorson
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Joined: Tue Apr 20, 2004 11:53 pm
Location: Penzance, SK Canada
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Speeding up chipping with calcium chloride?

Post by Kelly Thorson »

Has anyone used calcium chloride to speed up glue chipping? When exposed to the atmosphere, calcium chloride will absorb water and form a solution. It is used in the area to dry out damp basements. You can hang the crystals in a cheesecloth or old sock and place a bucket underneath and it will remove water from the air and the solution will drip down into the bucket. It really works well. I was thinking that if I built a booth with a self draining pan on each side that could be filled with the crystals it might speed up the chipping a lot. I seem to be looking at a three day window here lately.
I couldn't find anything on a search here. Does it sound like it would work? Any comments?
I believe there is no shame in failure. Rather, the shame lies in the loss of all the things that might have been, but for the fear of failure.
Russ McMullin
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Post by Russ McMullin »

Sounds interesting. When are you going to try it? I'd love to know the results.
Mike Jackson
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Post by Mike Jackson »

Kelly,
I would suggest locating a gallon of silica gel. They are clear crystals about the size of rock salt, sprinkled with pink to baby blue indicators. There are a couple of advantages of silica gel. It is a solid material and should not be as messy. It can even be sprinkled on the top of the glue. Also, it is reuseable. The blue crystals start turning pink as the rest of the granules absorb water. When finished, the granules can be sifted away from the chipped glue, then put under a heat lamp for a few hours. That will turn the pink back to blue and you can put it back in a gallon jar.

For either material to use, you need the least amount of air around the glass. You can make a sealed "tent" over the glass, maybe two or three inches off the surface. Normally, I only used silica gel to kick off stubborn areas.

Mike
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Laura Butler
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Joined: Sun May 08, 2005 2:51 pm
Location: Lapeer, MI

Calicum Chloride

Post by Laura Butler »

Kelly,
I was going to try this the next time that I chipped. I just had a flood in my shop when my water heater broke and I hung knee highs filled with this around the shop to draw the water out of the carpet and wood flooring.

I was going to make a blasting cabinet that would also serve as a chipping booth and I was going to put the chloride down in the bottom. I ended buying a cheap blasting booth from Harbor Frieght for $199.00.

I am also going to mount lights and old computer fans in it.
Laura Butler
560 Oak St.
Lapeer, MI 48446
810-664-3812
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