Oil soaked wood? How to remove?

[Paul Taylor]

I know there is a product that will remove fuel soaked wood, KR2 I want to know if there is something I could get at Home depot or lowes.

[James Mills]

I've heard that K-Mart carries KR2 (if you have one in your area).  I've used baking soda and heat in the past, probably a better way when some of the others post.

James

[Wynn Robins]

to remove oil soaked wood - use a number 11 blade on an xacto knife

to remove oil FROM wood .........i dont know

[Mike Keville]

K2R is available at most Ace Hardware stores.  We stock it at the one I work part-time at in Tucson.  It works very well on oil-soaked balsa.  Try your local Ace store.

[Dennis Holler]

to remove oil soaked wood - use a number 11 blade on an xacto knife

LL~Yain't right!!!

I never had any luck at "fixing" oil soaked wood and we tried several times...epoxy won't even stick to it!

[sleepy gomez]

I have used Brake Kleen or its generic equivalent.  This is perchoroethylene or similar.  It comes in a spray can.  Any brand in a red can is okay  but not in a green can.  The green can will burn readily.  Spray and wash out the wood several times.  This leaves no residue and evaporates fast. 

[Neville Legg]

Use paper kitchen towel and a hot iron, just iron the towel over the wood, the heat will draw the oil out to the towel, you may have to do this several times.


Cheers   Neville

[Bill Little]

I have done as Ty says: used a slurry of talc and rubbing alcohol brushed on the wood and later hit with a heat gun on low (and from not too close).  It works, but takes quite a while!  I did this to a T-Bird cowling first.  Since the plane was not expected to see a *lot* of use, no big repairs were called for.

Mongo

[Phil Coopy]

I have used this method on planes with oil soaked noses with great success many times.

Cut the top off tin a gallon fuel can.

Fill it 3/4 with alcohol. Any kind works, rubbing, wood, or ethyl.

Dip the nose into the can repeatedly and eventually nearly all of the oil will dissolve from the wood into alcohol.

It takes a few sessions, let it dry out overnight in between.

Phil

[FLOYD CARTER]

I had the same problem, but couldn't locate any K2R.  All I had handy was kitty litter!  Looks like sand.  I filled the engine/tank space with it and waited a day.  I don't know if it took out all the oil spill, but it looked like it.
I replaced engine and tank, and it hasn't self-destructed since.

Floyd

[Robert Zambelli]

I do what Bill Little does but I do not use rubbing alcohol. It can contain up to 20% water.
You're much better off with denatured or straight methanol.
Sometimes it take two or three applications but the wood will be completly dry.
Put it on thick and allow it to dry completely.

Bob Z.

[Bill Little]

I do what Bill Little does but I do not use rubbing alcohol. It can contain up to 20% water.
You're much better off with denatured or straight methanol.
Sometimes it take two or three applications but the wood will be completly dry.
Put it on thick and allow it to dry completely.

Bob Z.

Hi Bob,

Thanks!  I had not even thought about the water since it appears to evaporate so quickly.  Next time I will get some straight alcohol.  How about the 91% stuff?

Bill

[Robert Zambelli]

Bill - tried that too but the straight methanol works best.

Bob Z.

[don Burke]

I had the same problem, but couldn't locate any K2R.  All I had handy was kitty litter!  Looks like sand.  I filled the engine/tank space with it and waited a day.  I don't know if it took out all the oil spill, but it looked like it.
I replaced engine and tank, and it hasn't self-destructed since.

Floyd

Ditto, I've used a kitty litter/water slurry.  I crush the litter until it's a powder, mix with water until like runny mud, slop it on, let it sit until dry.  If the oil is not all gone, repeat.  Seems to work.

[Pinecone]

According to the MSDS sheet, original K2R is 5 - 50% acetone and 70 - 90% Methyl acetate as the solvent.

http://www.k2rbrands.com/products/PDF/MSDS%20Spot%20LIfter.pdf

The powder is diatomaceous earth.  DE can be found at pool supply places as it is used in pool filter systems.  You could also use, talc as mentioned.  And any solvent will work, acetone, lacquer thinner, or brake cleaner.