Will heating the tips of instruments help moving through RTV?
Happy to help with a few tools. If I understand correctly, a tool with a 90 degree bend that is thin is what is best for removal of the adhesive, correct. How long from the bend to the tip would be ideal? Did you already get an ideal solution or could use a better option? Let me know and I can possibly help. I maybe able to dig up a tool called a gold foil knife that has a tip like I think you might need. Since gold foils are antiquated dentistry and I don't do them I'm happy to provide a used one or I could order a new one if helpful. Jeff
Well, Saturday I tried bent eXacto blades. Heated 2 of them red hot, then quenched with water while red. They were nice, rigid, & (sigh)brittle. QUENCHING LEAVES THEM TOO BRITTLE: I think the quenching restored the temper, but also left them very brittle. Will make 1 last try as soon as I can pick up another of these blades. Just a little bit of flex & they break off. Were much more brittle than as shipped eXacto blades. I need to leave them on the flexable side for this job. They should still be plenty hard enough to cut the adhesive. I broke both of them, just finished fishing the broken tip from the first one out, when the 2nd one broke. BLOOD SACRIFICE TO LORD ENZO: Unfortunately, my choice of griping the lens while cutting adhesive wasn't too smart. When it broke, the 2nd blade sliced my finger(DUH). Not bad, just tried to pare the skin off from the first joint back to the knuckle. 3 hrs in the hospital & 9 stitches later I called it quits for the night... re: FOIL KNIFE Need about ~3/16" from bend to tip, 1/8" is too short, & 1/4" would be too long as the groove seems to be about 1/4" wide & is about 3/16" deep. There seems to be a fair amount of variation in the shape of 'foil knives' - did a quick web search to get an idea what they looked like. Anyway, if you think one would help, I'm PMing you my address. How
Sorry to haer about your excursion to the E.R. Do you think that mabe some kind of solvent may soften up the RTV enough to aid in removal without damage to the housing? ( Not that I'm willing to endorse an experiment )
I don't believe it's RTV (which is silicone based & thus resistant to most solvents, but gasolene & lacquer thinner will eventually soften/degrade most RTV types.). I'm 90% certain that it's windshield cement which is urethane pased & is even more solvent resistant! I believe that a solvent or heat would most likely damage the plastic housing before it affects the adhesive. If I can get the solvent cut, the lens will come out. jonesdds is kindly sending me some dental tools that he believes will help. Also will have one last try with a bent but not quenched eXacto blade later this week. I recognise that I'm rapidly running out of time as salt season is essentially over & driving season is almost upon us!!!
GOOD NEWS: I got far enough this week to be pretty certain that the dental tools were doing the job. STOPPING WORK FOR DRIVING SEASON: I then stopped as I've run out of time & need to get the lenses back to their owner for the driving season. I've taken HP's early retirement package, so my life will be extremely busy for the next 2 months, so I wouldn't have the time to make the molds in a reasonable amount of time. The up side is that I expect to have LOTS of time for Unobtainium Supply after Memorial Day!!! The lens is still tightly bonded to the housing. However, I'll use a hypodermic to inject fresh sealant into the outside edge of the groove. This will both ensure that it's sealed up tight, and add further bonding. Once the sealant is cured, I'll return them. I've asked their owner if I could borrow them again early next salt season, say just after Halloween. This would give me plenty of time to work with them. BTW, I've got a lead on a chinese company that may be able to make glass lenses if I give them a pattern (ie: a plastic part from my mold). They want to see one before they give me a quote so I don't know how pricey they would be.
Sealed the seams up today, forced it under pressure into the seams. Hoooboy, is windshield sealant gooey/messy when you get it where you didn't intend to! Lots worse than RTV as it doesn't want to wipe off! Luckily I only had problems with a couple of spots before I got the hang of it. Anyway, it's sealed up & curing. Should be cured by tomorrow evening. I'll trim it up a bit & take a razor blade to the thumbprint I got on the glass. Then pack them up & return them. The owner has graciously agreed to loan them again at the start of salt season, so work should begin again around turkey day...
