Clecos ,how to clean them after epoxy

Just put my hinges on my gear leg fairings. I used epoxy and clecoed the hinge inplace the next day I found they were next to impossible to squeeze open. Did get them out but was wondering if there is a solution to soak them in to release and dissolve the dried epoxy? Or are they toast? Thanks as always and much appreciated on your thoughts.

Ron in Oregon RV9A flying

Easy

Vinegar soak overnight. You might need to rinse thoroughly after, and dry ?em out.

I was able to salvage most of the clecos I used when using epoxy. Yes, they are a bit difficult to squeeze open at first, but continued open/close does loosen them up. As you do this, some of the cured epoxy will work out of the cleco, and sometimes you will see cured epoxy on the cleco "gripper fingers". I used a sharp razor knife to cut off the epoxy from the fingers while working the cleco open/closed.

This worked for me most of the time. Then there were the ones that just get thrown away.

I soak them in an old jelly jar (glass) with acetone for a few days. It will make goo of the epoxy. Then just wipe, and exercise them, scotchbrite sometimes needed. This worked best and I stopped experimenting.

I soaked mine in an old plastic mayo jar filled with MEK for a few days. Works great for pro-seal removal also.

Jasco Premium Paint and Epoxy Remover

Dichloromethane-based paint stripper will lift cured epoxy in a few minutes:

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Jasco-1-gal-Premium-Paint-and-Epoxy-Remover-GJBP00203/202310300

Wear protection, use metal cups only, and keep away from airplane.

An ounce of prevention ...

Spray with mold release, wipe excess. Resin will still get into the cleco but won't stick to it and, since cured resin is pretty brittle, is easy to break up and dislodge. Also, best to set your rivets before the resin cures, IMHO.

Noel I tried and yes they did loosen up a little.then I used the razor blade found those pieces fall out but not quite enough. Ok the liquids sound like I’ll step up to vinegar since I have that already. Then I’ll try the others as suggested. I’ll check to see if anyone has some sitting in a can on their shelf.This is all good news. Thanks for your suggestions.
Ron in Oregon RV9A

I typically pull them out while the epoxy is set but not fully cured, replacing them with fresh.

Then they sit until completely cured or until I get around to it, whichever is later. Being lazy helps add time, but the glue is never still soft when I do this.

Finally, I put on some +4.00 reading glasses and use a razor blade or an Xacto knife to clean off the epoxy. No big deal.

To put this into perspective, I'm gluing and riveting all the fuselage skins on my RV-3B project, so I do this for every one. I'm using G-flex 655K thickened epoxy, so my experience is limited to this one, which is slightly softer than some of the others.

Dave