[Rhodes22-list] A quick Google search came up with this info. Removing silicone.

[Lou Rosenberg]

Rummy,

>  Thanks much for the info and links


  as I recall someone on this list used mineral spirits to remove the 
cured silicone.
  **
  I have to remind myself not to add the sealant until the spring as I 
want to  paint inside the cap with bottom paint. Probably  over doing 
it a bit here but hey, this poor Rhodes was a-bused seriously so any 
extra love and care i give her, she'll pay me back with years of 
happy sailing right??
and more money into that black chute in the aft!
Lou

>After checking around, there's much that can be used to remove
>silicone  sealant if it's uncured, but once it's cured, nothing short
>of commercial  solvents will be able to dissolve it. On a fish tank
>messageboard, one user  describes how he takes apart old tanks sealed
>with silicone sealant (linked  below):
>
>"Commercially lye dissolved in tetra hydro furan is used to  remove
>cured silicon
>rubber. this is extremely nasty  stuff..."
>
>General Electric's Sealants & Adhesives website has  information on
>removing cured and uncured silicone and says it is VERY hard  to
>remove. They give step by step instructions for removing  silicone
>sealant on different types of surfaces such as wood, tile,  etc.
>(linked below) The recommend using mineral spirits and rubbing  alcohol
>which are less abrasive than the stuff used by the guys above,  but
>will probably take longer to dissolve. GE's step-by-steps rely on  a
>little bit of elbow grease to speed up the process.
>
>
>Additional  Links:
>
>Silicone sealant removal thread:
>_http://www.thekrib.com/TankHardware/glass.html#10_
>(http://www.thekrib.com/TankHardware/glass.html#10)
>
>
>Search  Strategy:
>
>"dissolve silicone" sealant on google:
>_http://www.google.com/search?q=%22dissolve+silicone%22+sealant_
>(http://www.google.com/search?q="dissolve+silicone"+sealant)
>
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