Reclaiming plywood with foam blocks glued to it!

[Amina]

I recently got some plywood from a shipping container through my work, and would really like to turn this into a chicken coop. I am so excited about getting so much wood for free! The only problem is, the wood has a bunch of foam blocks glued to it! I've tried just ripping them off, but the foam doesn't come off cleanly. Anybody have any idea of how to get this stuff off?

 

[matt44644]

Sand and scrape

 

[Amina]

What would you scrape it with?

 

[matt44644]

A sharp edged scrapper.

 

[aart]

Agrees with a sharp edged scraper to start...might have a to try a few things, no matter what it'll take some elbow grease.

Might use a coarse wire wheel on a drill motor to get any remnants, it'll make a mess but should get it off....someone holding a shop vac close might grab all the little pieces.

 

[vehve]

A hot air gun might soften the glue enough to get them off cleanly. But if you try that, do it outside. You don't know what kind of fumes it will put out, plus there's the risk of it catching fire. A haird dryer might even be enough. Other that than, manual labor.

 

[perchie.girl]

Stout putty knife dont heat those may be a closed cell Polyeurethane foam .... Impact buffers for shipping crate. Use a painters mask when you take the small bits off with a wire paint remover drum for a drill.

Poleurethane is benign when its cured and solid.... heat from a heat gun may make it out gass.... NOT good for you. as long as you dont mind the look you can also paint over the little bits with out scraping completely off.

Good Score on the wood..... awesome.

deb

 

[Amina]

Thanks everybody! I scraped off the foam and now I'm down to mostly the glue and teeny tiny foam remnants. I'm thinking about either trying to sand this off, or use paint remover.