That power stretcher tooth plate that took me 2 hours to clean

Last Tuesday I was doing a bedroom in an old house and kicked the tooth plate right into a carpet pad that still had glue from 3 different installs. It took me damn near 2 hours with acetone and a wire brush to dig every bit of gunk out of those teeth. A clean plate makes a world of difference for tension but that was the worst buildup I have seen in 15 years. Has anyone found a faster way to clean those things besides scrubbing each tooth by hand?

2 comments

2 Comments

nina_hall1mo ago

Oh man, I feel your pain. I keep a heat gun in my truck for exactly this reason. Hit that tooth plate with some heat for about 15 seconds, then scrape with a stiff putty knife while it's still warm. The old glue softens up way faster than scrubbing with acetone. I also started using a cheap nylon brush drill attachment from Harbor Freight after the heat treatment. Gets into the teeth without scratching them. Cuts cleanup down to maybe 20 minutes max.

oliver_ward141mo ago

Man I felt that in my soul. Spent a solid 45 minutes last week with a toothpick and brake cleaner on mine after it rolled into a pile of old dried latex from some cheap pad. Wish there was a magic soak or something that just melted it all off.