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De-assembling Figures


Joe

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Hey all.

 

Does anyone know of any solutions that will break down the GW plastic glue on a figure without damaging the plastic itself? I have a literal ton of old, unpainted yet assembled models that I wouldn't mind stripping down to re-use the parts elsewhere.

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If you glued them with plastic cement, then no, there’s no simple, easy, and always-working method. Plastic cement welds the parts together by melting the plastic and then evaporating, so you can’t just break the bond by getting rid of the glue. Usually, the bond will be weaker than the surrounding plastic, and may come loose if you strip the paint chemically (like with oven cleaner or something), but this isn’t guaranteed.
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Gurth is right about the plastic glue. Flat surface to flat surface (i.e. where the arms join to the torso or the feet to the base should be easy to remove with a little careful pressure or in worst case scenario, a careful application of sprue cutters. Where the joins are curved (torso to legs, head to torso, shoulderpads to shoulders), it's nearly impossible to disassemble the miniatures without losing integrity at the joins. Be prepared to lose parts and have a selection of extras and some green stuff standing by to repair or replace the bits.

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Another solution for removing arms or other flat surfaces is to use your hobby knife or a fine saw to carefully cut the bonded part. Torsos to legs can possibly be salvaged like this as well but you will loose plastic. Heads are typically the hardest if you want to save the bit. I removed some using my wire cutters to yank them out like teeth but that pretty much destroys the bit but should leave you to swap a new head into the body.

Strangely after stripping them with Dettol some of my models simply came loose but most didn't. Most likely I used super glue rather than plastic cement on those which did, but it might be worth a shot.

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Hope you don't mind me tagging on here.

I've got a half converted mini off of ebay ( part metal part plastic )  and it's been soaking in Simple Green for 3 days trying to weaken the glue bonds.   In some areas it looks like a 2 part epoxy was used.  Any suggestions?   I'm nervous about extended SG baths because I've read it will eventually soften the plastic.  I don't have a problem sawing him off the base but his head and arm are another story.

 

thanks in advance!

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Hope you don't mind me tagging on here.

I've got a half converted mini off of ebay ( part metal part plastic )  and it's been soaking in Simple Green for 3 days trying to weaken the glue bonds.   In some areas it looks like a 2 part epoxy was used.  Any suggestions?   I'm nervous about extended SG baths because I've read it will eventually soften the plastic.  I don't have a problem sawing him off the base but his head and arm are another story.

 

thanks in advance!

 

Isopropyl alcohol will dizzolve expoxy and does no harm to metal or plastic. Also works on some super glues.

 

Its what i use to strip both paint and glue and it's enormously successfull.

 

It is very flamable so needs to be used carefully in a well ventialted area, but just place the mini in some of the alcohol in a lidded glass jar (jam/marmalade jar etc) and leave to stand. Paint can sometimes come off in about 30 min, glue a bit longer. However if in doubt, soak longer. I have had a metal techmarine in a jar for about two months as i forgot about it, however both model and base are fine, just dismembered. Sometimes there is a little glue residue which scrapes off with a moddeling tool.

 

When you pull the model out, scrub with a toothbrush (have a little extra alcohol to one side to rinse) then scrub over with warm water & detergant (I use fairy liquid dish detergant), rinse, dry = shiny model.

 

 

you can get the alcohol online and commonly from electrical stores (i got mine from Maplin).

 

Hope it helps :)

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Hope you don't mind me tagging on here.

I've got a half converted mini off of ebay ( part metal part plastic ) and it's been soaking in Simple Green for 3 days trying to weaken the glue bonds. In some areas it looks like a 2 part epoxy was used. Any suggestions? I'm nervous about extended SG baths because I've read it will eventually soften the plastic. I don't have a problem sawing him off the base but his head and arm are another story.

thanks in advance!

Isopropyl alcohol will dizzolve expoxy and does no harm to metal or plastic. Also works on some super glues.

Its what i use to strip both paint and glue and it's enormously successfull.

It is very flamable so needs to be used carefully in a well ventialted area, but just place the mini in some of the alcohol in a lidded glass jar (jam/marmalade jar etc) and leave to stand. Paint can sometimes come off in about 30 min, glue a bit longer. However if in doubt, soak longer. I have had a metal techmarine in a jar for about two months as i forgot about it, however both model and base are fine, just dismembered. Sometimes there is a little glue residue which scrapes off with a moddeling tool.

When you pull the model out, scrub with a toothbrush (have a little extra alcohol to one side to rinse) then scrub over with warm water & detergant (I use fairy liquid dish detergant), rinse, dry = shiny model.

you can get the alcohol online and commonly from electrical stores (i got mine from Maplin).

Hope it helps smile.png

Are you certain isopropyl doesnt dissolve/react with polystyrene plastic? i cannot find any confirmation of that anywhere. I`d like to clean my models before painting, but wnna be sure, nothing bad happens.

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Are you certain isopropyl doesnt dissolve/react with polystyrene plastic? i cannot find any confirmation of that anywhere. I`d like to clean my models before painting, but wnna be sure, nothing bad happens.

Nothing has happend to any of mine. And thats about 30 models so far, not to mention the parts used in my conversion project. To give you a visual idea, the sentinel parts used were all stripped overnight in the alcohol and came out clean see here (http://www.bolterandchainsword.com/gallery/image/150920-tact-build-5-rear/)

And like i said, the plastic base of the metal techmarine was in there for 2 months with no ill effect. Obviously, i cannot issue a 100% guarentee, but for what it is worth i would put plastic models in it in a heart beat. smile.png

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I wonder if rum would work?

It's the only alchohol I keep stocked at home. biggrin.png

I'll get some isopropyl this week. I can always try a piece of sprue - but I don't think there would be a problem like Argentinis says.

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NO-- Not the RUM!

 

Seriously, it's not the same kind of alcohol. Save your rum.  (Isopropyl alcohol should also be a LOT cheaper, unless you drink bottom shelf rum…)

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Neither Simple Green, nor Isopropyl alcohol, will harm styrene plastic.  I have used both for stripping models, leaving some of them immersed in the solution for weeks or months at a time with no ill effect.

 

The stuff comes in plastic bottles, for pity's sake.

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The stuff comes in plastic bottles, for pity's sake.

 

Good point.   Solo would of gone out of business a long time ago if their cups dissolved with alcohol.

 

For anyone still reading this.   3 days in Simple Green -  Metal parts finally separated from the plastic.   No damage to either.

Soaking in Isopropyl now for 5 hours so far.   Beginning to wonder if the previous owner used some kind of 2 part epoxy instead of model glue or super glue.

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If got some purple stuff from Walmart (recommended for paint stripping in another thread) that loosens super glue. It hasn't hurt the plastic and I've had a squad soaking for months that is now all loose bits.
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some purple stuff from Walmart

Yep, that’s going to help people find it … Especially ones in countries where “Walmart” is entirely unknown.
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I've gone through a couple phases of painting and getting old second hand models and so have run into this myself and being from South Africa finding specialist paint strippers that don't simply dissolve a model outright has always been trouble. Best thing I've found that works awesomely is actually brake fluid. Relatively cheap for what it does just be careful with it as you probably shouldn't be touching it so much. Doesn't harm the plastic or metal but will peel paint or glue off no problem. Again doesn't work so well on plastic glue as has been mentioned but does sometimes weaken a joint and I've had it take epoxies apart easy easy. O and soak it for days haha otherwise it does bugger nothing.

 

On metal especially paint comes off beautifully and plastic if it's enamel paint comes off in nice pieces but acrylics are a little more tricky so definitely a fine brush. I'd say toothbrush but i find them too soft to do anything to paint like this. 

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I've gone through a couple phases of painting and getting old second hand models and so have run into this myself and being from South Africa finding specialist paint strippers that don't simply dissolve a model outright has always been trouble. Best thing I've found that works awesomely is actually brake fluid. Relatively cheap for what it does just be careful with it as you probably shouldn't be touching it so much. Doesn't harm the plastic or metal but will peel paint or glue off no problem. Again doesn't work so well on plastic glue as has been mentioned but does sometimes weaken a joint and I've had it take epoxies apart easy easy. O and soak it for days haha otherwise it does bugger nothing.

On metal especially paint comes off beautifully and plastic if it's enamel paint comes off in nice pieces but acrylics are a little more tricky so definitely a fine brush. I'd say toothbrush but i find them too soft to do anything to paint like this.

Just be careful WHICH brake fluid as some will completely eat plastic minis. Found that out the hard way. wacko.png

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Neither Simple Green, nor Isopropyl alcohol, will harm styrene plastic.

This is true but…

 

The stuff comes in plastic bottles, for pity's sake.

…this means nothing. There are many kinds of plastic, with widely varying properties. You can safely store polystyrene cement in a polyethylene or polypropylene container, for example. Never make assumptions based on the container being "plastic" unless you know exactly what that plastic is.

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More to the point, never make assumptions that the struff will harm plastic until you've actually tried it.  And certainly don't advise others that it's harmful if you don't know for sure that it is (especially when it isn't).

 

I'm aware that there are different types of plastic - I cannot think of a single one that is dissolved by isopropyl (though there may be; if so, it's not one that hobbyists likely use).  We're not talking methylene chloride, methyl ethyl ketone or methyl isobutyl ketone - the common ingredients used in varying types of plastic model cement.

 

To anyone who still needs proof that isopropyl alcohol will not harm styrene, feel free to soak a piece of sprue or an old base in it for as long as you like.  Your concerns will be laid to rest. :)

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feel free to soak a piece of sprue or an old base in it for as long as you like

The fundamental problem, if you ask me, is that hardly anybody who asks questions on a web forum ever seems to think of just trying on some scrap material before asking.
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The point isn't whether IPA is safe to use on polystyrene. Of course it is. The point is that being sold in plastic bottles is no indicator of it's safety whatsoever, and anyone applying your logic to other substances could have a very bad time.

 

And as a general rule, if you don't understand how two chemicals will interact, you're much better off assuming that it's not safe than you are tossing things in there to see what happens. There are many more plastics and resins being used for miniatures these days than there ever used to be, and people will pick up all kinds of advice from the internet about using household cleaners, brake fluid, and all manner of toxic chemicals to clean or disassemble miniatures.

 

If you have reason to believe it's probably safe and you've taken reasonable precautions for any potentially hazardous fumes it may give off, then test it on a bit of waste sprue.

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Forgive me for so observing, but anyone who's gullible and foolish enough to believe that oven cleaner or brake fluid are "safe" ways to strip plastic miniatures while a medical solvent that's applied safely to human skin will "melt" plastic should not be allowed to handle chemicals.

 

Or sharp objects.

 

Or electrical appliances.

 

Yes, people get all kinds of bad advice on the Internet.  Some of it is even on this forum.  I'm just doing my part to shatter one inaccurate claim that's been put forth lately by people who obviously haven't tried it themselves, which is the very first thing someone should do before making an unfounded claim.  Wouldn't you agree?

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That's a fundamental problem that extends beyond this hobby, unfortunately.

Definitely — I had to add “on some scrap material” here because else I expect someone to say they’re not prepared to risk their models, but the problem is much wider.

Critical thinking should be a fundamental component of education.

Dream on …

If you have reason to believe it's probably safe and you've taken reasonable precautions for any potentially hazardous fumes it may give off, then test it on a bit of waste sprue.

Though I agree in principle, namely that you shouldn’t take risks needlessly, I think it shows that you’re from a country where Health & Safety inspectors might as well begin wearing a white collar at the fronts of their shirts msn-wink.gif People do not just drop dead or suffer serious injury from exposure to small amounts, such as a little used to test whether plastic dissolves in it, of chemicals that you can buy over the counter.
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