Removing Plastic Glue!

[Brother Handro]

I'm sure you've all wanted to remove plastic parts or like me, made a mistake and not realised until way after drying time, a quick glance at the web shows that 'plastic glue creates a weld not a bond, it can't be undone, just cut it', etc etc.

 

Two words; Hair dryer!

 

I can't believe this worked, I'd glued my brand new Warlord Titan's lower legs on backwards and didn't notice until after 3 days painting and coming to final assembly. A hair dryer just heated up the glue until it went tacky, like it does in that 30 seconds or so adjustment time you have when playing around with poses, and I just popped open the upper leg and switched the lower around, easy as that! Didn't even damage the paintwork!

 

 

TLDR; Try applying some heat (stay safe!) to plastic glue, it worked for me, seems odd no one else has noticed/tried before. 

 

 

 

 

[Pork Chop Express]

That’s brilliant!

[Aeri]

I know I am 2 years late to the party, but I think I still need to share this:

 

Try putting a model in the freezer for a few hours until the glue is frozen. The Plastic can handle this.

Then boil some water and let it cool to about 80°C.

Also prepare a bowl of ice water.

 

Now take your model from the freezer and put it straight into the hot water, letting it warm up for a few seconds. (You don't want Plastik stew, so don't overdo it). Now take the model from the hot water to the ice water.

 

The super glue should snap or weaken enought to come apart.

[byrd9999]

That's great to know, thanks.

 

I use 100% isopropanol to dissolve glue on my models when something needs correcting. I have to be patient, and apply it with a paintbrush to the affected area, but it gradually dissolves and weakens enough to prise apart the pieces, but the plastic is unaffected.

[Xenith]

I know I am 2 years late to the party, but I think I still need to share this:

 

Try putting a model in the freezer for a few hours until the glue is frozen. The Plastic can handle this.

Then boil some water and let it cool to about 80°C.

Also prepare a bowl of ice water.

 

Now take your model from the freezer and put it straight into the hot water, letting it warm up for a few seconds. (You don't want Plastik stew, so don't overdo it). Now take the model from the hot water to the ice water.

 

The super glue should snap or weaken enought to come apart.

 

I highlighted the key thing there - the OP is talking about plastic glue, or poly cement, while your method works on cyanoacylate, or superglue.

 

They bond the material in different ways, so those methods wont work on the other type of bond. Freezer makes the super glue brittle, and breakable, but this won't work on plastic glue, which melts the plastic and fuses them together.

[LameBeard]

I am sorry for Necroposting but please can I say thank you, Brother Handro. You just saved an Adeptus Titanicus Warlord from being an interesting source of spare parts.

[Maker666]

Plastic glues are actually strong solvents that melt plastics and glue them together because they micromelt. You would have to use some method to temporarily alter the consistency of the plastic such as cooling it or, if not the opposite, heating it with water. 

 

The cold could make the parts brittle and cause them to split where you don't want them to. 
With heat, don't heat it too much either, to prevent it from deforming forever.