Unsticking Super Glue Held Magnets

[FelipeFlops]

So I have been magnetising the bases of my models as my storage system currently uses magnetic sheets in boxes to hold the models in place.

However, I have now come to the conclusion that I am using too stronger magnet for some of my models as they cannot stand next to each other on the table without either snapping together or pushing apart. 

I have attempted to remove the magnets but have had no luck so far.

Do you guys have a method of dissolving super glue that will also not damage the models in any way?

 

Thanks!

[lhg033]

I've not tried it myself but I'm sure I've read that putting models in the freezer can make superglue brittle and easier to break things off at a join. If it does work, it might help for your models along with a bit of leverage/'persuasion'. Maybe try on something 'safe' to break/ruin first.... in case it does work as expected

 

 

[Arkhanist]

3 hours ago, FelipeFlops said:

So I have been magnetising the bases of my models as my storage system currently uses magnetic sheets in boxes to hold the models in place.

However, I have now come to the conclusion that I am using too stronger magnet for some of my models as they cannot stand next to each other on the table without either snapping together or pushing apart. 

I have attempted to remove the magnets but have had no luck so far.

Do you guys have a method of dissolving super glue that will also not damage the models in any way?

 

Thanks!

The safest way is a styrene-safe superglue debonder/remover. (GW models are made of polystyrene plastic)

I know of one by VMS; there may be others. VMS debonder seems to be out of stock at my usual places at the moment (e.g. emodels and scalemodelshop) but it is available from the official reseller on ebay, shipping from poland.

Instructions are straightforward (available on the ebay link), just brush it on so it can wick into the superglued joint, then leave it for 10 minutes, and it should debond it. Then just clean up the residue. You can reapply if it hasn't got all of it.

 

[FelipeFlops]

Great, have ordered myself a pot, arrives by the end of the month. Will give you an update then!

[Xenith]

Just a magnet on the bottom of say a 32mm non-slotta base? I'd just get some clippers under there and prise it off. 

[Khornestar]

Needle nosed pliers and some leverage are also often sufficient. Curious about the debonder.

[Cactus]

@Arkhanist, or anyone else, do you know if the VMS debonder works for superglue + Forge World resin? I'm guessing that the effect on the glue is the thing that matters but I'd like to know about possible side effects before getting some.

I have the FW event MkIII marine with boarding shield that I would quite like to disassemble and repurpose for my World Eaters, but not if it will knacker the model.

Edited September 28, 2022 by Cactus

[Arkhanist]

16 minutes ago, Cactus said:

@Arkhanist, or anyone else, do you know if the VMS debonder works for superglue + Forge World resin?

I've never tried it on forgeworld resin, but I have heard of other superglue debonders causing softening and loss of detail on resin casts, and resin is generally quite vulnerable to solvents, so it would be very much a case of try it out on some scrap bits first (left over gate material etc) if you wanted to risk it.

FW resin however does work better with the freezer method, as the resin shrinks better than plastic models when cold, which allows breaking joins more easily. Less useful for removing embedded magnets, but it might allow you to lever them out.

I've also heard of people having success with resin-safe paint strippers, i.e. a soak in degreasers such as Super Clean, Purple Power or LA's totally awesome, which soften superglue significantly; though doesn't dissolve it, so a certain amount of manual cleanup will still be required.

[Cactus]

Thank you. In my case magnets aren't involved. I just want to get the arms/pauldrons off so I can use it as the basis for a consul of some sort. I'll give the freezer treatment a try before I spend any money, but I might have to ask my wife to make more smoothies first to free up some space!

[Spottswoode]

20 hours ago, Cactus said:

@Arkhanist, or anyone else, do you know if the VMS debonder works for superglue + Forge World resin? I'm guessing that the effect on the glue is the thing that matters but I'd like to know about possible side effects before getting some.

I have the FW event MkIII marine with boarding shield that I would quite like to disassemble and repurpose for my World Eaters, but not if it will knacker the model.

@Cactus - I just did a very quick test on an old piece FW resin gate:

I gave it a pretty generous coat, and left it for 15 mins as VMS recommend - if you can tell from my awful photo, there doesn't seem to be loss of detail and the resin itself wasn't noticeably softer afterwards (I ran the tip of a scalpel over the treated front and the untreated back a few times, and couldn't feel any particular difference in resistance or firmness). That said, I don't know how it would work on particularly thin resin (like a billowing purity seal or a backpack antenna) so if you were going to be using it on something especially delicate then you might want to do your own tests first.  

Obviously this isn't a scientific test, and there wasn't any superglue on the resin, but I reckon you should be alright with it. If you want me to test how it works on glued resin, let me know and I'll give it a go.

 

[Cactus]

That's very interesting to see, thank you. The model is some way down the queue at the moment so there's no need for further tests. Unless you want to, for SCIENCE!

[Spottswoode]

@Cactus - sure, I'll try and give it a go if I get a chance.

[Spottswoode]

@Cactus - Right, finally had a chance to test it for you.

I glued a lump of resin to the piece I used above, using about the amount I'd normally use in a single spot in the center, and instantly ran into a problem - you can't debond the superglue if you can't get to it. Which makes sense I suppose, but I think if you were hoping to use the debonder to detach shoulder pads then I suspect you might run into the same problem.

For something like shoulder pads where the glue isn't easily accessible, I think the best plan might be a combination of methods: put the mini in the freezer to weaken the bond, pull the bits apart, and then use debonder to get rid of all the leftover superglue, allowing you to get a closer fit when you reglue it.

Hope that helps.

[Cactus]

How long in the freezer would you suggest?

@Brother Tyler. I think there should be a badge for Practical Research in Miniature Engineering.

[Spottswoode]

@Cactus - To be honest, I've never tried it, most times I've had to unsuperglue something I've just twisted it off. Superglue is really strong if you try pulling two pieces in opposite directions, but it's weak if you use a horizontal force like twisting instead. Twisting probably won't work with a shoulder pad though because the curvature of the pad means you won't be able to use that horizontal force properly.

Off the top of my head, I'd assume that the freezer would work by making the glue brittle enough to break, although there might also be some element of the cold causing some contraction which weakens the bond. If that's right then it shouldn't be too long, maybe half an hour to an hour? More than that seems like it'd be overkill.

[sibomots]

Demagnetize and Dremel grind it off.

Don't forget to demagnetize first.

[Grotsmasha]

13 hours ago, Cactus said:

How long in the freezer would you suggest?

Most suggest overnight, but you just need the glue itself to freeze and become brittle, I suspect the minimum would be around the 3-4hr mark.

[Spottswoode]

On 10/6/2022 at 3:46 AM, Grotsmasha said:

Most suggest overnight, but you just need the glue itself to freeze and become brittle, I suspect the minimum would be around the 3-4hr mark.

Oh wow, I was way out...