Specialized plastic glue remover?

[Atheling]

Hi,

Does anyone know of a specialized plastic glue/cement remover that can be used on plastic kits?

I realise the cement is literally a cement but I live in hope

Cheers

[HerbertTarkel]

I’ve never heard or seen such a thing - plastic glue literally melts the plastic to make the bond, so it’s bit like trying to find an “unwelder” I think 

Now, if someone invented such a product, they could sell it to people who buy used, poorly built plastic kits by the pallet!

[Tactalvanic]

The likes of Dettol, acetone, soapy warm water etc (someone suggested vinegar, but that might be worse smell after-would than the Dettol..)will help remove excess surface glue, very similarly to removing/stripping paint..but.. melted plastic will remain melted plastic.

You probably know from that, that sometimes it removes the glue "joint" as well if the pieces are not too heavily melted together, more effective with superglue of course, but.

Otherwise the bond is literally made of the plastic itself. So separation becomes a surgical operation?

Mainly its acetone to remove excess glue rather than the bond, so choppy choppy. practice your surgical skills at amputation?

Otherwise hair of the dog ? more plastic cement to melt it more?

Or warm it up and melt it apart 

[carlos marighela]

Agreed with the above. Whilst there are commercial de-bonders available for CA type glues, there is no such equivalent for plastic glues as the nature of their operation is quite different, dissolving the surface of the connected points and welding them together rather than acting as a mortar between bricks as it were.

The answer to separation is 'by mechanical means' ie, craft knife/ scalpel/ razor saw with liberal assistance from file and sanding paper/boards. Good luck.

Now if you've been lucky, sometimes you get a very weak bond, especially if traditional polystyrene glues have been applied to an ABS plastic. Some of us found this out when Rubicon first came out with their kits.

[2010sunburst]

Properly bonded parts will need mechanical separation as mentioned above.  However, parts stuck together with glue like Contacta, which is a solvent and filler mix, rather than straight solvent, like Tamiya extra thin, may separate when bathed in enamel thinners or white spirit.  I’ve certainly had plastic kits come apart when using enamel washes made up using paint and these solvents.  Certainly worth a try, and could separate all the small bits just leaving the carcass to be mechanically worked.

[anevilgiraffe]

it's called a blade...

[Atheling]

Thanks guys- for the constructive comments and the not so.

Cheers.