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Hey all. I got some used wraithguards, unpainted, but built. One of them has a head that was very poorly glued on. Anybody know how I can dissolve the super glue, or remove the head by some other means? Might it be safe to just "break" the head off?

Thanks much for the info!

If you are 100% sure it's super glue, put it in the freezer. It sounds odd, but I was given this advice here when I miss glued the doors on my Landraider's FW extra armor. Freeze it (I left it in there during the work day) and with a little care, it snapped clean off.

Thanks for the advice. What if I'm not 100% sure? heheh...

I really have no idea, I guess I just assumed.

If its plastic glue/cement it creates a bond by actually melting the two parts together. The only option there would be to cut or snap it and re-fix it I think.

Wraithguard are metal - plastic glue doesn't work on them.
The only two types of glue that do work are superglues and epoxy adhesives (eg araldite).

Freezing causes the water molecules trapped in the superglue bond to expand, creating microfractures which weaken the bond enough that simple torsion is often enough to break the bond.

The only way to break the bond of an epoxy adhesive is with heat. The disadvantage of this is that such heat may be higher than the sublimation point of the metal used.

Acetone (nail polish remover) will also break a superglue bond - do use it in a well-ventilated area though.

Thanks very much for the suggestions. I'll give the freezer thing a try tonight. If it doesn't work out too well, I'll have to borrow some of my GF's polish remover.

Superglue's kryptonite?

Nail Polish Remover! Which is safe for skin and great for accidents!

or

Super Clean (Automotive degreaser) but not safe for skin.

Cured CA is just Acrylic, anything that attacks acrylics will remove CA.

Super Clean or even just Simple green will break it down just leave it submerged for a few days and it will flake off.

Try and make the glue think that you really need it to stay attached and that the model is an important golden demon entry. As soon as the glue thinks it is important to remain attached it will instantly detach itself. Or maybe you'll have more luck with freezing

legoburner wrote:Try and make the glue think that you really need it to stay attached and that the model is an important golden demon entry. As soon as the glue thinks it is important to remain attached it will instantly detach itself. Or maybe you'll have more luck with freezing

Aha! I tried the first method, but I guess I'm not a strong enough psychic. I'll be trying the freezer method tonight

So I just pulled 2 wraithlords out of the freezer. The one with the poorly glued on head... is now headless. Success!

I put the other one in because it was poorly glued onto the base. It also broke off as needed, no damage!

Question: Should I be concerned about the super glued parts that I didn't break off? For example, the head on the Wraithguard that I only removed the base from.

Thanks again for any info

yes

Is it the water expanding or everything else contracting that breaks the glue?

chromedog wrote:
...
Freezing causes the water molecules trapped in the superglue bond to expand, creating microfractures which weaken the bond enough that simple torsion is often enough to break the bond.
...

I guess it's the expanding of the water molecules.

Wraithguard are metal, right? Do you have a sister/mother who wears nail polish? If so borrow some and soak the wraith for a while until the head falls off. Acetone nail polish remover works best for this, and non-acetone stuff works just as well, but takes longer. Also, don't get any acetone nail polish remover on plastic models unless you want a pool of molten plastic.

medd wrote:

legoburner wrote:Try and make the glue think that you really need it to stay attached and that the model is an important golden demon entry. As soon as the glue thinks it is important to remain attached it will instantly detach itself. Or maybe you'll have more luck with freezing

Aha! I tried the first method, but I guess I'm not a strong enough psychic. I'll be trying the freezer method tonight

You'll have to paint it to that standard too, before the glue actually gets the picture. Glue isn't the quickest on the uptake, but when it finally gets it, it sticks! (Or unsticks, in this case...)

Yeah I discovered the nail polish remover method a few days ago when stripping some metal eBay winnings.

It turns the glue all rubbery, so you can pick it out with tweezers, or a pin etc.

Another method is to head to your local craft store and ask for Super Glue DeBonder. It's (fairly) expensive but it does the job.
My personal method is nail polish remover though.