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I have bought a few figures and vehicles off of ebay recently, they are unpainted but have been glued together badly and mould lines are still visible.
Is it possible to do anything to break them apart without actually damaging them?
Thanks

If they are metal (most likely they are not), you should be able to pull them apart without much problem. If they are plastic, that is a completely different issue because most likely they used plastic glue which "melts" the plastic and bonds them together, which is impossible to pull apart without breaking as they are basically now one piece.

Someone else around here might have an answer but I do not, alas.

If they were glued using superglue you can stick them in the freezer for a couple of hours then you should be able to break them apart with no damage. Otherwise just be careful I guess.

If they used plastic glue, you're going to have to cut/saw them apart. It will probably damage them more than they already are. If they're superglued together, then I recommend freezing the model. It will cause any moisture pockets in the superglue to expand, forcing the joints apart. Also, I believe that superclean (or equivalent) will eat superglue.

They are plastic yes. Is there any way of knowing if they are stuck with plastic or super glue?
I could leave them i guess but i'm quite particulur and they are quite badly put together, i'm begining to realise that i should stiick to buying unopened kits as theres so much work that goes into remaking them.


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I could just bung them in the freezer actually couldn't i, then i will know.

Trying to pry them apart is pretty much the easiest way to tell the difference. There's also a difference in texture of the glue between the two types. It's something that you can just learn to spot, not really sure how to put it in words. Assuming they're unprimed and there was an overuse of glue used, you can typically see super glue 'burn' next to where the edges of glue blobs and fumes hit the plastic. Places that the plastic glue have touched look kind of shiny, maybe? I think that's the word I want to use. Anyway, putting them in the freezer and then trying to crack them apart will give you a good indication of what the deal is.

Frankly, if they're plastic glued together, I'd recommend beating them to hell and using them as pieces in terrain. I have a Land Raider I received in a lot that is in condition similar to how you describe, and I'm going to take a hammer/saw/dremel to it for pieces for some terrain.

The terrain idea had crossed my mind actually, i may end up with the remains of a massive battle terrain piece.
From what you have described i think it is plastic glue, oh well i will have to see how i get on, with the terrain idea being my fall back plan.

I have managed to cut plastic glued pieces apart with knives and such salvage them without damaging them too much. I stuck the knife in the join and kind of tried to saw back and forth with it. When I was done, a little cleaning up and GS and they looked good as new.

Soak them in superclean overnight, it will break down superglue and you can easily clean it off all parts. If they wont come apart after a soaking in super clean then they were probably bonded with plastic cement. Use a small bladed jewelers saw or sharp new xacto blade on the plastic cement areas.