Tips on unsticking miniatures stuck using superglue?

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**Sir Arun**

So I heard putting your miniature into a pot of boiling water but not sure whether this is a joke or real.

I also heard about nail polish remover, but the acetone tends to attack the plastic mini as well, doesnt it?

I have some assault terminators whose shoulderpads I am trying to remove, so I can put my custom Black Templar ones on them instead that came with the BT upgrade kit. The glue is strong enough to no longer be able to removed via applying pressure. Ideas?

cheers,
-Sir Arun

**Andrewdrexler**

If it is actual plastic glue then you’re probably out of luck since the glue physically melts the plastic together.

**ScootyPuffJunior**

There was a thread about this subject about a week or so ago. You can read it here: http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/583054.page#6608401

The bottom line is, you aren't going to get it apart without cutting it.

**Sir Arun**

I may be confusing things here, then.

I personally use superglue, but these termies were bought off ebay, so I dont know what glue was used.

What methods are there to dissolve superglue bonds? I could try it on these (unpainted) minis and if it doesnt work at least I'll know plastic glue was used.

**ScootyPuffJunior**

Sir Arun wrote:
I may be confusing things here, then.

I personally use superglue, but these termies were bought off ebay, so I dont know what glue was used.

What methods are there to dissolve superglue bonds? I could try it on these (unpainted) minis and if it doesnt work at least I'll know plastic glue was used.

Put them in the freezer for a couple days and try to break it then. If that doesn't work, it is probably safe to assume that they were glued with plastic cement.

**Sir Arun**

So should I try breaking the bond / joints right after removing them from the freezer? Or should the minis be left out in the open to thaw a bit?

**chromedog**

Let them thaw a bit first.

Freezing ALSO makes styrene brittle (as does heating it up to make the model in the first place).

Freezing causes microfractures to appear inside the superglue bond, weakening it from inside.

It MAY require multiple freeze/thaw cycles.
If two cycles don't work, it's probably glued with plastic goo (and probably too much, too).

**masterblaster**

I'd you the freezer, it works have had success with it in the past. If you were stripping it a good long soak in simple green works well too. Of course we are talking about a shoulder pad on a mini which is a bugger to remove and even harder if it was put on with too much glue. If I was going to try it I would try and remove the arm first with the shoulder pad attached then you can slowly start the prying process from both sides to prevent bending the shoulder pad or worst breaking it. So I wish you luck but most of my attempts resulted in cutting and sanding glue off but I was an over gluer in my former days.

**Rorschach9**

Assuming plastic minis and not metal;

Superglue - Freeze/Thaw cycles (2-5 times) to destroy the glue bond.

Plastic/Styrene glue - You'll have to cut it as it actually melts/fuses the plastics together to form one piece.