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Hey all. I have some old metal minis that I want to repaint. I know that there are a lot of videos that show how to strip the paint off of them. The thing is, some of them are the sort that come in multiple pieces and I want to disassemble them as well. Any suggestion for how to dissolve the superglue that is holding them together?

Get the simple green concentrated stuff, you can find it at most hardware stores ... strips plastic down to the basecoat and metal all the way. I've had plastics sit in a batch for a month with no damage done. I would also pick up an electric toothbrush, makes them easier to scrub the paint off.

If they are all metal, just use acetone or MEK. It will strip them better than anything else and kill the glue really quickly. Make sure to wear gloves and glasses though. If there are ANY plastic parts, this stuff will melt them, so be sure before you begin.

 Todosi wrote:
If they are all metal, just use acetone or MEK. It will strip them better than anything else and kill the glue really quickly. Make sure to wear gloves and glasses though. If there are ANY plastic parts, this stuff will melt them, so be sure before you begin.

This, but generally I only do it as last resort. For stubborn figs, I use MEK. Dangerous, but effective.

Otherwise, Purple power works great on most everything (plastic, metal, resin, vinyl, etc) and is cheaper and more effective than simple green, especially since SG changed the formula a year or so ago. Purple Power still has 2botoxethanol, the chemical that made green so great before the reformulation. It gets superglue glue and paint very well.

Agreed. Purple Power (or the brand name SuperClean) work extremely well. They don't kill glue as well as acetone or MEK though.

 Todosi wrote:
Agreed. Purple Power (or the brand name SuperClean) work extremely well. They don't kill glue as well as acetone or MEK though.

That's true. Acetone or Mek will often make the glue actually disappear. Kind of magical!

With Purple Power the component parts will usually fall apart, and then you pick off the loose glue.

So I have a bunch of badly painted metal minis that I picked up off of ebay. They are glued to bases that I don't care about (I have some new bases that I'm going to use). I picked up some MEK.

What's the best way to apply the MEK? Should I just dunk the minis in the MEK and leave them in there for a while? How long should I leave the minis in the MEK? What kind of container should I use?

Can you use MEK on plastic models, or will they get melted?

Put the Mek in a glass jar with a metal lid. Some softer polypropylene plastic containers will not be melted by MEK, but I wouldn't risk it. Put the Minis in the MEK and close the lid. You can leave them in there for as long as you want, but they might be ready as in as little as 30 minutes.

Use gloves while putting in and taking out. A tiny splasy of MEK on the skin isn't going to kill you, but it is nasty and should be avoided. If you have a pair of thin pliers or similar tool that would be ideal for putting the minis in and out to avoid spillage and splashing. I've got a really long hemostat that I use and it is great.

Get a couple of small wire brushes and brush off the paint while wearing the gloves. If the minis are of fairly soft lead like vintage figs, you should use a toothbrush instead, but if using a toothbrush rinse off the MEK first or you might melt the toothbrush. You can use MEK over and over, but some method for straining out the paint bits is good. I use a cheap funnel from the dollar store and coffee filters. The funnel is plastic, but it' must be polypropylene since it hasn't melted yet.

MEK will completely melt polystyrene plastic models and usually vinyl and PVC models as well. On the other hand it works really well as a solvent glue, though it is so volitile it evaporates really quickly and you will need some kind of applicator. It's a prime ingredient in Plastruct Plastic Weld, so when I ran out of Plastic Weld, I filled the bottle with MEK. Last This week I used it to assemble a cathedral from Pegasus Gothic Pieces and it's rock solid.

thanks!

Happy to help.
Let us know how it turns out.

Just so I'm totally clear, my metal models are glued to plastic bases. Those bases with melt in the MEK right? I don't care about these bases... but I don't know if getting plastic base residue all over the models is a problem. I don't know if this is actually an issue that I have to worry about...

And is there a way to dissolve glue in plastic models? Or once I've super-glued a plastic model, is that it?

Superglue on plastic models is usually not permanent. Plastic glue however,is . The superglue effects a bond by solidfying itself . The plastic glue bonds by melting the surfaces and then solidifying, effectively welding the pieces together. Any of the stripping methods described above will take superglue off as well.

I see you've already purchased a product of choice, but I want to throw my input in for next time as well. I swear by a product called LA's Totally Awesome, which can be picked up in 32 oz bottles at Dollar Tree locations. It is safe, does not smell bad, does not harm skin (although it dries skin out very much), has absolutely no adverse effects on plastic or metal minis no matter how long you leave them in (I left some in for over a year), and will strip both plastic and metal down to the bare model through enamels and spray primers in 24 hours as well as cause them to fall completely apart.

 ArmageddonBorn wrote:
Just so I'm totally clear, my metal models are glued to plastic bases. Those bases with melt in the MEK right? I don't care about these bases... but I don't know if getting plastic base residue all over the models is a problem. I don't know if this is actually an issue that I have to worry about...

And is there a way to dissolve glue in plastic models? Or once I've super-glued a plastic model, is that it?

Yes, MEK will melt those bases to some extent. No, it is not a problem to get off of the metal models.

With plastic models there are several methods. Simple Green, LA's Totally Awesome and (my favorite) Superclean will all strip paint and weaken or break superglue bonds. You can also put the models in the freezer overnight to make the superglue brittle then apply gentle force to the joint. They will usually pop right apart.

I'd suggest getting a plano case with compartments and using that for the soak.

As other said, SimpleGreen is good. Soak it for a day and scrub with dental pick (cracks) or toothbrush. Acetone will work quicker on metals, but will ruin the bases if you don't snap them off first. Also Acetone should only be used in a glass jar with a metal lid - keep out of reach of children, etc.

ArmageddonBorn wrote:Just so I'm totally clear, my metal models are glued to plastic bases. Those bases with melt in the MEK right? I don't care about these bases... but I don't know if getting plastic base residue all over the models is a problem. I don't know if this is actually an issue that I have to worry about...

And is there a way to dissolve glue in plastic models? Or once I've super-glued a plastic model, is that it?

As was said, superglue will break down, but plastic "solvent' glues won't two pieces joined with plastic glue are not essentially one piece. However a razor saw and hobby vise makes cutting apart plastic minis quite easy and much safer than prying at them with a knife which will inevitably result in cutting yourself.

As for MEK and the plastic bases, the plastic probably won't melt into the metal and cause any problems, but it's not a bad idea to just clip away most or all of the base with snips or a pliers before the Mek. No sense making the MEK any dirtier than you have to.

RAWRAIrobblerobble wrote:I'd suggest getting a plano case with compartments and using that for the soak.

As other said, SimpleGreen is good. Soak it for a day and scrub with dental pick (cracks) or toothbrush. Acetone will work quicker on metals, but will ruin the bases if you don't snap them off first. Also Acetone should only be used in a glass jar with a metal lid - keep out of reach of children, etc.

Just to reiiterate, don't put MEK in a Plano case. Honestly, I'm hesitant about using a plano case for any soak because they're not watertight, but it would help to keep your models separate.

From what I understand acetone will do wonders with metal minis (remove glue and paint). It does melt plastic though so you need to be careful. I personally haven't had to use it but doing a quick google search should pull up some videos or tutorials.

Acetone works well and isn't quite as dangerous as MEK, though you treat it roughly the same as MEK.