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When I first got my Valkyrie for my IG army, I put it together waaaaaaaaaaaaaaay wrong, as in, it didn't quite match up right but somehow managed to stay together for a few years. Now the issue is, after pulling it apart to put it together the right way, there's lots of leftover superglue residue from when I used way too much.

there is the usual method of using a sharp knife and a steady hand, but is there a faster way to dissolve it without damaging the plastic?

Thank you all in advance

I generally file off excess glue using an emery board. You can try cutting it off, but you're still going to want to file afterward, to get smooth edges.

Not that I'm aware of. I either chip it off (carefully) with a knife or abrade it away with files and/or sandpaper.

You can burn off or dissolve away superglue, but any of the means of doing so (torch, acetone, etc.) will likewise destroy the model, in most cases.

Acetone for metals, patience for plastics.

Not that it will help americans, but Biostrip dissolves superglue from tests I've done

Simple Green and Purple Power generally turn Superglue into a gooey paste that can be scrubbed off.

Typically, superglue once dry can be chipped off or pried off.
Unless someone (like me) roughly abraded the join, it will usually just peel off.

I suspect trying a chemical method to remove it would require more work to brush the goop off.

 Todosi wrote:
Simple Green and Purple Power generally turn Superglue into a gooey paste that can be scrubbed off.

I just pulled a bunch of guys out of the Simple Green, and my experience does not match this. I could tell where I had used glue, particularly over paint, as it was a hard coat that needed to be scraped off.



I used a knife, same as if cleaning mould lines. Got most of it off.

 Nevelon wrote:

 Todosi wrote:
Simple Green and Purple Power generally turn Superglue into a gooey paste that can be scrubbed off.

I just pulled a bunch of guys out of the Simple Green, and my experience does not match this. I could tell where I had used glue, particularly over paint, as it was a hard coat that needed to be scraped off.



I used a knife, same as if cleaning mould lines. Got most of it off.

Looks like the simple green did a great job on the paint thought. I am always nervous of buying or trading for primed (badly) or painted plastic/finecast models because of lack of ability to remove paint. How long did you let them soak?

 TheMostWize wrote:

Looks like the simple green did a great job on the paint thought. I am always nervous of buying or trading for primed (badly) or painted plastic/finecast models because of lack of ability to remove paint. How long did you let them soak?

An indeterminate amount of time. Maybe a month? I could go through my blog and look for dates. I’m usually pretty good about documenting things.
Edit: They went in March 21st and came out June 16th

Not pictured: The rest of the box that I scrubbed a bit and tossed back in the drink. Some stripped a lot easier then others. I basically grabbed the ones that cleaned easy, so I could get about a squad out to start work on. I had a few batches of marines, the BA cleaned up nice, but the custom chapter in green paint didn’t want to part with their colors.

Also not show in the 2-3 hours of scrubbing with a toothbrush to get them to this point.

Closer looks also revel a good bit still stuck in the cracks:


More power to people who buy crummy paintjobs and refurbish them. It’s a massive pain IMHO.

Freezer makes superglue brittle, which makes it easier to break the pieces apart. Then you can file the bits off, or use a knife, etc.

You can also use BSI Un-Cure, a superglue remover. You need to use it very sparingly on plastic, as it softens the plastic, too, and can mess up detail. It works like a champ on metal, though.

I'm with Nevelon, though. Way more pain than it's worth on an "army scale", in my opinion.

I use the mouldline remover to scrape it off without worrying about the plastic.

Unfortunately Simple green changed it's formula and no longer contains 2-butoxethanol. IMHO, this ingredient seems to be the key to the best stripping and super-glue loosening properties that it used to have.

It still works ok for stripping paint, but Purple Power (which does have 2-butoxethanol) works better, faster, is more effective against superglue and also happens to be cheaper per oz. I've switched to Purple and will never go back. Usually you still have to scrape off some glue, but most times it flakes right off after a soak in Purple power.

You can get Purple at most any auto parts store (supposedly it's what they use to clean engines) and sometimes places like Walmart too. I get mine at Auto Zone.