Removing Hot Glue Gun Glue

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**MechaEmperor7000**

I came into a batch of CSM. Good news is they were glued with a Hot Glue gun, so the glue didn't melt the plastic and can be taken off easier than superglue.

Bad news is, it's still hard to get off. It's like trying to pick a sticky booger hooked into the dankest part of your nose.

Anyone know if Simple Green can loosen it or if I need to find a new solution to get it off? Or is there some kind of trick I can do to get it to come off without damaging the plastic?

**Luciferian**

Not sure if there are any solvents that will do the trick without damaging the plastic. Your best bet might be to apply heat using something like a hair drier or heat gun and see if that makes it any easier.

**MechaEmperor7000**

I'm afraid that a hair dryer might warp the plastic Although I guess since I don't need it to completely liquify, a low setting could work and I can just attack it with a toothpick.

**chromedog**

Methylated spirits can help remove it.

**MechaEmperor7000**

Will that affect the plastic?

**SagesStone**

I'm not sure, I think it probably would but as always when you're not sure test a bit of sprue in it first.

**MechaEmperor7000**

Problem is this is a set of 2nd edition chaos space marines that came pretty much assembled. I don't have any comparable plastic on hand to "test out".

EDIT: The bare plastic on these guys is a lot whiter than what I've seen in the past decade. Like they're much lighter than even 3rd edition Tyranid Warriors.

**chromedog**

It didn't when I used it to remove hot-glue from some styrene plastic building parts.
It's never hurt any of the plastic minis I've used it on, either (it strips acrylic paints from plastics - so does isopropyl alcohol - and Dettol is actually mostly isopropyl alcohol).

Automatically Appended Next Post:

MechaEmperor7000 wrote:
Problem is this is a set of 2nd edition chaos space marines that came pretty much assembled. I don't have any comparable plastic on hand to "test out".

EDIT: The bare plastic on these guys is a lot whiter than what I've seen in the past decade. Like they're much lighter than even 3rd edition Tyranid Warriors.

GW had their stuff made in whatever colour plastic was ready to go in the machines (they owned the dies to make the models, but not the machines at this point) - it's cheaper that way. Their plastic models came in three shades of grey, or tan/bone for certain things.

**MechaEmperor7000**

That's what I'm kinda concerned about since i don't know what the composition of the plastic is and have no sample to test it out on. Although I think I can dab some on the bottom of the feet of one of the marines and see if it goes melty melty. Even if it does I can hide that pretty easily.

**JamesY**

The plastic composition won't be the same, as they moved to 100% styrene plastic around 2009/10.

**Nodri**

I'd recommend rubbing alcohol. I've never heard of it damaging a GW model (but I'm not a GW player, so I could be wrong).

**Asterios**

freeze that bad boy, turns the hot glue brittle.

**MechaEmperor7000**

At this point I'm just stopping one step short of waving around a dried puffer fish, hopping on one leg and chanting "Yu Mo Gui Gwai Fai Di Zao!"

(Cookie to anyone who gets that reference)

**SpacePup**

MechaEmperor7000 wrote:
At this point I'm just stopping one step short of waving around a dried puffer fish, hopping on one leg and chanting "Yu Mo Gui Gwai Fai Di Zao!"

(Cookie to anyone who gets that reference)

Should that not be "Yao Mo Gui Gwai Fai Di Zao!"?

Unless you are chasing away fish demons... (maybe that is why with a puffer fish instead of rice or a rosewood sword)

**chromedog**

Rubbing alcohol IS isopropyl alcohol, btw.

**ProwlerPC**

I keep a bottle of 99% isopropyl. Very useful. Doesn't harm the plastics. Doesn't leave behind a residue. I buy it from my local pharmacy. Don't leave the bottle open otherwise consider it gone with the wind.

**MechaEmperor7000**

I'm kinda afraid of alcohol because I think canadian brands are more pure or something but they always seem to dissolve (or at least soften) the plastics I throw in there.

Currently I have them soaking in a vat of simple green.

**chromedog**

You don't need to soak them in it.

It will also depend on WHICH hot melt glue was used (there is more than one kind, different melt temperatures and grab strength.). They come in the SAME sizes (diameters), too - so that alone doesn't help.

**MechaEmperor7000**

I mean the plastic turns into stringcheese on contact.