ungluing super glue

[gideon]

Sorry if this is in the wrong place but I really do not see a better place for it. I am hoping some skilled people know the answer to this.

I recently purchased a bunch of Armies of Middle Earth LOTR figures and all have been superglued to their bases. I want to remove the bases without damaging the figures. I have read that simple finger nail polish works because it contains acetone. My questions are these

- how much do I need to use on the area where it is glued?

- how long does it take to work so the two contact points can be separated?

- will it also remove the paint from the figure?

- should I just place a small pool of it in a dish and let the figure sit in there for a while or should I use it selectively just around the contact points where it has been super glued?

- is there something better than fingernail polish to use?

thank much to anyone who knows anything about this and can help.

 

[carbo-fation]

I found some links online that I hope will be helpful to you. I, myself, don't know anything about this topic.

https://www.supergluecorp.com/removingsuperglue.html

https://www.theglueguy.com/remover.htm

Also, please post more pictures of your Middle-Earth dioramas. I remember seeing some a few years back and I was very impressed by them.

 

[**16k**]

Don't know about the paint, but her's my personnal experience with nail polish. First, select one with NO acetone!!! Or it will eat through plastic!

When I got my GOD Bruce Lee, I realized the head didn't have the same range of movement than another BL I had.

I removed the head and found out the neck peg was glued. I was because when they had glued the torso halves, some of it had leaked on the neck peg.

So what I did was fill the neck cavity with nail polish. The next day I had to apply a very little strength, and the peg was free.

So I'd say at least a day and I repeat: Absolutely no acetone!!!

 

[gideon]

Thanks for the advice. I tried a bit of nail polish used very sparingly around the area where it was glued and let it sit for about an hour. Using a small screwdriver, I was able to pry to base from the figure with no damage. Then I used soap and water on the feet of the figure and it seems none the worse for the experience.

carbo - you can see my diorama's here.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/17649735@N00/?saved=1

there are four pages and the best one is on page four.

I have over 600 figures for a Helms Deep diorama plus the buildings less the keep itself. The problem is that when I map it all out, it needs a space the size of an entire bedroom to house it. I feel like the Wright Bros. who constructed their plane in their bicycle shop and then had to tear down a wall to get it out.

also - I am always looking for more Helms Deeps figures - Uruks, Elves, Rohan warriors, wildmen.

 

[carbo-fation]

Thanks for the link. You're dioramas are fantastic.