Looking for Advice
- ThatGuyTim
- Reputable Member
- Posts: 50
- Joined: Wed Mar 03, 2021 2:42 pm
Looking for Advice
Hello all!
Just looking to see if anyone knows how to easily remove parts that were not glued together properly leaving huge gaps. I was planning on removing and re-glueing trying to fix the gaps.
Just looking to see if anyone knows how to easily remove parts that were not glued together properly leaving huge gaps. I was planning on removing and re-glueing trying to fix the gaps.
- firespitter
- Great Old One
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Re: Looking for Advice
I've heard some people have had good success using near boiling hot water and submerging the miniature and after a few minutes while still hot (with gloves on) pry or work the parts back and forth until the parts come loose. Never tried this myself.
Not sure if the glue used is a cyanoacrylate that's used or if the glue varies, but the residue on some minis does appear to have the white fogging affect similar to CA glues. And CA can be weakened by soaking in acetone. This was often done on pewter minis.
But acetone will most likely also weaken the painted surface. I used acetone to remove paint off of some bones minis in the past and it also slightly softened the details of the plastic. So try this at your own risk. I thought I still had a bottle of acetone so I could do a test for you, but I either used it all or misplaced it. reaper minis are a different plastic and PPMs might be less or more affected.
If it were me, and I was generally happy with the mini and the paint job, but was OCD about the gaps where parts mate, I might use some putty filler and then sand and touch-up when dry. But that would depend on how badly the parts are mated and if it was a mini that wasn't just easier to simply buy a replacement.
Not sure if the glue used is a cyanoacrylate that's used or if the glue varies, but the residue on some minis does appear to have the white fogging affect similar to CA glues. And CA can be weakened by soaking in acetone. This was often done on pewter minis.
But acetone will most likely also weaken the painted surface. I used acetone to remove paint off of some bones minis in the past and it also slightly softened the details of the plastic. So try this at your own risk. I thought I still had a bottle of acetone so I could do a test for you, but I either used it all or misplaced it. reaper minis are a different plastic and PPMs might be less or more affected.
If it were me, and I was generally happy with the mini and the paint job, but was OCD about the gaps where parts mate, I might use some putty filler and then sand and touch-up when dry. But that would depend on how badly the parts are mated and if it was a mini that wasn't just easier to simply buy a replacement.
-Terry
I know it shows my age and the game nerd I am, but whenever I hear the kids today talking about something being "base", I assume they are talking about miniatures.
I know it shows my age and the game nerd I am, but whenever I hear the kids today talking about something being "base", I assume they are talking about miniatures.
Re: Looking for Advice
Easily? No, not unless the glue job was already poor.
Just to expand a bit on Firespitter's advice, I wouldn't use pure acetone on plastic. It's a solvent. It eats plastic's bonded chains. For metal, though, great stuff for stripping paint and glue. Use gloves, ventilation, eye protection, etc.
For plastic, temperature extremes are the way I go if I'm sure it's superglue. It usually takes time and patience, but the result is usually a pretty clean separation. Hot water, ice water, back and forth, trying to gently wiggle and pry apart the pieces each time. I've had cases where all it took was a night in the freezer to shrink the glue. It's tempting to try and use a tool of some kind to force a gap or seam open, but this is usually ruinous in my experience. Stick with finger strength, and the molecules will gradually weaken more and more with each subtle expansion and contraction.
Exacto and Dremel could be your friend in any other case, but I'm not good enough to recommend it. I've tried to correct models that were bonded with Testor's or some kind of plastic weld, only to come away bleeding and crying every time.
The putty thing may be the best route. I'm not great at that yet, either, but I see the potential. There's a range of filler products out there, some are really easy to work with, and they're pretty cheap, too.
Good luck. Hopefully somebody knows more than I do.
Just to expand a bit on Firespitter's advice, I wouldn't use pure acetone on plastic. It's a solvent. It eats plastic's bonded chains. For metal, though, great stuff for stripping paint and glue. Use gloves, ventilation, eye protection, etc.
For plastic, temperature extremes are the way I go if I'm sure it's superglue. It usually takes time and patience, but the result is usually a pretty clean separation. Hot water, ice water, back and forth, trying to gently wiggle and pry apart the pieces each time. I've had cases where all it took was a night in the freezer to shrink the glue. It's tempting to try and use a tool of some kind to force a gap or seam open, but this is usually ruinous in my experience. Stick with finger strength, and the molecules will gradually weaken more and more with each subtle expansion and contraction.
Exacto and Dremel could be your friend in any other case, but I'm not good enough to recommend it. I've tried to correct models that were bonded with Testor's or some kind of plastic weld, only to come away bleeding and crying every time.
The putty thing may be the best route. I'm not great at that yet, either, but I see the potential. There's a range of filler products out there, some are really easy to work with, and they're pretty cheap, too.
Good luck. Hopefully somebody knows more than I do.
This is too expensive.
Re: Looking for Advice
Having just done this on a 100+ minis, I'd definitely recommend temp extremes. However, removing pieces with finger strength, under extreme heat especially, can warp the piece. It might not fit together snuggly after removal this way. What's worse, there's a possibility that if this was assembled poorly with a large gap, that one or both of the pieces are faulty, and might need to be adjusted with a knife or other carving implement.
Things to watch out for.
Things to watch out for.
Re: Looking for Advice
Stick the mini in the freezer for several hours. Superglue gets brittle at freezing temps, and it becomes easy to just pop parts off.
- ThatGuyTim
- Reputable Member
- Posts: 50
- Joined: Wed Mar 03, 2021 2:42 pm
Re: Looking for Advice
Thanks for the advice guys, after trying the temp change methods I accidently broke off an arm and just re-glued it and went for the sculpting method. It turned out okay but I can definitely tell a difference in width between the F&T Red Dragon, which had the major gaps, and my unpainted Red.
- Kor
- Keeper of the Scrolls
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Re: Looking for Advice
Depending on the areas involved, I normally use the "wiggle and pry" method.
I usually stick my hobby knife with chisel blade, or a scultping tool into the gap where I am trying to separate the peices. By carefully applying tiny amounts of force, while gently wiggling the piece I am trying to separate, I can usually break the glue bond. If an excessive amount of glue was used, then sometimes it will take some of the plastic with it, but I rarely end up with a unintended break.
Patience is the key with this method, you do not want to go too fast or apply too much pressure. If after a bit of wiggling and prying you are not feeling it giving at all, then I would likely abandon the attempt.
I usually stick my hobby knife with chisel blade, or a scultping tool into the gap where I am trying to separate the peices. By carefully applying tiny amounts of force, while gently wiggling the piece I am trying to separate, I can usually break the glue bond. If an excessive amount of glue was used, then sometimes it will take some of the plastic with it, but I rarely end up with a unintended break.
Patience is the key with this method, you do not want to go too fast or apply too much pressure. If after a bit of wiggling and prying you are not feeling it giving at all, then I would likely abandon the attempt.
Re: Looking for Advice
you can also fill the gaps with two part epoxy like green stuff
or with putty like tamyia does or green stuff world. It can be saffer

this epoxy can be model and when it dried sand and paint on it easly
or with putty like tamyia does or green stuff world. It can be saffer
this epoxy can be model and when it dried sand and paint on it easly
Re: Looking for Advice
Green Stuff is the bomb!!! Its takes a while for it to harden like 24 hours at least but once its harden it will hold. When its still fresh you can sculpt it also. I use it all the time for building minis, fixing minis that fall apart a lot (looking at u pathfinder garg Dracolich/ skeletal dragon), great stuff!
Been collecting since Harbringer. 3.5 Drunken DM who enjoys gaming, painting and Dwarven Forge terrain. Remember to Shout at the Devil and Up the Irons! ||m||