# glue remover



## Billy 2 Wolves (May 22, 2018)

23 March 2020
hey y'all:
I purchased some used buildings not long ago. They have been glued together. And some of the glue is all over some of the parts.

Anyone out there know of a good glue remover that won't hurt plasic?

Thank in advance for the info.


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## MichaelE (Mar 7, 2018)

You cannot remove glue meant for styrene, from styrene. It becomes part of the plastic. You could sand, but you will have to refinish the entire piece.


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## CTValleyRR (Jul 26, 2014)

Michael is right. Styrene glue actually softens the plastic, allowing it to fuse together when the solvent evaporates. What looks like glue is actually permanent marring of the surface.

About the only thing you can do is sand it flat, and try to get creative about hiding any details destroyed in the process.

CA, on the other hand, can be removed with acetone which shouldn't harm the plastic if you use it sparingly and clean it off after the glue releases.


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## Billy 2 Wolves (May 22, 2018)

the pieces have the look & feel of plastic and not styrene. I'm thinking styrene is bit softer & more plyable then plastic. OR maybe I'm thinking of another product altogether that I know as styrene. 
Thanks for the info.


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## flyboy2610 (Jan 20, 2010)

Most of the structure and rolling stock kits we use are made of styrene.


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## CTValleyRR (Jul 26, 2014)

flyboy2610 said:


> Most of the structure and rolling stock kits we use are made of styrene.


Exactly. Unless it is a resin casting, it's about 99.999% likely that it is styrene.


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## Billy 2 Wolves (May 22, 2018)

flyboy2610 said:


> Most of the structure and rolling stock kits we use are made of styrene.





CTValleyRR said:


> Exactly. Unless it is a resin casting, it's about 99.999% likely that it is styrene.


I don't doubt you, but it looks & feels like plastic to me. May be a Plasticville product


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## Eilif (Nov 6, 2017)

Billy 2 Wolves said:


> I don't doubt you, but it looks & feels like plastic to me. May be a Plasticville product


Styrene (polystyrene) is plastic. It's the most common plastic for models because it can be assembled with plastic solvent glues. Plasticville models are made of styrene.

As for glues, solvent glues fuse the plastic together. The only way to disassemble models assembled this way is to cut out break them apart or to apply another solvent (I use MEK) to the join (ideally from the inside) until the joint is soft enough to separate.

All that said, it's not uncommon to find models assembled with rubber cement, superglue or some other non solvent glue. For those I recommend soaking the model in a container of "Super Clean" or "Purple Power" or some other 2-botoxethanol based degreaser. It will break down the glue to the point where it can be easily be disassembled. Use gloves though as it is very hard on skin.

I have a covered bucket of purple power that I keep around for stripping paint and removing glue from models that are going to be rehabbed.


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## CTValleyRR (Jul 26, 2014)

Billy 2 Wolves said:


> I don't doubt you, but it looks & feels like plastic to me. May be a Plasticville product


Basically, you're saying "It looks like a car to me", and we're saying "It's probably a Ford". The generic term "plastic" covers a lot of bases: styrene, polystyrene, polyethylene, polypropylene, ABS (again, the S stands for styrene), but also vinyl / PVC and polycarbonate (although these are a slightly different chemical structure).

If it's Plasticville, it's DEFINITELY styrene, and therefore plastic.


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## Billy 2 Wolves (May 22, 2018)

Eilif said:


> Styrene (polystyrene) is plastic. It's the most common plastic for models because it can be assembled with plastic solvent glues. Plasticville models are made of styrene.
> 
> As for glues, solvent glues fuse the plastic together. The only way to disassemble models assembled this way is to cut out break them apart or to apply another solvent (I use MEK) to the join (ideally from the inside) until the joint is soft enough to separate.
> 
> ...


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## Eilif (Nov 6, 2017)

You're very welcome!
Happy to help.


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## kilowatt62 (Aug 18, 2019)

I was just curious about the thread. So I read along. A plethora of info has now been gained. I posses a meager knowledge of glues, adhesives, and plastics, etc. "Some of you guys are borderline chemists." This,,,is yet another reason why I appreciate this forum. Thank you!


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