"Battlefront tank blisterpack problem. Help!" Topic

I have bought several BF products fo my Polish 1st Armd Div army but I've run into a problem with the tanks and tank destroyers from the blister packs. The turrets are glued down with hot glue and they are all but impossible to remove. I was abble to pop off the turrets on the M-10's with much effort but the the turret on the Sherman Firefly will not budge. I tried to pop it loose by wedging a steel tool imto under the turret's counter-weight but realised I might crack it. So now it sits I've got three Stuart V's and another Sherman V on order. How on earth can I pop the turrets loose? Help!

There is an excellent article here on strengthening your hands grip, then you an crack one off more easily ;)

link

Being more seroius for a moment though, get a scalpel in and flick them off, the resin will take it.

Alternatively dunk it in some hot water and softed the glue.

Use a bit of cloth to assist with your grip. Must say though, packers get a bit over enthusiastic with the stuff!

Must be the only highlight to a tedious job!

I use a small screwdriver blade, and pray that I don't chip the resin.

Whose bone-headed idea was it to hot melt the turrets in place anyway?

Lifting them straight up can be difficult, I've had no problem twisting them like a bottle cap.

I've never had a problem like that in all the BF tanks I have bought. Maybe they changed the glue?

Same glue, but the fit seems to be getting tighter on newer models.
It is still a bone-headed idea.

I just bought my second group of BF products and only now have figured out that the turrets are indeed hot glued down. Yes, I know, I'm clever that way. I just thought the turrets and hulls were a single casting.

That said, I was able to pop off the turrets with an exacto knife.

Good luck.

Rubbing Alcohol helped me get one off the other day.

Glue often has good tensile strength (can't pull it apart) but weak sheer strength (can twist apart). I know this sounds crazy, but I have had hot glue come unbonded by running a but of thinned PVA (like milk) into the crack. Seem to weaken the bond temporarily. You might run a bit in into one tank, wait 15 minute than use a dishcloth to grab the turret and twist with your stronger hand.

A good twist while being sure not to apply pressure to any fragile bits has always worked for me.

- Bob

I've always been able to twist them off.

Does it matter? Could you just not leave the turrets in place?

just run them under the hot water tap for a few seconds and the hot glue bond becomes pretty much nonexistant – and they're washed clean at the same time.

A good tip is to clean the resin pieces in warm water and detergent, using warm water facilitaties the glue losening, so you kill two birds with one stone.

I've broke a couple of scalpel blades recently so this method and a thin end screwdriver usually does it.

"Does it matter? Could you just not leave the turrets in place?"

Every single WW II game I play (and there are many) has rules for moving the turrets and such. Plus it looks cool. Why would anybody leave them so they can't move if there is an option to have them turn? Might as well mold the tanks as one piece…

OK placing the model under hot tapwater turned the trick. The water was hot enough to melt the glue but not so hot that it would scald my hands. As to why would I remove the hot glue not only would the turret not move but their was some unsightly overflow around the turret ring. I'm going to drill out some small holes to place some rare earth magnets in both the turret bottom and hull. Thanks for opining y'all! Salut!

Bruce the Texas Grognard

You only need a magnet in either the turret or hull. Use a washer for the other, and save yourself the bother of working out polarity on all your vehicles.

- Bob

"Plus it looks cool."

Especially when you have your tanks lined up, bumper to bumper, from table edge to table edge.

It's just like… Tanksgiving.

Allen

Good thing I don't observe that particular holiday in any of my games!