"How to kill superglue" Topic

So for the first time in my wargaming life I'm thinking about rebaseing some figures.

Problem is I was stupid enough to use superglue, the metal figures are superglued to plastic bases. and they are well and clearly stuck there. I tried to pry them off, no chance..

I believe nail varnish remover is a good way to shift superglue.

It certainly works when you have accidentally glued your fingers together. Ahem.

Soak the bases up to the top of the base in water, it'll break down the glue.

Try MEK (Methy-ethyl Keytone) that's the strongest solvent I'd mess with. I believe I have seen a solvent for super glue but I can't remember the name. Never use the stuff myself.

I'll try the water first, any powerfull solvent will take of the paint to.

Try putting them in the freezer – the different rates of contraction between the metal and plastic might loosen the bond (do one base first in case anything goes wrong).

If that fails use tin snips to cut round the figure, then either a sander or rub the base along a course engineering file to grind off the plastic.

Good luck!

Water works with organic bases (wood or card), which expand when they get wet. Leave the figures standing in water for 24 hours to get the full effect. I suspect that it won't work well with plastic bases

Hi

Ill 2nd the freezer method.

Freezer makes the cyanoacrylate brittle, allowing you to twist the base off. Never pull or pry, twist.

Nail polish remover.

Any organic solvents are a last resort. Acetone and MEK will ruin the paint job.
You want to try the freezer and immediate VERY HOT WATER bath up the knees of the figures. Let soak for a few hours.
This works regardless of the bases.

The freezer relies on the three different substrates, figure, base, and glue, having different expansion rates when frozen and thawed. This introduces cracks into the joints. These cracks are then infiltrated by the hot water.
Notice that instructions for super glue say "not intended for long time contact with water."
Although moisture will catalyze the cyanoacrylate setting, long time exposure will infiltrate the bond.
You may want to repeat the freezing and immersion if it is still stubborn.

Stick in freezer a few hours. Will pop apart with a little pressure

Freeze them puppies till they beg for parkas.

Waco Joe for the win!

If you haven't sealed the miniatures and use acrylic paint, be careful with the water method. If you use too much, it too will soften and remove paint if left for an extended period of time.

You might be able to just pop them off if you can wiggle a knife blade in under them. If not the freezer method works.

If you are using a blade to pop them off, frozen or not, be really careful. Wear eye protection and put the base down in contact with your work bench and hold it behind the direction of the knife cut. What often happens is that as you build up more and more pressure on the blade the glue will suddenly give way. Your blade then accelerates to warp speed into or through any stray flesh in its way.

Any organic solvents are a last resort. Acetone and MEK will ruin the paint job.

They may also not be very good for the plastic bases…

Another vote for the freezer. If nothing else it does little harm.

It has always worked for me some recommend then hot water and repeat but I have always found a night in the freezer enough.

x42

Freeze and pry. Stay away from MEK

The freezer works for me every time. One caution, don't take all of your bases out of the freezer at the same time – take only 1 or maybe 2. Any more than that and the bases quickly warm up to room temperature and the figures won't pop off.

I've used the freezer for metal figures on metal bases and I was amazed at how easily the figures pop off after only an hour in the cold.

The water works on the glue. It makes it mushy, making it easy to remove the minis, it has nothing to do with the material to which it's glued. I've never had the freezer method work for me.

Superglue debonder (proprietary, from the same manufacturer as the glue) has worked for me. It debonded metal pieces stuck together with superglue / Milliput + superglue reinforcement with no drama – I was very impressed.

M16 on rock-n-roll at close range should get rid of it forever :) just check to see if its legal to kill said superglue, you might be committing a felony in your state so check with authorities. All the other freezing advice seems good for "freeing" your minis from that criminal superglue :) also use a metal tool or such to tap on back of base to help crack the glue when frozen.
Cheers

all of the above….plus
…superglue is weak in torsion, therefore a twisting action is the best way to free a figure from the base.

Just to give an update the freezer worked, thanks for all the help, by the way fritz, its your figures I'm rebasing, I've restarted on the lovley minden figures.