TheRailwire

General Discussion => Weathering, Detailing, and Scratchbuilding => Topic started by: garethashenden on December 19, 2016, 01:54:14 PM

Title: Stripping paint and disolving superglue
Post by: garethashenden on December 19, 2016, 01:54:14 PM
I have a brass kit that I half built several years ago. I superglued it together and then painted it with enamels. I didn't do either of these stages very well and I'd like to take it apart and start over. I'm looking for something that I can soak it in that will remove both the paint and the glue. I know there are products that will do one or the other, but is there anything that does both?

Thanks
Title: Re: Stripping paint and disolving superglue
Post by: 71jeep on December 19, 2016, 02:05:45 PM
I believe acetone will do the trick for you but I am not 100%
Title: Re: Stripping paint and disolving superglue
Post by: peteski on December 19, 2016, 02:10:41 PM
Yes, acetone will soften and  slowly dissolve CA glue, and will also dissolve lacquer or soften enamel paint so it can be removed.
Title: Re: Stripping paint and disolving superglue
Post by: 71jeep on December 19, 2016, 02:22:01 PM
Thank you for confirmation Peteski I was did not want to give bad info!
Title: Re: Stripping paint and disolving superglue
Post by: C855B on December 19, 2016, 02:38:04 PM
Agreed. The main reason we don't discuss acetone for paint stripping is it also dissolves most plastics. Brass? No problem.

Acetone = fingernail polish (enamel) remover. So there you go.
Title: Re: Stripping paint and disolving superglue
Post by: Chris333 on December 19, 2016, 02:40:16 PM
I keep bottles of Acetone just to clean brushes.

Some people who machine parts will superglue 2 metal parts together for milling and then toss them in Acetone to dissolve it.
Title: Re: Stripping paint and disolving superglue
Post by: peteski on December 19, 2016, 03:58:05 PM

Acetone = fingernail polish (enamel) remover. So there you go.

I know I'm splitting hairs here but AFAIK, nail polish is a lacquer, not enamel.  I should know - I use it (for painting model cars).  :D

Dry lacquer can be re-dissolved using a solvent (like acetone). Theoretically, if you got the proportion of of solvent right, you could the re-use it.  If lacquer thickens up in a bottle (due to solvent evaporation) adding mode solvent makes it usable again.

Enamels are different.  They dry in stages. First the solvent evaporates and they can be handled, but the coating is still soft. Then they continue to harden by the process of oxidation. Once the enamel is fully hardened, it cannot be redissolved.  Solvents will swell and wrinkle the dry enamel but it will never turn back into homogeneous liquid  paint, no matter how long it sits in the solvent.   If enamel thickens in the bottle (due to solvent evaporation and air (oxygen) intrusion, adding more solvent will not make it into usable paint.  It is unusable.
Title: Re: Stripping paint and disolving superglue
Post by: C855B on December 19, 2016, 04:05:55 PM
Interesting, thanks. I had always heard nail polish referred to as "nail enamel", but that could easily be just a popular shorthand for a shiny, hard-surface paint. Lacquer makes sense, of course.
Title: Re: Stripping paint and disolving superglue
Post by: peteski on December 19, 2016, 04:14:41 PM
Interesting, thanks. I had always heard nail polish referred to as "nail enamel", but that could easily be just a popular shorthand for a shiny, hard-surface paint. Lacquer makes sense, of course.

Maybe there are also some nail enamels out there. But since they take long time to fully harden (and lacquers dry and harden very quickly) I have feeling that enamels would not be desired for painting fingernails.
Title: Re: Stripping paint and disolving superglue
Post by: garethashenden on December 20, 2016, 12:56:45 AM
Thanks everyone. I thought acetone might be the answer, but it's always good to check first and I knew you guys would have the answer.
Title: Re: Stripping paint and disolving superglue
Post by: Spades on December 20, 2016, 07:12:37 PM
From Steve Hile of the MFCL group posted this. 


https://jonrocket.com/store/products/us-1-super-solvent-for-ca-super-glue

I have not used this product,  but it looks interesting.
Title: Re: Stripping paint and disolving superglue
Post by: peteski on December 20, 2016, 09:39:41 PM
From Steve Hile of the MFCL group posted this. 


https://jonrocket.com/store/products/us-1-super-solvent-for-ca-super-glue

I have not used this product,  but it looks interesting.

Ah, a nitromethane-based product. I have used something similar int he past and it does work. But since acetone will strip paint and soften CA glue (and it is fairly inexpensive) it is probably the optimal solution here.

Quoting https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyanoacrylate (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyanoacrylate)

Acetone, commonly found in nail polish remover, is a widely available solvent capable of softening cured cyanoacrylate. Other solvents include nitromethane, dimethyl sulfoxide, and methylene chloride. gamma-Butyrolactone may also be used to remove cured cyanoacrylate.] Commercial debonders are also available.