# Glue Softner?



## Grandcheapskate (Jan 5, 2006)

Hi Guys,
In my Artin thread I mention that some Artin bodies are glued on right from the factory. In a lot of cases, the glue is stronger than the body so you can't pry it off without damaging the body.

I thought I remembered reading somewhere that there was a common product that would soften up glue. Something tells me it was WD-40.

If it's not WD-40, or is, are there any suggestions for getting glue to loosen up?

Thanks...Joe


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## alpink (Aug 22, 2010)

naptha can soften common adhesives, but I do not know about epoxies, super glue, plastic bonders and the like.
nail polish remover can soften super glue.


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## Grandcheapskate (Jan 5, 2006)

Thanks Al.

One idea I was considering was heat. Would heat soften glue? Of course I'd have to be careful it doesn't hurt the body, but I was thinking of boiling the entire car and seeing what happens. Stupid idea?

Without being able to remove the body, it kinda eliminates the car from being useable.

Thanks...Joe


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## Omega (Jan 14, 2000)

Joe,

On the heat idea, why not try running the car for a bit to get the chassis hot to see if that would soften the glue? Not sure if it would work, but hey at least you would be playing with the cars. :tongue:

Dave


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## Bill Hall (Jan 6, 2007)

Boiling is a nono. How about making with some pix so we can see exactly what your up against?


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## Grandcheapskate (Jan 5, 2006)

Omega said:


> Joe,
> 
> On the heat idea, why not try running the car for a bit to get the chassis hot to see if that would soften the glue? Not sure if it would work, but hey at least you would be playing with the cars. :tongue:
> 
> Dave


Hi Dave,
Might have been a possible idea except this chassis has the "T" guide pins (front and back). No way to get it on the track, although I could just hook it to a power pack and let it run. But even so, I doubt it gets hot enough.

Thanks...Joe


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## Grandcheapskate (Jan 5, 2006)

Bill Hall said:


> Boiling is a nono. How about making with some pix so we can see exactly what your up against?


I can get you pics Bill, but it would not show you much. Imagine a Tyco body glued onto an HP-7 chassis - it's almost exactly like that. (An aside - I understand Tyco glued the U-Turn bodies onto their chassis, so the problem is the same). Note how the HP-7 (or U-Turn) chassis fills the entire underside of the body from side to side. There is no room between the side of the body and the chassis to slip in even the tinest of screwdrivers, especially when the side will not move at all. Any attempt to pry the body off will result in further damage to the body.

I think a lot of Artin bodies may be glued on, but some are easier to remove than others. Some can release by just slipping your nail under the body near the wheel wells. Others like this police car are on to stay.

Of course, it could be that the plastic of the body and chassis have somehow "merged" over time. I did not mention it in this thread, but in attempting to dismantle another Artin chassis, I needed to remove the rear clip which goes across the pinion gear from magnet pocket to magnet pocket (like on a Marchon or Tomy Turbo). The clip would not release, finally breaking free only once it took part of the chassis with it.

Any advice would be appreciated.

Thanks...Joe


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## NTxSlotCars (May 27, 2008)

Metamucil???


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## Ralphthe3rd (Feb 24, 2011)

Joe, if you WANT inspiration ?... I'll have you know, that I removed the body from every single one of my 12 U-Turn chassis without damage. Although Only the cars with lights and/or sound were glued on, others weren't. My secret solvent varied, sometimes WD40 and prying, sometimes a couple of drops of nail polish remover- and prying, and other times, like you have experienced, just prying.


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## Grandcheapskate (Jan 5, 2006)

Ralphthe3rd said:


> Joe, if you WANT inspiration ?... I'll have you know, that I removed the body from every single one of my 12 U-Turn chassis without damage. Although Only the cars with lights and/or sound were glued on, others weren't. My secret solvent varied, sometimes WD40 and prying, sometimes a couple of drops of nail polish remover- and prying, and other times, like you have experienced, just prying.


Hi Ralph,
Good information there. I have WD-40 but may need to go out to get nail polish as both you and Al suggest. How long did you have to let either the WD-40 or nail polish sit in that area before you were able to free the body?

Thanks...Joe


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## Illinislotfan (Mar 8, 2009)

Try freezing? Maybe the glue will get brittle enough to chip off.


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## NTxSlotCars (May 27, 2008)

Freezing, there's an idea.

How bout a microwave?


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## Ralphthe3rd (Feb 24, 2011)

Grandcheapskate said:


> Hi Ralph,
> Good information there. I have WD-40 but may need to go out to get nail polish as both you and Al suggest. How long did you have to let either the WD-40 or nail polish sit in that area before you were able to free the body?
> 
> Thanks...Joe


 Joe, the Nail polish remover (acetone) was just left on a minute or two, it either starts to soften the glue immediately- or it Doesn't, if it doesn't be careful it doesn't mess up the paint job if it touched any. As for the WD40, it works better the the longer it's in contact, and I leave it on for 15 minutes, and sometimes reapplied. It's also less damaging to other materials it contacts, like Paint or plastics (unlike Acetone). So I'd try good old WD40 first...


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## Ralphthe3rd (Feb 24, 2011)

PS- I applied the NPR(acetone) with a Needle Oiler, so it went only where I wanted it to... and I remember that I also used Brake Fluid in the oiler the same way and had similar results to the WD40, but again- use with caution, and wipe excess BF spillage from paintwork with a very wet sponge.


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## Grandcheapskate (Jan 5, 2006)

Hi Ralph,
Thanks. I will try the WD-40 since it has the least potential to damage the body. If that fails, I will move onto the harder stuff.



NTxSlotCars said:


> How bout a microwave?


No way...metal inside a microwave????




Illinislotfan said:


> Try freezing? Maybe the glue will get brittle enough to chip off


 I would think freezing might make the body brittle, wouldn't it?


Joe


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## vansmack2 (Feb 9, 2012)

Grandcheapskate said:


> Hi Ralph,
> Thanks. I will try the WD-40 since it has the least potential to damage the body. If that fails, I will move onto the harder stuff.
> 
> 
> ...


Most modern microwaves can take metal, but you need to know for sure, not that I am recommending that approach. One way to test is with a small piece of aluminum foil. If it sparks you now it is a problem, but it will look cool for the few seconds you watch it.


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## NTxSlotCars (May 27, 2008)

Easy-Bake oven?


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## Illinislotfan (Mar 8, 2009)

I would assume the plastic will become more brittle also. This possible solution is not risk free, nor does it mean you shouldn't exercise the greatest care or caution in trying it. Unfortunately, I haven't seen a suggestion offered yet that doesn't carry some degree of risk on your part, as Ralphs instructions indicate. His WD40 suggestion works, and looks to be the least risky so far. 

Have you tried contacting Artin? They have a website with a Contact Us button to send an email to. Maybe they still have an old guy there who will respond with a solution.


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## Bill Hall (Jan 6, 2007)

Doba found what yer looking for Joe.

http://www.ncphobbies.com/tools-1/64-bsrt/bsrt-chassis-final-adjustment-tool-slot-cars/ht400/


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## 1976Cordoba (Sep 20, 2000)

I'll second freezing. Add a little water, freeze overnight, then give it a whack.


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## Grandcheapskate (Jan 5, 2006)

Bill Hall said:


> Doba found what yer looking for Joe.
> 
> http://www.ncphobbies.com/tools-1/64-bsrt/bsrt-chassis-final-adjustment-tool-slot-cars/ht400/


 Already got one of those. I use it on the computer.


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## Grandcheapskate (Jan 5, 2006)

Illinislotfan said:


> Have you tried contacting Artin? They have a website with a Contact Us button to send an email to. Maybe they still have an old guy there who will respond with a solution.


Anyone know if there is still an Artin website? I tried one called artin.com.hk and my anti-virus kicked in blocking the site.

By the way, no luck trying the hair dryer.

Thanks...Joe


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## vansmack2 (Feb 9, 2012)

Joe,

That website worked fine for me, no warning. I am using Norton Internet Security and it usually warns me of bad sites. They are selling 1:43 scale sets, and other things.

Here is the contact us webpage:
http://www.artin.com.hk/contact_us.php?osCsid=27fed24265ae02f0eb97d07f85867994


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## Grandcheapskate (Jan 5, 2006)

vansmack2 said:


> Joe,
> 
> That website worked fine for me, no warning. I am using Norton Internet Security and it usually warns me of bad sites. They are selling 1:43 scale sets, and other things.
> 
> ...


Thanks. It let me get to that page without a problem. A message has been sent and I'll see if anyone actually responds. My guess --- "We haven't sold those cars for over 10 years and no longer offer any support".

Thanks...Joe


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## 1976Cordoba (Sep 20, 2000)

Did freezing not work?


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## Grandcheapskate (Jan 5, 2006)

1976Cordoba said:


> Did freezing not work?


I haven't tried freezing yet. Although I have enough Artin cars that I can sacrifice one to see if freezing will work, I am just afraid that freezing is going to cause other problems. Can I freeze the armature, brushes, springs, chassis and body without causing damage?

The next two things I want to try are WD-40 and acetone applied with a needle applicator. I have to pick one up and I'd like to find one with a glass bottle.

Does anyone know what acetone will do to a plastic bottle?

Thanks...Joe


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## vansmack2 (Feb 9, 2012)

I tried a little acetone on a Q-tip a few days ago to see what it would do for paint removal. It removed the paint very good, but as soon as it got to the level of the plastic it started eating into it, like melting it. I stopped using it at that point, and had to sand that area to get it smooth again.

An "extremely" small amount on the glued area many soften it enough to remove the chassis, but I would try other things first.


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## alpink (Aug 22, 2010)

acetone generally comes in a plastic bottle. but take note what kind of plastic.


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## vansmack2 (Feb 9, 2012)

Yes, my acetone is in a plastic bottle. It was a Tyco orange Charger that I was removing the black paint from when it started eating into the plastic.

I tried acetone on a Q-tip on a red AW Roadrunner body today because it had some clear glue on it, and I thought it might be Super Glue. The acetone did not do much on the glue, but it did remove the red paint, and ate into the plastic a little, but not as bad as the Tyco body. I ending up using a knife to remove the glue, and will sand the body smooth before repainting it.


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## Grandcheapskate (Jan 5, 2006)

Because I haven't yet acquired a needle applicator, I have just placed the car (minus tires and rear axle) into the freezer at 7:30pm EDT. I'll check it in a few hours and see what I got.

Joe


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## NTxSlotCars (May 27, 2008)

This isn't gonna be like putting a can of Coke in the freezer is it?


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## Grandcheapskate (Jan 5, 2006)

NTxSlotCars said:


> This isn't gonna be like putting a can of Coke in the freezer is it?


No...at least you can do something with a can of Coke once it's cold. The glue was completely unimpressed with being in the freezer for 2 1/2 hours.

There's got to be a way to loosen this stuff...

Joe


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## NTxSlotCars (May 27, 2008)

What about that superglue release stuff?


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## Ralphthe3rd (Feb 24, 2011)

Speaking of Coke, we all know that stuff removes Paint(albeit Slowly) on 1:1 cars, now what if you dribble a little in the joint of the Slotcar chassis and body ?


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## Ralphthe3rd (Feb 24, 2011)

PS-another thought... What about my New Favorite - Orange Goop (Hand Cleaner) !? And I know it's safe on the plastic chassis and body, because I've been using it to clean Both lately. Give that stuff a try and let it set awhile, and then see if it softens up the bond ?


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## Grandcheapskate (Jan 5, 2006)

Ralphthe3rd said:


> PS-another thought... What about my New Favorite - Orange Goop (Hand Cleaner) !? And I know it's safe on the plastic chassis and body, because I've been using it to clean Both lately. Give that stuff a try and let it set awhile, and then see if it softens up the bond ?


Anything is worth a try.

I need to snap a picture of the underside of this chassis to really give you a good idea of what I'm working with. There is no "give" to the body and no room between the chassis and the body tabs.

Just for your information, on an Artin chassis the female portion of the body mount is on the chassis and the male portion is on the body.

Joe


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## Ralphthe3rd (Feb 24, 2011)

Joe, is it any worse that the connection between a Tyco U-turn chassis and Pan Body ?


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## Grandcheapskate (Jan 5, 2006)

Ralphthe3rd said:


> Joe, is it any worse that the connection between a Tyco U-turn chassis and Pan Body ?


Hi Ralph,

From the bottom, the Artin and U-Turn look similar; the chassis fills the entire width of the body.

I just took out a new U-Turn and the body came off without a problem. I once bought a U-Turn because I wanted the body and had to slowly seperate off the body. It was no where near as tightly glued as the Artin.

So, let's assume you can not get any room between the body and side of the U-Turn chassis. How can you work any kind of fluid onto the body tabs? I know you said you got a needle applicator in there and that's what I need to buy. Either that or a syringe.

Joe


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## Grandcheapskate (Jan 5, 2006)

Well, you have to break a few eggs to make an omlette...

I finally got completely disgusted with trying to get this Artin body off the chassis. So I resorted to the Dremel and a cutoff wheel. I simply needed to see what the inside looked like so I would know how to handle other cars.

Reminds me of the old Midas commercial - "I'll make it fit!".

I actually did a very neat job. I ran the cutoff wheel gently along the line between body and chassis. This seemed to break through most of the glue holding the body tight against the chassis. I was now able to slip a tiny screwdriver between the two and gently pry.

I will try to take a picture, but until I do...

The body has tabs on it almost identical to a wide pan Tyco. On each side of the body there is a large tab in the center with two smaller pair of tabs, one to each side. The large tab seats pretty deeply into the chassis, whereas the small tabs just clip under male tabs on the chassis. Once I cut through using the Dremel, the two side clips seem to release - the large middle tab remained stuck to the chassis. No amount of prying would get it to release until...

Finally, the tab broke off the body and stayed inside the chassis. I could not even pull it out with pliers.

Conclusion? The body appears glued on the bottom along the chassis. This glue may be removeable with WD40 or acetone. Definitely by Dremel. Once that seal is broken, the problem becomes the large center tab. It could be on certain bodies the tab is too tight a fit into the female pocket on the chassis - it gets forced in at the factory and is too tight to be removed.

There does not appear to be glue on the tabs.

Solution? The only solution seems to be getting the glue released so you can access the large tab. Then take your Dremel with cutoff wheel (or a hobby knife) and cut the large tab off the body leaving a piece of it in the chassis. You can try prying off the body before cutting, but failing that you will have to cut it.

On this chassis, the center tab on one side of the body took a very small piece of the body with it. Then simply fell off the chassis.

Joe


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