Taking Buildings Apart

[OLDGATORBOB]

HELLO EVERYONE,

I AM TRYING TO FIND SOMETHING THAT WILL CUT THE GLUE ON SOME BUILDINGS THAT I WANT TO TAKE APART AND REBUILD IN A DIFFERENT WAY. DO YOU ALL NOW KNOW OF SUCH A THING?

I AM REDOING MY HO LAYOUT AND AS THEY ARE NOW THEY WILL NOT WORK OUT TO GOOD, THERE MUST BE SOMETHING THAT WILL CUT THE GLUE.

THANKS FOR ANY HELP YOU HAVE, YOU ALL ARE REAL SHARP, SO LAY IT ON ME........................................

 

[sumpter250]

Oldgatorbob,
If the buildings were well assembled, the glued joints are probably stronger than the material the building is made of.
You didn't indicate the building material,ie. wood, plastic, card stock, etc. . Each one will be different to disassemble.
If you are looking for a solvent that will soften, or disolve the glue, I don't think there is any. At least none that wouldn't damage the building. I have taken plastic buildings, assembled with "tube" glue, apart. The joint usually breaks, and the edges of the joint can be sanded smooth. If assembled with liquid cements, the joints are fused together, and don't break easily. In this case, and with wood, and cardstock, I would use a #11 xacto blade to score the inside of the joint, or a razor saw to cut the joint. In any case, go slowly.
The fact that you intend to reassemble the building in a different form does give you some room for error in disassembling, but any damage would have to be repaired, or hidden(vines,junk,etc. in front of the damaged area).
Pete

 

[jon-monon]

Originally posted by sumpter250
If assembled with liquid cements, the joints are fused together, and don't break easily.

I'm taking a jab at this, but what I would try, if Pete's idea's don't work, would be to score the joint several times with a blade on the inside corner, then try to soften the fused area by adding more liquid cement, or very cautiosly, acetone to melt the joint. Best to try this on someone else's buildings first, but it might work. BTW: If acetone is spilled on a plastic part where it was not intended, don't wipe it off, just let it dry.

damage would have to be repaired, or hidden(vines,junk,etc. in front of the damaged area).

Hey, that's what I do on my real home!

 

[Vic]

Bob, I'm assuming that you're talking about plastic buildings.

If the pieces were joined together with liquid or tube type plastic cement or glue then a generous application of liquid cement to the joint will soften it enough to carefully pull it apart. Be sure that you do this on the inside of the joint so that the detail on the outside is not ruined by the liquid cement.

If ACC was used you can get "debonder" for it. It's actually dilute
nitro-methane. Again apply it to the inside of the joint. You can get it at a hobby shop.

Neither of these methods are going to produce a clean edge so you have to do some work with a sanding block to get the edges back square and smooth.

I prefer to simply cut the joint apart with a razor saw or an Xacto kinfe and then just dress it up with the sanding block. Again make the cuts from the backside of the joined pieces.

 

[Vic]

FOR PETE

Hey Pete!....If we could come up with something that would actually do the job well we could re-bottle it in little 1oz bottles and re-sell it for $7.95 and laugh all the way to the bank....Naaaaah I don't think so....

 

[60103]

Have you tried taking it to the Post Office and mailing it to yourself?

 

[Gary Pfeil]

Now thats a good suggestion!

Gary

 

[OLDGATORBOB]

THANKS EVERYONE, I KNEW THIS WHAT I WOULD HEAR. ITS TO BAD SOMEONE HAS NOT COME UP WITH SOMETHING. OH, WELL.

I AM YALKING ABOUT PLASTIC BUILDINGS, USEING LIQUID CEMENT. MY HOBBY SHOP SAID THAT BEFORE I CUT PUT THEM IN A FREEZER OVER NIGHT.

SO WE WILL SEE, AND AGAIN THANKS, I KNEW I WOULD HEAR FROM YOU ALL. WE HAVE A GOOD CREW HERE.

THANKS....................................

 

[Tyson Rayles]

While I think the post office idea is excellent, I prefer a large hammer. Actually I use a razor saw or exacto knife and cut from the inside like some others here said.

 

[OLDGATORBOB]

OK! EVERYONE, THEY ARE DONE...............................

WHAT I DID IS.... CUT ON THE INSIDE..... THEN I PUT THEM IN THE FREEZER OVER NIGHT.......... THEN CUT AGAIN 2 TIMES.

THEY CAME APART REALLY NEAT, YOU WOULD NOT KNOW THAT I HAD EVER HAD THEM OUT OF THE BOX BEFORE........

THANKS AGAIN GUYS..........................................................

 

[jon-monon]

Originally posted by OLDGATORBOB
OK! EVERYONE, THEY ARE DONE...............................

WHAT I DID IS.... CUT ON THE INSIDE..... THEN I PUT THEM IN THE FREEZER OVER NIGHT.......... THEN CUT AGAIN 2 TIMES.

THEY CAME APART REALLY NEAT, YOU WOULD NOT KNOW THAT I HAD EVER HAD THEM OUT OF THE BOX BEFORE........

THANKS AGAIN GUYS..........................................................

That's exactly what I did to my noisy neighbor...