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Trying to Remove Fixed "Glass" From Door (midwest.social)

submitted 2 months ago by Liz@midwest.social to c/lego@lemm.ee

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Do you guys have any suggestions for how to remove fixed glass pieces? It's glued in place very securely, and I can't pry it out no matter what I do. Do you know if there's any solvents that would dissolve the glue but not harm the plastic? I want to refinish the glass to get rid of all the scratches.

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[–] remotelove@lemmy.ca 2 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) (1 children)

Edit: I just noticed this is a Lego community. Derp. Can anyone quickly identify the plastics that could be involved and I can correct or remove any words below. (I think acetone just got bumped into super-risky.) I am guessing Legos are going to be ABS in many cases, and acetone vapor tends to melt ABS.

High purity isopropyl alcohol (99%) is generally my go-to solvent. It's a small enough molecule to get in between most surfaces and glues. I wouldn't know how <90% works since I just don't use it. (Test first!)

Another option is D-limonene.(commonly sold as Goo Gone) It's another small molecule that works well.

Acetone is the highest risk for plastics but is another good solvent. (Test first!)

Otherwise, a razor blade, time and elbow grease is about your only other option.

[–] Liz@midwest.social 2 points 2 months ago (1 children)

These are good suggestions! I would also expect acetone to be a poor choice in this scenario. I worked as a chemist for a while, but I didn't do any organic stuff as a professional, so it's all very hazy memories from orgo 1 and 2.

I have plenty of test pieces.

IPA sounds like a great idea, I'll start with that.

[–] remotelove@lemmy.ca 1 points 2 months ago

Cool. For my electronics work, IPA works wonders with silicone-based adhesives. (I'll generally use a syringe and strategically drip it between the adhesive and the surface.)

If, by chance, you run into any PET/PETG plastics, i think pure IPA can start to chew at those if enough heat is involved. It's not nearly as dramatic as ABS/acetone though.