Removing hot glue gun glue?!

_PD_ · 27 Nov 2008 at 01:54

Hi,

I have to remove a fair bit of glue from a component as shown below:

The circular black thing is plastic and contains electronics, the wires are rubber shielded. It is inside a carbon fibre helmet.

I would normally use a knife, and have tried for an hour or so, but it's so hard to get to I gave up. The glue has dried fairly solid, too.

Are there any miracle solutions? No one say mustard please.

Thanks!

Tefal · 27 Nov 2008 at 01:57

get your kettle fill it up, turn it on and then leave the lip open. Will stay boiling and not stop stick knife in to keep warm cut a little bit, warm knife, cut a little bit. etc etc

Might be easier to use the hob if you've got a gas one.

Pinter75 · 27 Nov 2008 at 01:57

Are you sure that is hot glue and not epoxy?

I remove hot glue with my micro butane torch or immersing the piece in hot water. The secret to removing hot glue is to get it warm, not so it melts but so it is plyable.

metachi · 27 Nov 2008 at 01:59

try heat it with a hair dryer?

_PD_ · 27 Nov 2008 at 02:00

I was scared to use water because of the electronics.

It may be epoxy. How do I find out?

Hair dryer is an awesome idea. I love this place.

Stellios · 27 Nov 2008 at 02:01

A stanley knife should do it

_PD_ · 27 Nov 2008 at 02:02

Fraid not, I've been flicking tiny bits of glue with a penknife for ages!

It's quite easy to damage the helmet with a knife too, if you slip and stab the point in it will go straight through!

SiriusB · 27 Nov 2008 at 02:02

Mustar-- oh

pby · 27 Nov 2008 at 02:04

my hairdryer takes forever to melt anything

Tefal · 27 Nov 2008 at 02:06

pby said:
my hairdryer takes forever to melt anything

Cartoons lied to me!! :mad:

Arpegius · 27 Nov 2008 at 02:32

Nail polish remover will dissolve most superglue, just be careful around the plastic component

Pinter75 · 27 Nov 2008 at 02:52

If it is either epoxy or hot glue, then you are gonna have to heat it up to around 200oC. A hair dryer won't cut the mustard.

Ideally it needs to be plyable to work with.

Try and heat up the tip of a flat bladed screw driver. If it melts the glue then it is hot glue, if not you have expoxy.

Brute force can work too. Try to prize a corner up, then using some needle nose plyers try to pull the rest up.

I amlost forgot. I have removed expoxy and hot glue by getting the stuff really cold. Pop the piece in the freezer for a while and the glue should fracture when you try and remove it.

Pinter75 · 27 Nov 2008 at 02:53

Arpegius said:
Nail polish remover will dissolve most superglue, just be careful around the plastic component

You can also get loctite super glue remover. It is ace stuff but will probably have a hard time ewith epoxy and useless on hot glue.

Samione · 27 Nov 2008 at 02:57

Skydiving is a dangerous sport and participation in the sport can possibly lead to injury on even death.

I wouldn't fiddle around with that peice of kit if I were you...

Solari · 27 Nov 2008 at 03:40

_PD_ said:
It's quite easy to damage the helmet with a knife too, if you slip and stab the point in it will go straight through!

Why do I keep thinking "Lorena Bobbit" ?

Spanker · 27 Nov 2008 at 05:55

Meths might soften it, a mate at work uses it to clean hot glue gun glue from paint work on cars.

neodude · 27 Nov 2008 at 07:18

For hot glue removal I usually use a soldering iron.

danza · 27 Nov 2008 at 07:44

Bare in mind that most of the above suggestions could compromise the lacquer and/or epoxy that is injected into the weave of the helmet.

Avoid solvents. The best chance you have without likely damaging the helmet is to use hot water/gentle heating from a hair dryer. If it's epoxy, you won't get it hot enough without damaging the helmet. If it's hot melt glue, it should come of quite easily.

_PD_ · 27 Nov 2008 at 11:59

Samione said:
I wouldn't fiddle around with that peice of kit if I were you...

Lol...

I DID IT!!! Yay.

Heated my knife in boiling water and continued to pick pieces off, wasn't really getting anywhere. It's definately not epoxy though.

Tried brute force - used the hook on my penknife, got it through the hole on the side (I only wanted the top off - I'm trying to install this: http://www.gethypoxic.com/manufacturers/get_hypoxic/expansionkit.htm ) and BANG!!! the top flys off, the electronics are sitting on the bottom of the helmet hanging on the end of a wire, and I'm sure I've broken it.

Tested it and it all works OK, I've installed the extra part and it all does what it's supposed to do!

Cheers for the suggestions!

Wiggins · 27 Nov 2008 at 12:04

OCuk to the rescue again.