Help, please: Thermolock too skicky.

Doc Mark · Jan 5, 2015

Anybody know any simple ways to remove a very thin stamped metal case top from a Thermolock holder, without bending the case? I've got a few business card holders to engrave and I had a heck of a time removing the first one from the Thermolock. I used a heat gun to soften the Theromlack and the metal case bent while trying to gently pries it up. Do I just go with more heat to almost liquefy the Thermolock? I'm open to all suggestions.

DakotaDocMartin · Jan 5, 2015

Doc Mark said:
Do I just go with more heat to almost liquefy the Thermolock?

Yes, if the metal piece can take the heat. It might pull off some melted Thermolock with it but acetone will clean it up.

Chujybear · Jan 5, 2015

Boil it?
I don't know. But might work. Water gets in between

silverchip · Jan 5, 2015

How hot is it when you put the case on the thermal loc? It only needs to be hot enough to form around the piece to hold it. You might try putting a piece of plastic grocery bag between the case and the thermal loc too. I think I saw a reference to that here previously as well.

monk · Jan 6, 2015

yes to the plastic bag thingy. that trick does work. i'm wondering if isopropyl may work as well as acetone.

Brant · Jan 6, 2015

Mark,

I just finished working on some thin mother of pearl, I used a small piece of parchment paper cut 3 mm smaller than the work piece.

dlilazteca · Jan 6, 2015

painters tape also works, while heated sit your item to make a mold, lightly press and remove gradually making a casting you can do this several times untill it comes off easily, then all you need is to heat the holding edges or corners only, because you have a molded cast all you need is a couple of strength areas to hold your item, then only those strength areas need to be heated for item to be removed.

Saludos,
Carlos

MICHAEL · Jan 6, 2015

Mark, all the suggestions work but the real trick is to never over-heat the thermolock. That is when it gets sticky. The plastic bag is just cheap insurance. I keep mine on the Teflon pad over a coffee warmer set on low. Works for me, no sticking.The bag keeps it from sticking and keeps it out of tiny, hard to clean areas. Hope this helps. :thumbsup:

DAK4442 · Jan 6, 2015

I also use a heat gun to soften my Thermolock. If the item to be removed is thin I heat the Thermolock enough so that I can push all the Thermolock back off the edges of the piece with my fingers. I then place the block in the freezer for a minute to flash cool. Once sufficiently chilled the stickiness is gone and the piece pops right off...Dan

mitch · Jan 6, 2015

if you're getting Thermoloc or JettSett too hot to work with your bare fingers, you're getting it too hot.

Doc Mark · Jan 6, 2015

All great suggestions guys! I use the microwave first and don't overheat when setting the metal into the Thermolock. I only ran into the stickiness issue when I used the heat gun to try to remove it. I think that because the metal was so thin and transfers the heat so directly, and so quickly, to the bonding surface of the Thermolock, that that is why the plastic is overheating and becoming sticky. I'll experiment with the plastic bags and freezer tricks.

KCSteve · Jan 6, 2015

Thermoloc is only sticky when it's hot. As the others said, after you heat it just a bit you can push it back away from your object and then, after it cools, lift your object off. You can also use an Xacto to cut away the bits holding your object in place, as long as you can do it without scratching your object.

JakeW · Jan 6, 2015

I use my jewelry steamer. When engraving flat objects it works great because it gets the surface hot enough to move around the piece but doesn't soften all the thermolock

Help, please: Thermolock too skicky.

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