Question: Hot glue, how to remove.

GertGraveur · Nov 12, 2010

Hi,

I've seen many of you using hot glue for work holding. (Knives etc).
But how does one remove the piece from the glue?

Thanks,

Gert

eastslope · Nov 12, 2010

Throw it in a jar of denatured alcohol for about a half hour to an hour and it will usually pop right off. Don't forget and leave your work in it in too long as you will tarnish silver a bit.

BrianPowley · Nov 12, 2010

I put denatured alcohol in a spray bottle and mist the part down.
(It doesn't take much.)
For me, the glue pops off instantly.

silverchip · Nov 12, 2010

I'm with Brian,been doin that for years.

rod · Nov 12, 2010

Howdy, Brian, and colleagues!

Have you ever used hot glue to make "rubber stamps" of engravings, after removing the hot glue impression it is easily inked and can use used for design transfer, useful if you want to do many impressions. The resulting "rubber stamp" is very strong and durable. When I was wandering in the wilderness, trying to figure things out on my own, before the days of wonderful forums, I would engrave designs on a flat copper, spray the copper with 'Armor All' (I believe that is the name of the vinyl polish for car seats?) to act as a release agent, upturn an electric clothes iron, put a piece of glass, Armor All sprayed, on it, the glass would not crack, as it was heated evenly across its surface, put hot glue to melt and spread on the glass... one chunk will melt and spread with no air bubbles...then press the copper engraving onto the molten glue, letting it go pretty thin and then cool and solidify. Peel the items apart, and ink the "rubber stamp", which I then wrapped round silver rings as a design transfer to assist in engraving.

Sounds like a long winded alternative to today's design transfer, however there are still some possible uses, for example, you can make a nice hot glue rubber stamp of a domed surface, ink, and stamp onto paper, allowing the flexible hot glue stamp to flex flat and give a nice outline, scan into Photoshop to tweak dimensions, etc., or direct transfer with ink onto the next domed piece of metal.

Well, with that preamble, I am trying it again for a project, but finding that today's Armor All does not appear to be as good a 'release agent' as it once was in earlier formulas?

Question: would soaking a hot-glued engraved silver master in denatured alcohol release the 'rubber stamp' intact and undamaged, or would the alcohol dissolve the design impression away?

What I do not want to do is end up with hot glue fast stuck to a nice engraved object!

Any other good release agent?

Rod

Brian Marshall · Nov 12, 2010

Try throwing it.....................................................................................................in the freezer!

Brian

rod · Nov 12, 2010

Thanks, Brian M,

I will try that, could be a neat solution! If it works for me, I owe you a cup of coffee!

Might the frozen 'hot glue' get rigid at freezing temperatures, and break, instead of peeling?

You probably have a whole book of tips at this stage of your career, Brian?

best

Rod

John B. · Nov 12, 2010

Rod,
Get a can of silicone spray. A lot of fabric, notion or drapery shops use it to spray drapery rods without staining.
Another thing to try is Pam type cooking spray, works for me.
The alcohol is a good release agent but will mess up the impression if it seeps under.
I have used hot melt many times to transfer from a cutting on a flat plate to the recoil shield of a single action revolver. Mostly used transfer wax and powder on the gun part.
A nearly dry coating of thinned damar varnish with a very light dusting of powder makes a little more durable image.
Have you come down from the wedding yet?
You might post a picture of yourself in full dress kilt to let the forum see what a bonnie lad you really are when you are cleaned up.

Best to you and yours.
PS. None of my above methods are to remove hot melt. Alcohol is best for that.
The sprays mentioned are for the ready removal of hot melt used to make a transfer, rubber stamp type mold.

rod · Nov 12, 2010

Thank you for that tip, John B!

I will give it a try.

Although the photos here might be listed under biblical graven images, rather than gravers, here I am with my two daughters, both now married, but years apart. The other photo was bride to be, Katrina, at her 'shower', when the bridesmaids made dresses out of toilet roll paper. You can look good in anything when you are young and gravity is easily resisted. The price was right for these paper dresses. I dare not mention how many rolls of TP the real dress cost, but it looked great on a pretty bride!

best

Rod

eastslope · Nov 13, 2010

You all must be using different glue than I, because I have to soak my work in the alcohol for quite awhile to get it to pop off. And the freezer only makes this glue cold and it still won't release.

ddushane · Nov 13, 2010

I wrap the knife in masking tape, put a layer of tape on a block that is tight in my ball vice, then apply the hot glue to the block and press the knife into the glue. It holds really secure, then when done you can pop it off and unwrap the tape & there is no clean up.

Dwayne

GertGraveur · Nov 13, 2010

Thanks for the answers guys! I'll give the alcohol and freezing a try!
Or maybe a nice combination of both :big grin:

thanks,

Gert

John B. · Nov 13, 2010

Thanks for posting the pictures, Rod. You look great.......or maybe it's just a reflection from the beautiful ladies.

Some clever designs for the TP dresses. Talent runs in your family.

Joe Jacob · Nov 14, 2010

I found "Labelette Hot Melt Glue Solvent" on the web, its available on e-Bay. Can't find and MSDS for it, and its kind of expensive. Never tried it.

FANCYGUN · Nov 14, 2010

I have never tried putting masking tape between the glue and metal. However I do use clear packing tape and that releases from the glue quite easily with a little alcohol spray.

GertGraveur · Nov 16, 2010

I gave it a try with painters tape. (blue) taped only the piece.
Hot glued it and after cooling, soaked the painters tape with alcohol.
It worked perfectly!

Thanks again for the tip guys!

ps: I use BISON GLUE STICKS SUPER and TESA Precision outdoor Tape

Gert

wdale.bass · Nov 18, 2010

eastslope said:
You all must be using different glue than I, because I have to soak my work in the alcohol for quite awhile to get it to pop off. And the freezer only makes this glue cold and it still won't release.

unless you need to save the impression,I have a cheap microwave in my studio,when I need to take the item from the glueblock ie,wood, I put it in the micro for about 25-30 seconds,pry it off gently,the glue is hot and runny,then just douse the item with denatured alcohol,the glue on the item pulls right off cleanly.I use this on bracelets,earrings,practiceplates and such.WARNING-ONLY ONE ITEM AT A TIME .and avoid any arcs ,its not necessary tocover the item with paper towels or anything.

Big-Un · Nov 19, 2010

I didn't know about all this alcohol stuff....I just heat it up with a heat gun/hair dryer. Works for me.

Bill

Joe Mason · Nov 19, 2010

It is amazing that there is so many way to accomplish the same thing. I like to use aluminum bar and hot glue the knife to it. On the knife tape the knife with masking tape then place one strip of tape on the bottom to be glued. I use lighter fluid as a cleaner and removing the glue. Apply light fluid between the knife and bar and in about 10 seconds the knife will lift off.

Joe

Christopher Malouf · Nov 19, 2010

You're right Joe.

I would say that all of the different ways are partly due to using too much glue. I have to remind myself that I'm not laying tile on the kitchen floor when I'm putting it on a block.

Just enough glue to hold the piece secure and well enough to minimize vibration for gold inlay is sufficient. As long as there are no temperature sensitive stones, 15 minutes in the freezer does the trick. Too much glue and it's difficult .... I've been reheating the same glue for several sets of bolsters now.

Question: Hot glue, how to remove.

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