Re-basing

[Chad]

I am looking to do a large rebasing exercise. I believe Acetone is good for softening adhesive. Would appreciate some tips on how best to use it. Thanks.

[fred.]

Some key questions:
What are the figures glued to the bases with (pva / super glue / etc)?

What are the figures made from (metal / plastic )

What are they painted with (acrylic / enamel /others)?

These will help understand the possible impact of the acetone as it can be quite aggressive

I tend to use PVA for basing so a soak in shallow water works to free the figures. 

[Chad]

Fred

Glue- UHU Power
Figures- Metal
Paint - Acrylic + Matt Varnish

[mollinary]

Another important question, what is the current base made of? Metal, card, plastic, mdf?

[fred.]

I've not used UHU for figure basing. 

I'd probably do a couple of tests. One stand in water - up to the figures ankles. And one with acetone - though less sure how to apply this as it will evaporate pretty quickly. I'd want to see what the acetone does to the paint - as it may well remove acrylic. 

For super glue popping the figures in the freezer then putting them in warm water can work well due to the different expansions weakening the super glue - but I think UHU will be too flexible for this. 

[Chad]

Bases are mdf. I stick the bases onto railway grass mat using UHU. Then fix the figures onto the covered base.

[sultanbev]

I just cut them off. Chop up/tear the mdf with a pair of cutters, then find the bottom edge of the base and slice off with a stanley knife.

Never occured to me to do any soaking.

[Steve J]

I wouldn't use acetone as it's really nasty stuff. As Mark has said, I'd just cut or prise them off the exisiting bases.

[fsn]

I use UHU type adhesive and on the rare, rare occasion that I have had to rebase, I have found they come off if you insert a knife blade under the figure and *pop*.

[flamingpig0]

I found a shallow bath of boiling water sors out mdf basing

[DecemDave]

having read up on a medical site (see below), I'd definitely agree with those recommending a prize off approach with a stanley knife or maybe those little screwdrivers they use for stuff like pcs or glasses.  Acetone might also remove varnish so definitely test on a sample first if prizing off fails.



People can help prevent the adverse effects of acetone by using it safely. This means using acetone-based products:

in a well-ventilated space
away from open flames or cigarettes
away from food or drink
away from children
while wearing protective equipment, such as gloves and shirts with long sleeves
for short periods of time
Always close bottle lids tightly when not in use, and dispose of any cotton wool with acetone on it in a bin with a tight-fitting lid to help prevent fumes from escaping. When no longer using the product, wash hands thoroughly before eating, drinking, or touching the face. Keep acetone products out of the reach of children.

[Lord Kermit of Birkenhead]

Craft knife blade under the base. If you have burried in filler then most will soften considerably with overnight soak in water.

[Chad]

Tried the prise off approach. Because I have the grass mat between the figures and the base I can get a knife between the mat and base under the figures. I have then been able to use a craft knife to cut through the glue between the the remaining mat and base to leave the underside of the figure clear metal. Thanks for the suggestions.

[mmcv]

Soaking in a shallow container of water can certainly help. If you can get a Stanley knife under to pry up that's ideal, but if your basing is quite thick that can be difficult. Soaking helps here and if really needed will soften the MDF to the point of being able to pull it apart if needed.

Just be careful with using a knife, mine snapped and near took my eye out the other week. I've switched to using a chisel. Mine were based with milliput around them though so a lot more digging needed.

I'm in the midst of a large rebasing myself, good luck!

Just don't do what I did and leave them soaking for a week and finally getting back to them to find them covered in mold!

[Lord Kermit of Birkenhead]

I'm in the midst of a large rebasing myself, good luck!

Fun int it