uncoat Posted March 23, 2020 Share Posted March 23, 2020 Im looking for some advice on alternative methods of removing excess super glue. This is a piece i have been prepping that has a lot of cracks running through it. I have been applying super glue In the crack on the outside of the concretion, then prepping down and exposing the desired area. The glue holds the cracked bone in place but its hard to judge from the outside how much glue to apply. This often results in excess build up on the bone. Typically i would use acetone to dissolve unwanted preservative or small amounts of glue but some of these build ups are rather thick. It was suggested that i can use air abrasion to remove super glue but i don't have a unit and my buddy's that do are not really taking visitors right now. So im looking for some alternative methods for removing build ups of glue. Im hoping some of the cleaver folks here may have some helpful suggestions. Nick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pterygotus Posted March 23, 2020 Share Posted March 23, 2020 Acetone removes cyanoacrylate . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uncoat Posted March 23, 2020 Author Share Posted March 23, 2020 26 minutes ago, Pterygotus said: Acetone removes cyanoacrylate . Right, but im not trying to remove all the glue in this piece, just some of the small thick areas like the one indicated. I have tried to apply small amounts of acetone with a small paint brush but the glue build up is rather thick and this has little effect. Some areas have a lot of tiny bits of bone held together so applying acetone in those areas will dissolve the glue i need to hold the bone together as well as the area im trying to remove glue from. I may eventually get this process to work but i have had trouble with this in the past and im looking for some alternatives to this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pterygotus Posted March 23, 2020 Share Posted March 23, 2020 1 minute ago, uncoat said: Right, but im not trying to remove all the glue in this piece, just some of the small thick areas like the one indicated. I have tried to apply small amounts of acetone with a small paint brush but the glue build up is rather thick and this has little effect. Some areas have a lot of tiny bits of bone held together so applying acetone in those areas will dissolve the glue i need to hold the bone together as well as the area im trying to remove glue from. I may eventually get this process to work but i have had trouble with this in the past and im looking for some alternatives to this. You could try and scrape it off but that may damage the fossil. From experience, I think it’s best to leave it as it is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Huntonia Posted March 23, 2020 Share Posted March 23, 2020 It will require a great deal of patience for your thick areas but if you apply a little bit of acetone to a rag or cloth you can rub that over the superglue. This is the method used to remove excess paraloid shine, and I have used it to remove ugly, shiny, excess glue when I stabilized a few cracks in trilobite matrix. It should give you the control you need to protect the fossil and remove the unwanted glue. However, patience is key, you will have to rub the glue for a good while, think rounding a table by hand with sandpaper. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uncoat Posted March 23, 2020 Author Share Posted March 23, 2020 7 minutes ago, Huntonia said: It will require a great deal of patience for your thick areas but if you apply a little bit of acetone to a rag or cloth you can rub that over the superglue. This is the method used to remove excess paraloid shine, and I have used it to remove ugly, shiny, excess glue when I stabilized a few cracks in trilobite matrix. It should give you the control you need to protect the fossil and remove the unwanted glue. However, patience is key, you will have to rub the glue for a good while, think rounding a table by hand with sandpaper. Thanks for the advice Huntonia. The method you suggested makes sense and i will give it a try. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caterpillar Posted March 23, 2020 Share Posted March 23, 2020 Sometimes I use a scalpel to remove excess of glue 1 http://www.paleotheque.fr Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Amateur Paleontologist Posted March 23, 2020 Share Posted March 23, 2020 Should the acetone be diluted in something? Or should it be a concentrated solution? Opalised fossils are the best: a wonderful mix between paleontology and mineralogy! Q. Where do dinosaurs study? A. At Khaan Academy!... My ResearchGate profile Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ptychodus04 Posted March 23, 2020 Share Posted March 23, 2020 You can scribe off the bulk of the glue if you have a sharp stylus on your pneumatic scribe. It’s kind of like jackhammering a booger but it works... slowly. Knock off as much as you can and then use a q-tip soaked in acetone to apply the solvent directly to the glue spot to soften it for removal as you normally would. 6 Regards, Kris Global Paleo Services, LLC https://globalpaleoservices.com http://instagram.com/globalpaleoservices http://instagram.com/kris.howe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Troodon Posted March 23, 2020 Share Posted March 23, 2020 Ditto..I apply a cotton swab soaked in acetone to the area I need softened. An Xacto knife works well for me to remove the matrix. Multiple applications are usually needed depending on how much glue was used. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oilshale Posted March 23, 2020 Share Posted March 23, 2020 For such purposes I use paint remover in gel form. In former times these were mixtures of i-propanol with methylene chloride thickened with cellulose ether. Methylene chloride is a nasty stuff and must not be used anymore (at least in Europe - but I am a chemist and have a few liters left). With the thickener (cellulose ether) you can use the solvents more selectively and they do not evaporate as fast. Unfortunately I don't know how the newer paint removers are formulated - I would just try different ones. https://www.bobvila.com/articles/best-paint-stripper/ Try the solvent based paint removers: "Solvent The most versatile paint strippers, these products rely on chemicals to loosen the bond between paint and surface. They effectively strip water- and oil-based paint as well as epoxy and polyurethane from wood, masonry, and metal surfaces without discoloration. While some have methylene chloride, which has a high volatile organic compound (VOC) content, others include a combo of alcohol, toluene, and methanol. High-VOC products generally have smellier fumes and are more of a health hazard than other strippers. Directly inhaling the fumes of methylene chloride-based strippers can damage the brain or reproductive system, so always wear a respirator (in addition to safety glasses, skin-covering clothing, and gloves made of a chemical resistant material like butyl) when handling them. Fortunately, solvent strippers need only be applied in a thin layer (usually less than 1/8-inch) and stay on the surface briefly (often less than 15 minutes) before paint can be easily lifted off with a paint scraper. The stripped surface must then be washed with water or mineral spirits before repainting, but it won’t require a neutralizing agent." 4 Be not ashamed of mistakes and thus make them crimes (Confucius, 551 BC - 479 BC). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uncoat Posted March 23, 2020 Author Share Posted March 23, 2020 Thanks for the suggestions everyone! These are all helpful. I found using a fine pointed scalpel and then a cotton swab with acetone seems to be working well. The cotton swab is a good medium in between a toothbrush, which is too rough, and a paint brush which is too soft. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpc Posted March 24, 2020 Share Posted March 24, 2020 If you do the acetone in a cotton ball or tissue you can cover it with aluminum foil and the acetone will not evaporate as quickly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now