Hi all!
After about 10 years break I decided to go back to wargaming, and to give Epic some love.
I also decided to only stick with plastic models, no metal anymore for me! (Still pending on Resin, though). That'll open up the chances for some interesting conversion projects.

Anyway, the thing is I have several old plastic armies badly painted and stuck to the Space Marine style square bases, which I hate.
I'm planning to paint strip them and transfer them to the new style strip bases, for repainting.

The problem I have is that I cannot find a way to take them off the base without destroying it, which I'd rather avoid so I can reuse it for light vehicles and such. The minis were superglued to the base and the holes are fitting very tightly, so they're quite locked in place.

Anyone got any suggestion?

Thanks!!!

Damn! Superglued!? If it was plastic cement, it's a reasonable doddle. But supergluing plastic to plastic!?

I can't help you on your problem, but you should -for the future- base your models with white glue.  It is strong enough to hold the model in place yet you can pull them free usually without damaging the base or the model.  It also means that if your stand is coming under undue stress (because of the way it was packed for instance) the model is likely to pop out instead of break.

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author of Syncing Forward and other stories...

It's a dog-eat-dog world, and I've got my Milkbone underwear on.

Well, I'd suggest you just buy some plasticard to use to base your light vehicles and get to chopping apart those square bases because, with superglue involved, they're essentially a lost cause.

Any solvents that will de-cure the superglue will have a high likelihood of melting/deforming any plastic they get on.  The time you're going to have to take to carefully remove the models from the bases would be better utilized selling newspapers to buy $10 of plasticard to base other models.  I think you'll find it an *extremely* frustrating experience trying to keep those bases intact.

Best of luck!

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"EPIC: Total War" Lead Developer

Now living in Boston... any EPIC players want to meet up?

It depends on the super glue used. If your lucky try soaking them in water around 100-110 degrees then feezing them for an hour or two. The rapid expansion/retraction of the plastic may weaken the glue.

If that doesn't work, get a good pair of sprue cutters, a sharp #11 and destroy the base.

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Dave

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A Jewellers saw (available from most model shops) and some patience should do the trick.

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I gotta ask, how would one use a jeweller's saw to save the base here?  

If you're talking about the meticulous cutting around each individual model... man, I gotta ask you why your time is worth so little!  *laugh*

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"EPIC: Total War" Lead Developer

Now living in Boston... any EPIC players want to meet up?

Cheers guys,

I guess those bases will meet their maker soon then. And Chroma's quite right, that's a massive amount of time spent there for too little gain.

Actually, the problem is more the tight fitting of the base holes, as the superglue after all those years has become quite brittle. But if I try to force the figures out using a lever, more often than not I end up with a warped base an a broken mini.

And now off to the trade forums to get the things needed to actually finish those armies ;-)

The minis are the valuable portion, so I'd skip the headache and destroy the bases.

You can always pick up more Epic squares for your LVs or use p-card.

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WAAARGH!!
The Lost & the Dipped

Yep ... done it ... cut and file ...  

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Legion 4 "Cry Havoc, and let slip the Dogs of War !" ... "People sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf."

aye, I meant merely cutting the minis off and rebasing on an alternative!
Though if anyone remembers my Tyranid debacle...oh boy!
R>

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You could try drilling a hole right next to the mini (or half through the base, half through the mini's base), then try prying it from there. Puttying up the hole afterward is fairly easy. I think I did that with some farseers and warlocks I had.

Thanks semajnollissor, I might give that a go before starting the mad chopping.

Again, depending on the superglue, some plastic-safe strippers will dissolve enough of the glue that the infantry will come off. I had some luck with a product called "Mean Green" here in Canada; I think it is a cheaper, perhaps stronger, version of Simple Green.

After soaking for several days in that stuff (be sure to check regularly to make sure there are no adverse reactions) some came off. For those that didn't, I found I could flex the bases (gently, as I wanted to keep them) and other infantry would pop out. I suppose the glue would crack. A sharp pick or sculpting tool that can get under an edge if one appears will allow you to pop them out. You just need a little flaw in the glue. That said, push the model away from you, not towards; the little buggers come out with surprising speed! Also, aim them at something as they have a tendency to ricochet.

If that doesn't work, then it is chopping for you. But I had a collection of about 110 bases that I purchased and stripped, and of that amount, I managed to save about 40 so it depends on how old the glue is, how thickly it was applied and how lucky you are!

Oh, I didn't find hot water worked for me as it just warped the bases (the long E40k ones). The square ones may be more sturdy, though.

Good luck!