Separating Bones Parts

[Panda-s1]

Once upon a time at PAX, when Bones were still new I asked about having miniatures come in separate pieces as that would make them easier to paint, but the answer I got was they wanted the consumer to be able to take it straight out of the package and onto the playmat. Which, fair enough, that made sense, and it's not like it was that hard to get around. I've been sitting on a pile of KS miniatures from the first two Kickstarters (as well as impulse buying a few other Bones along the way), but having taken a look at them it seemed like they weren't gonna be an issue to paint years later when I finally got around to that. 

 

That is until today (er, yesterday now...). Last night I went to the FLGS (one of many in my area) 'cause they were having an everything sale, and I impulse bought

Seltyiel after making sure I didn't already get him in a Kickstarter. I did not, and I couldn't resist buying an entirely new miniature at $1.25, so I got him. Then when I finally opened him I noticed his arm was attached in a way that made it so his sword was basically pushing up against his leg, and I'd have to bend his arm everytime I needed to paint his leg or sword. I felt a little annoyed (though slightly vindicated), and thought I needed to fix this before I even wash him.

 

I thought maybe I could chop off his arm and glue it back on later, but I also thought in the 3-4 years that Bones have been out someone else would have had this issue. Unfortunately I'm not even sure how to search this one, so I made my own thread instead. What I did find is someone saying that boiling the miniature would undo the glue, but I also read in one of the sticky threads that the glue is basically superglue, and I'm a little skeptical that the bond would become undone just 'cause I put it in boiling water. SO I guess I'm asking if there's a way to separate glued pieces for the sake of making painting easier. Or am I gonna have to chop off poor Seltyiel's arm off and hope I can get it back on in a good position?

[Sanael]

Superglue is usually cyanoacrylate glue...the "acrylate" part is the same as in acrylic paint (that is, water will affect the stuff). Soaking in water will make the glue brittle; boiling water should speed the process.

 

It also has the benefit of letting you reposition the bones material if you need to.

 

Just be aware that both Bonesium (PVC) and superglue are not safe for human consumption, so choose wisely what pot you boil the piece in.

[Chris Palmer]

I've always heard with superglued stuff that freezing in your refridgerator's freezer will make the bond very brittle and easily pried apart.

 

Though I have no idea how freezing would affect Bones

[ladystorm]

We just pull them apart. The bond isn't that strong on the pre-glued pieces. Slow and steady pressure. If it seems to tearing in a bad way, stop.

[Bathory]

We just pull them apart. The bond isn't that strong on the pre-glued pieces. Slow and steady pressure. If it seems to tearing in a bad way, stop.

 

Ditto. I just pull mine apart as well. On ones that seem a bit subborn I boil them and that usually helps.

[Doug Sundseth]

And frankly, cutting and reattaching is pretty trivial.

 

I rebuilt many of the Bones CAV figures so that the cockpit didn't stick up 2 meters above the weapons*, so the legs were in different positions, or whatever. With a nice sharp knife, it was really easy to perform the amputation and then reattach with superglue.

 

* Even if you buy into the utility of big stompy robots, that was a step too far for me. 

[Panda-s1]

Okay, it seems like boiling is my best bet (also seems like I need a new pot, didn't think about contamination...). Now do I just leave them in there, or do I have to hold them so that they're suspended in the water and not touching the pot itself?

 

I'm also wary of just pulling out the parts, pulling off glued parts never goes well for me. Besides, my minis could use a nice bath seeing that they're so bent out of shape (hue hue hue).

[Bathory]

I put mine on a spoon while boiling, you don't want to melt them on the pot.

I also used an old beat up pot and retired it from food cooking.

You don't need much time for smaller minis.

[etherial]

Okay, it seems like boiling is my best bet (also seems like I need a new pot, didn't think about contamination...). Now do I just leave them in there, or do I have to hold them so that they're suspended in the water and not touching the pot itself?

 

I'm also wary of just pulling out the parts, pulling off glued parts never goes well for me. Besides, my minis could use a nice bath seeing that they're so bent out of shape (hue hue hue).

The boiling water will soften them and allow them to (mostly) revert to their original shape. Take them out and, while holding them in the shape that now suits your needs, hold them in icewater until cold.

[Club]

I've had luck  slowly pouring boiled water over smaller minis. I wouldn't try it with a bigger one, but an arm on a 25mm doesn't have much mass to raise the temperature of.

Edited February 18, 2016 by Club

[Panda-s1]

I guess the better question now is how long do I want to keep them boiling? I wouldn't want the model to get deformed either.

[DixonGrfx]

I have started a big ol' pasta pot boiling and just dumped in most of my KS2 pledge rewards. Let 'em boil 20 minuets all together and then start fishing them out. The bigger the figure, the longer it needs to boil. So that the heat can penetrate all the way into the core of the fig.  I haven't noticed any adverse effects to boiling for long periods of time. Your not going to get them hot enough in boiling water to damage the figures.  I have an electric range.  A gas range my have different results...

Edited February 18, 2016 by DixonGrfx

[Panda-s1]

I have started a big ol' pasta pot boiling and just dumped in most of my KS2 pledge rewards. Let 'em boil 20 minuets all together and then start fishing them out. The bigger the figure, the longer it needs to boil. So that the heat can penetrate all the way into the core of the fig.  I haven't noticed any adverse effects to boiling for long periods of time. Your not going to get them hot enough in boiling water to damage the figures.  I have an electric range.  A gas range my have different results...

So wait, does that mean it doesn't matter if the plastic touches the pot itself? Or did you fail to mention some sorta strainer at the bottom of the pot :P

[ub3r_n3rd]

 

I have started a big ol' pasta pot boiling and just dumped in most of my KS2 pledge rewards. Let 'em boil 20 minuets all together and then start fishing them out. The bigger the figure, the longer it needs to boil. So that the heat can penetrate all the way into the core of the fig.  I haven't noticed any adverse effects to boiling for long periods of time. Your not going to get them hot enough in boiling water to damage the figures.  I have an electric range.  A gas range my have different results...

So wait, does that mean it doesn't matter if the plastic touches the pot itself? Or did you fail to mention some sorta strainer at the bottom of the pot :P

 

It's best to just do it in a strainer for like 5 minutes or so, bones plastic will get very bendy in the hot water, but you can quickly bend it back into place and "set" it by having an ice bath of water ready nearby for a couple of moments to quickly cool it back down and harden it back up. This is also how people re-shape bones if they are bent from being packed tightly during shipping.

[DixonGrfx]

I didn't have a strainer or anything like that keeping the bones from touching the bottom of the pot while boiling. I noticed no ill effects.  ****your results may vary****