Is there a way to safely remove an outfit that has been glued onto a figure?

[cjefferys]

I have a figure that has an outfit that at one point was partially glued onto it, it looks like only glued to the bottom of one leg. I have no idea what kind of glue it was, but it dried clear. The outfit is kind of thin and possibly fragile. Is there any way to safely dissolve the glue without ruining the outfit, or am I out of luck? Any ideas greatly appreciated!

[megocrazy]

Nail polish remover or straight acetone. Not saying it won't hurt the suit but it should dissolve the glue.

[generic]

Nail polish remover or straight acetone. Not saying it won't hurt the suit but it should dissolve the glue.

That will get the glue off of the figure, but at the very least, it will discolor the outfit and could very well dissolve the outfit. If your goal is to save the figure, it might be a good way to go. If your goal is to save the outfit, I would work on another method.

Since the glue is on the leg, have you tried gently turning the outfit at the leg right and left (back and forth) to try to get the glue unstuck?

[Mego Magyar]

I'd try soaking in water. Depending on the type of glue invloved that might soften the connection between the cloth and glue.

[jessica]

If it's not superglue, I swear by the glue dissolver they sell at Alcone:

Detachol Remover / Adhesive Removers / Character / Products / Home - Alcone Corporation

[knight errant00]

I'd try water first -- won't harm the suit or figure, and may well soften the glue up if it's water-based (like Elmer's).

I'd also consider *carefully* picking/scraping at the glue with a dental pick . . . some of those old glues can be brittle from age, and you might be able to break it up enough to get the suit off.

[cjefferys]

Thanks for the suggestions. I tried soaking it in water overnight, but it had no effect. The suit is attached really tight, almost like it's painted on, it's probably superglue or something. I don't care about the leg, I would just like to save the suit, I guess I was hoping for some kind of miracle chemical. I'll look into the Alcone product, thanks Jessica. But with my luck, the glue is most likely superglue though.