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Magnets: Glueing and Removing Magnets - extracting, reinserting, reversed polarity

Apr 27, 2006

    1. Well, I just recieved my Re-Che head today, which I got at a discount as its previous owner accedently glued one of his headcap magnets in backwards (ie, the magnet in the head now repulses the headcap). I believe this was reglued with some sort of superglue. Is there any way to remove the superglue so that I may fix the orientation of the magnet? I have superglue remover, but it might cause damage to the head, and thus obviously make this exercise pointless. I have already tried Winsor & Newton brush cleaner, but to no avail (and that usually gets rid of everything!).

      Currently, I've got his cap strapped down with masking tape and his wig... but I would like a more stable solution.

      Thanks!
       
    2. You might want to try very hot (but not boiling water). Soak the part with the magnet in the water to see if it comes loose a bit. Soak it some more to see if you can get something like a toothpick or xacto knife in there to pry it out. >___>;;

      Aside from chemicals, I'm not sure what removes super glue. I hope you can fix the problem thou~! :3
       
    3. Try orange oil?
      It works to break down most glues. But be careful as it IS oil. (oil + resin = not so good)

      I heard that you can use simple electrical currents to reverse the flow of magnets. Of corse, I don't know how, but there's always Google or a science Prof...
       
    4. Super glue can be removed with acetone. However that may also damage resin.

      Ask the seller what brand/type super glue they used.

      I would use tooth pick and test a little at a time.
       
    5. I would suggest acetone but be very careful with it, wind some cotton around a toothpick and go at it that way, and then wash very carefully every place that came in contact with it.
       
    6. I wouldn't suggest the hot water method - heat softens resin, and makes it flexible and such. That's how people reshape doll hands.
       
    7. Thanks to all of you! I was reticent to use the hot water method, as I had heared some horror stories of warm baths gone wrong. I'm still at a loss at what I really should do... but for now, a rubberband beneath his wig is working to keep his head closed.
       
    8. Ah sorry. ^^;; I've never had problems with hot water and resin before. Hopefully something will work out thou.
       
    9. I think basically anything you use that can get superglue off will be pretty nasty.

      I always use acetone nailpolish remover when I GLUE MY FINGERS TOGETHER (...which, sadly, happens reasonably often). I also used it on my volks customize figure as paint remover, and it didn't damage the resin -- I hear CFs are made of Volks oldskin resin.

      I've also heard people say acetone melts resin, though. o_o; So your mileage may vary.

      My advice would be to spot-check the acetone on some hidden/nonessential part of the doll if you wanted to try to use that to get rid of the superglue. I usually use the inside of my CF's head to test things. Maybe the inside of the headcap? And then immediately wash off the area with soapy water (I feel like I read somewhere that washing with baking soda and water will stop any reaction between the resin and the acetone, but I have no idea where that was or if I'm making it up... >_<)

      At any rate, it shouldn't take much acetone or very long exposure to get rid of the superglue bond -- when I've gotten it on my fingers I just dump some nailpolish remover on them and give them a little wiggle, and they come right apart.

      Ahh, the things I learn by being totally inept...
       
      • x 2
    10. One of the magnets in my boys headcap came out and i was wondering what i should use to reglue it in.

      Is it okay for me to use super glue to reattach the magnet?
       
    11. That's perfectly fine. :D

      BUT, make sure you lue it in the rihr way so the two manets attract. I glued my DoC's magnet in backways and the headap wouldn't stay on or go together. =O
       
    12. Yup, super glue works. :3
       
    13. hahaha, my Hound's magnet fell out on one side, so I just picke dit up and popped it back in to find that his headcap wouldn't stay on anymore XD one of my more noobish moments...

      Does anyone know a way to safely convince it to come back out? ^^;;;
       
    14. gah i have the same problem too but i got very stupid question, do you put glue on the magnet or in the hole?

      *edit* i misspelled 'hole' xD
       
    15. I didn't glue the magnet and it's pretty firm in there. I guess it would depend on how loose it is, mine only came out because the headcap got a good wack on the floor...if it's loose then glueing it in will be fine, just make sure it's the right way around!
       
    16. The magnet on my SDC Kurenai's headcap has come off. What are my options in terms of resin-safe glue to stick it back on? (I already have E6000 and will use that if safe.)
       
    17. aleene's tacky glue is good, but any superglue should be fine.
       
    18. I took the old useless regular magnets out of my Notdoll Aemeath's headcap and replaced them with rare earth magnets that were much smaller.
      I just put a dab of superglue and they're holding in nicely!

      I use super-glue for most of my doll-problems. For example, when my D1 Bobo pitched headlong onto the floor, he broke his armball... well it just came unglued, not BROKE broke... so I superglued it back on.

      I use Aleene's Tacky Glue for eyelashes, basically it's just a rubbery-er stickier Elmer's Glue. It peels off rather easily, so it holds the lashes in nicely but not uber-permanently!

      I've used E6000 before, but not on BJDs. It might work just fine, in fact it probably would, but SuperGlue also has the benefit of drying SUPERFAST!

      Good luck!
      Raven
       
    19. We have found some magnets we want to try in my non-magnet doll heads to make life easier for all of us.

      However, we don't know what glue we can use that will stick to both magnet and resin AND will not eventually yellow and bleed through to the front of the resin and spoil the face.

      We do plan on drilling in places where glue bleed, if it happened, would be minimal, but we would prefer to avoid the destruction all together.

      Any suggestions/discussion would be greatly appreciated.
       
    20. I use Superglue/cyanoacrylate (hobby retailers sell something called Flash Glue, but I also sue a brang called Zap-A-Gap), and haven't had any magnets pop out yet. On one occasion I even drilled the holes so tight that once I test-fitted the magnet I couldn't get it out again, thus it sits in there without anything but itself.
       
    21. I've used any number of "Super Glue" types without difficulties.
      ^_^
      Raven
       
    22. When the magnet fell out of my Notdoll head, I reset it with apoxy. It hasn't budged since.

      While the apoxy putty was still soft, the magnet kept slipping out again, but once it was set its not shifted at all.
       
    23. Thanks for the brand names!

      Thanks for the info!

      What type/brand of apoxy did you use? Is this something we need to get at a craft store or a hardware store?
       
    24. I used Milliput Super Fine White, since that's what I had bought for face mods. I got mine online, but have seen it at a hobby supply store (not like Hobby Lobby, but for things like model trains, game figures etc.). I don't know if hardware stores carry it.

      I'm sure any of the other Milliputs would work just as well (grey, taupe, etc.)
       
    25. Thanks for yet another suggestion!

      I am going to hand these over to the hubby so he can investigate further.
       
    26. The magnets in my SR Valencia are stupidly strong, they ripped each other out so I superglued them back in. However, one of the magnets has superglued in wonky and now the headcap wont fit on completely and leaves a gap as the magnet has elevated. I have tried to get the magnet back out but, of course, its superglued in. Any suggestions to get it out without wrecking the head? Or shall I just accept it?
       
    27. eep...that was very unlucky
      I'd be worried about de-magnetising it when trying to fix it and would just leave it...
       
    28. You can try nail polish remover to soften the super glue and then pry it out gently. Be careful with dripping remover, though, wouldn't want to hurt the faceup.
       
    29. Oh geez. That's a sticky situation. I second LabRat's advice.
      I'd just get some plyers and gently work it out. I hope you get everything fixed.
       
    30. Thank you for your suggestions :) I may try and loosen it some more, maybe eventually itll come out. I dread using nail polish remover as I have had bad experiences before with it and face ups :O If I was really desperate I would consider it. Thank you for your help though and please keep your suggestions coming!
       
    31. I'm not familiar with magnets and headcaps and the like so I'm not sure how the set up is but I found this bit about super glue:
      My tip is the 'antidote' to Superglue, for when you stick yourself to something, your fingers together or even worse to the tube of superglue. Cooking oil and lots of patience will remove or unstick superglue. I guarantee this, it is also what they use in hospitals if you turn up there with your eyes glued shut as someone in Australia did recently, mistaking the superglue for eye drops in the fridge. I glued the tube to my fingers last night and removed it and separated my fingers with cooking oil. Took a bit of time and patience but it worked and no skin off.

      Ugh, can you imagine gluing your eyes shut?!?!
      I'm not sure if oil would do anything to a face up... but i'd assume you can just wash it off it if gets on there? I don't know! It seems like oil would be safer than nail polish remover though. I'm assuming you just let it set on there for awhile to soften up the glue.
       
    32. I'd honestly just leave it since it's all under the wig anyway. The glue should weaken over time and use, so the magnet may pull out again later and you can get a fresh try at it. I know it's a pain when things don't fit right, but at least the magnet got glued in right side out and the magnets don't repel each other. *_~
       
    33. I don't know exactly how the magnet is stuck but, maybe you could also try tapping the magnet the rest of the way in?

      Just shooting here ^__~
       
    34. Yep, tried tapping the magnet in but its as though there was too much glue underneath...my fault really!
      I know, thankfully I put them in the right way...I really dont know what I would have done if they repelled!
      Cooking oil sounds quite risky, but much better than nail polish remover! If I get hugely frustrated I may try this, thanks!
      Overall I may just leave it, but wiggle it every so often ;) I think youre right, itll loosen in time then I think I will just leave that sucker out!
       
    35. Don't try cooking oil!! Any kind of oil at all is BAD for resin! I've seriously heard that it literally melts. Don't do it!
       
    36. I haven't heard *melts* but *stains* for sure. Spreading dark patches in the resin. Eek!!
       
    37. Warm, soapy water might help, and won't harm the resin either....
       
    38. I did the same thing with the magnets in my Yo's headcap. I just used an x-acto knife to dig around the dried glue and then hammered it back in straight. Don't be afraid of using a hammer, just be CAREFUL....resin is stronger than you think. ;)
       
    39. personaly I would be tempted to file it down (assuming you want it flush with the resin?)

      I don't think you can demagnatise the kind of magnets you buy
       
    40. as i'm sure you've assumed, one of the magnets in my minisup's headcap came out... the problem is i put it back in, thinking it was the right way, but apparently it's facing the wrong way :/ i have no idea how i managed to mix it up ._.;;;;;;;; we tried to use another magnet to pull it out, but it gets up to the edge of the resin and then won't come out any further ; ; so we can't get it out even a little bit, enough to use some plyers or something to pull it out the rest of the way...

      i can't find any stronger magnets, and my only thought was to try and glue something to the magnet so i could just pull it out. sadly that didn't really work :/

      i just got her TONIGHT so i'm feeling like a complete and total idiot at the moment ._.; any help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
       
    41. phew! my fiance managed to get it out, after slightly pulling on it with the other magnet for like an hour lol n_n;;
       
    42. congrats X_X

      i'd just try to shake it out XD
       
    43. i have an identical problem, but nothing worked, not even another magnet T___T
       
    44. Is the magnet in wrong in the actual head, or the headcap? ;_; I accidentally superglued the magnet in my Hound's headcap in wrong. When I found out, I was freaking out and checked to see what would dissolve superglue. Everything said acetone or hot, hot water.

      I opted for hot water. I ran the headcap under some hot water, and gently worked around the edges with an exacto-blade. I did this for a little while, and it popped out. There's a few tiny niks around the magnet area, but it's not like they're visible so I don't really care :O

      edit: point being, if it's just stuck in there weird, try using a blade to loosen it up :O glued or not.
       
    45. I've had this problem some time back. X___X All I did was to grab something made of metal and placed it on the magnet so it attracts it and pulled it out. Came off easily. X3
       
    46. its on my uyoo...i wear her headcap upside down and its covered well by the wig. But i tried water, knife, magents, pieces of metal. It fell in there on a bit of a diagonal...so i think its quite lodged >.<
       
    47. o.o Oh dear. Maybe you could try pushing it in first so it's not diagonal? >_<
       
    48. So, I just took the wig off of my yosd and I turned to say something to a friend and the headcap flew onto the ground away from me. Seems that the magnet has come unstuck from inside it and the bonds of magnetism were stronger than the bonds of glue. :sweat

      What would people suggest to stick it back in? Just white glue? Anything stronger that wouldn't melt the resin?

      *perplexed*

      Thanks in advance!
       
    49. Hello nettness^^

      I can vouch for this, because 4 of my SDs arrived with the magnet unglued, and one of my friend's did also, ahahah~ I just used Krazy Glue and just set it back in place. You only need to use about a drop and it works great.
      It hasn't melted the resin or anything-- it has been fine.

      Most recently I had to re-glue my little May-Mae's (YoTenshi Yuu). She's just fine now and it really holds^^ Ahahah, I actually have to be careful of the SDs with magnets inside, especially May-Mae, because if you set them near your computer monitor or electronics, the magnetic field could damage or disrupt them. May-Mae turned the corner of my monitor GREEN, ahahah *-* It's fine now though.

      Best wishes to you and your little ones for the New Year^^

      -Philip

      ps. Which YoSD did you get?^^
       
    50. I used white PVC glue to restick Aulen's magnet when it came loose. It worked a treat, and four months on I've had no more problems with it at all ^^
       
    51. Ooh, Thanks Philip, Xi-feng. ^_^ I'll give it a go with PVC glue (cause its what I already have in the house *lazies*) and if its weird then I'll go the crazy glue route.

      I hadn't had an issue wither either of my magnetised kids before yesterday so my eyes kinda popped out of their head when this happened. *laughs*

      Oh, and it was for my yo-sd anne. ;) Just the one Yo for me at the moment, okay, well, I've got one and one sixth of a Yo.. *innocent*
       
    52. If you're still having trouble I'd say maybe try two-part epoxy glue. I've had good luck with it and resin. I sometimes have issues getting superglue to bond to metal stuff like magnets, but if they're the superstrong rare earth magnets like the ones in my DOT's head you should actually be able to glue over the top of the magnet with epoxy glue, sealing it into the socket, and it'll still hold fine. My only caveat would be to make sure it's completely and totally dry before putting the headcap back on. (I've accidentally glued parts of a customize figure together after I thought the glue was dry. Fixing it was when I started using epoxy glue. >_< Had to redrill joint sockets...)
       
    53. Thanks! I've kind of... overloaded the cavity with white glue and am going to let it dry for two and a half days before I try and stick it back on her head. Hopefully this'll do the trick but if not I've got all your suggestions to fall back on. ^_^
       
    54. Sorry if this isn't the right place for this. Someone please move it if it's not. I need some serious help though. Rose and I were having a magnet crisis. All the magnets in our dolls headcaps were popping out. Our solution? Crazy glue! Seemed fool proof, and it was for the first 2/3 magnets. The third however managed to get flipped through accident or my own stupidity I have no idea. But it's wedged itself in and is now glue into the headcap the wrong way. My parents and I have been trying since they got home to figure out how to remove it, nothing seems to be working.

      Has anyone done something quite this silly before? Any solutions? Ideas? Please.

      I'm supposed to be selling the doll this has happened to, but I can't in good conscious sell a doll who's head cap basically pops off his head now every time I try putting it on.

      Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

      -Abs
       
    55. yeah well it may be dangerous..but with a hot hair dryer you can soften the glue..
      but to hot could also damage the resin.
      This also works on hotglue holding eyes in place..
      just remember not to put it to hot >_<
       
    56. See if you can work the matching one in the head loose and reverse it?

      I did some searches. Some said acetone will take it off things.
      Another recommended Tea Tree Oil (can be bought in a health food store or New Age health store) - the question there was getting it off leather. I know TT oil is very safe for most things.

      Here's some text from the "removing glue" page at the official Superglue site:

      Acetone is often found in household nail polish remover, and a small amount on the end of a Q-tip or cotton swab applied directly to the glue should dissolve the bond without damaging the skin. Be very cautious in gently peeling the skin apart as in removing a bandage from the skin; pulling the skin apart may rip the skin! Read the label to make sure that the remover actually contains acetone, as more and more manufacturers are turning away from the chemical because of the growing popularity of acrylic nails (which are loosened by acetone).

      Be careful - straight acetone will discolor a number of fabrics and can mar the finish of laminated counter tops (mainly the darker colored ones). Straight Acetone defats the skin; wash with soap and water after use and apply hand lotion to replenish the skin and remove any dryness effects. Use acetone sparingly and cautiously with these tips in the following situations:

      * Clothing/Fabrics
      Use acetone and an old toothbrush, reapplying the acetone a number of times and brushing to remove it layer-by-layer. Work on outside and then on inside. May not come off entirely.
      * Counters, tables, floors, etc.
      Use acetone to soften glue and then start working at the glue. Brush, scrape, shave, peel, sand or whatever mechanical means is available to work the glue off. Reapply acetone and continue to work at the glue.

      Maybe by Q-tipping a bit of acetone right over the magnet, let it soak in for a few seconds, wash the cap, repeat, and then try using some fine pin or something to see it you can work it into the seam of the magnet and cap and work it loose?

      Good luck!
       
    57. You know...reading about the hair dryer to soften the glue, you can also take a low temp hot glue gun and, not using any glue, press the metal to the magnet. If the magnet is what I think it is and what's used often(rare earth magnet with a metal coating), my experience is that the magnets can get hot via the hot glue...thus warming the magnet to soften the glue, but not damaging the resin! :)
       
    58. heh...i have the same exact problem with my uyoo. Except its just...wedged in their diagonally. So i just flipped the headcap around and she wears hers backwards. I keep it closed with a bit of tape, and you can't see it under the wig. heh.
       
    59. Edit: Problem solved! The magnet has been removed and flipped into its proper position! :) Thank you everyone for your helpful suggestions, and thank you Niteshadepromise. The hair dryer worked like a charm.
       
    60. ??? You said you used Crazy Glue - Crazy Glue softens with heat? I'm going to remember that tip!
       
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