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Maintenance Removing Glued-in Magnets?

Dec 10, 2023

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    1. Hello all!

      A while back I dyed my Dream Valley Olivia, and I think the color worked well! But I also learned the hard way that boiling water weakens magnets, such as the ones holding her head together and letting her bunny ears stay on. Maybe this is common fantasy doll part-dyeing knowledge that I overlooked, but either way, I now have a doll whose main features don't work. Which means needing to replace the magnets. The ones very flush in place.

      I've tried putting the head cap and ear (one ear lost its magnet in the dye pot) in the freezer to no avail. I've tried warm water, I've tried swirling pieces around in boiling water to simulate the dye pot where other magnets already fell out. I've tried thin bits of metal wedged in the tiny gap between the magnet and resin and ended up with dented, scratched resin. I've tried acetone and mostly succeeded in stripping off parts of the dye job, thankfully where it's not very visible. I've tried all these along with wrapping the parts in a tea towel and banging them on the table to try and knock them out. I've tried getting a stronger magnet to pull on them (doesn't work super great when the magnets are weak in the first place). I am 0/5 on removed magnets.

      What else should I try? Something finer than a cotton swab to try and leech the acetone into the tiny gap around the magnets? Some other solvent that will go after the glue at least as much as it goes after the dye? Boil the pieces for longer?

      I'd rather avoid destroying the resin, especially physically - I don't have space to ventilate resin dust and I can't put a mask on my cat. But I'd really like to be able to put together my doll.

      Thanks in advance for any advice.
       
      #1 JaxxCapta, Dec 10, 2023
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    2. Probably the least invasive way would be to freeze it again and see if the glue gets brittle enough after more than one cold overnight session.

      There is also superglue remover, but definitely try it somewhere hidden first as it will probably not be great for resin. If you can get your hands on a syringe with a needle, you can try using that instead of a qtip to really get it in the right place (same with acetone).

      Or - you can try to remagnetise the magnets! There are detailed tutorials floating around the web, but in a nutshell you'll just need a stronger magnet.
       
      #2 cobaltconduct, Dec 10, 2023
      Last edited: Dec 10, 2023
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    3. I think you should consider remagnetizing them as they're such an important feature and are pretty well in there. Otherwise, I agree with freezing the head. That's how I was able to get 10+ year old super glue off of a doll!
       
      #3 SaltedPretzel, Dec 10, 2023
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    4. If its hotglue I would freeze it again. If its superglue I would do warm water for long periods of time, 2+ hours of soaking if it really isn't coming out. Not boiling hot, but very warm. I would also check up on it (drain it if its now room temp) and drain/refill with warm water (to maintain as consistent a temperature as possible) until it eventually falls out. I wouldn't do this long of soaking with anything that has a faceup however. Freezing is a safer option for a painted head, it can just take longer.
       
      #4 Misuka, Dec 10, 2023
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    5. Maybe add something soapy or alcohol-like? And do all things with this step?
       
      #5 yunan, Dec 18, 2023
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    6. Freezing didn't work for me, but I had luck with this method- supergluing a nail to the magnet (careful not to get glue on the area around it) and letting that solidify. The nail gives you more leverage to pull the magnet out. I just tugged on the nail with a pair of pliers and the magnet popped right out!
       
      #6 VoxCanem, Dec 23, 2023
      Last edited: Jan 2, 2024
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    7. Thanks for the advice, y'all! I ended up going with a three-pronged approach, since I couldn't get the glue undone: I got some stronger magnets and tried to remagnetize the ones in the doll's head, stuck one on the inside of the head to help hold the weaker ear magnet in place, and cut open some of the fabric of her wig so there's not as much blocking the magnetic field. It's not perfect, I have to be careful with poses, but I can put her ears on over her wig now! A little delicate handling is better than them sliding right off without even a hint of trying to stick together, IMO.

      @VoxCanem If I do end up replacing the magnets outright, I'll definitely be sure to try that!

      [​IMG]
       
      #7 JaxxCapta, Dec 23, 2023
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    8. Hello. I am very interested in your method because I have also been trying to remove two magnets for some time without success. Could you tell me what type of glue you used to stick the nail to the magnet?
       
      #8 Miss_Lizzy_Darcy, Apr 2, 2024
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    9. I just used whatever super glue I had on hand, not sure which brand. But you just want to make sure you are gluing the head of the nail to just the magnet, not accidentally to the resin around it. I let the glue dry overnight just to be sure, and the magnet popped right out with a little bit of pulling. Since I was going to reuse the magnets, I used an exacto knife to cut the nail off, which went easily. Pretty much just getting the knife between the nail head and the magnet made them come apart.
       
      #9 VoxCanem, Apr 2, 2024
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    10. Thanks a lot! I'm going to try your method right away!:3nodding:
       
      #10 Miss_Lizzy_Darcy, Apr 3, 2024
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