Old Glue Rejuvenation Question

[nwobhm]

Modern glues can be reactivated. My experience is specific to certain types of rubber cement used it the manufacture of air supported buildings.

We used Toluol and MEK to reactivate the adhesives before final assembly. The adhesive would go from rock hard to a syrup consistancy within seconds if hit with a wet rag of chemical.

If I were going to try this, Toluol would be my first choice. It's been around a very long time and was likely used in the original production adhesives. Depending on your location it may be difficult to find as well as expensive.

[butchie_t]

MEK can be purchased at Lowes and is great for many things such as this. We used MEK for cleaning our high-speed recorder heads for a long time until the Air Force got all wonky on us and told we could not use it any longer.

You could try it on a small sample of dried glue first. Drop a couple of drops onto the glue spot and stir it with a toothpick. It should form a sticky small blob. That maybe all you need. However I do not know if it would stain the item you are attaching though. You’d have to sample that too on a like item first.

Cheers,

B. T.

[steve B]

Knowing what the original glue is would be important. Some can be reworked with various solvents, but those same solvents may affect the ink a card would be printed with, and/or the blue used to stick the layers together is they used a layered stock.

I have a few old postcards that I'm pretty sure got very wet for a long time, and are now a front and back.

Testing a small amount on a small area, or on something that's come entirely loose would be very helpful.
Water
Solvents like Those already mentioned plus mineral spirits or lighter fluid
Alcohol - some old glues may be alcohol based and similar to shellac. Those will readily soften with nice clean alcohol applied.

[JollyElm]

Originally Posted by nwobhm

If I were going to try this, Toluol would be my first choice. It's been around a very long time and was likely used in the original production adhesives. Depending on your location it may be difficult to find as well as expensive.

It's definitely not modern glue, so that's the crux of the problem. When you mention Toluol, I recently discovered through Ace Hardware that Toluene is banned out here, so I can't quickly pick some up and give it a try. Ugh.

[nwobhm]

If Toluol is banned in your location so is MEK. Also, my use of "modern" would be the 20th century.

[JollyElm]

Originally Posted by nwobhm

If Toluol is banned in your location so is MEK. Also, my use of "modern" would be the 20th century.

That made me laugh. Good stuff!!

The bottom line is I can't use most chemicals in the Soviet Republic of California, because some d-bags are in their basement listening to Zeppelin and snorting the stuff. My gawd!!

[Exhibitman]

Originally Posted by JollyElm

That made me laugh. Good stuff!!

The bottom line is I can't use most chemicals in the Soviet Republic of California, because some d-bags are in their basement listening to Zeppelin and snorting the stuff. My gawd!!

That's completely unfair and inaccurate: they are listening to Metallica.

[steve B]

Originally Posted by Exhibitman

That's completely unfair and inaccurate: they are listening to Metallica.

Yeah, the Zeppelin guys were more into model glue. (which may have had the same solvents)

And that's why for about a year and half I had to use the non-sniffable lemon scented glue that didn't work on the models I built. (No, no sniffing, it smelled strongly enough it wasn't necessary)

[GasHouseGang]

Originally Posted by Exhibitman

That's completely unfair and inaccurate: they are listening to Metallica.

You are correct. And we don't have basements.