Proto 2000 HO GP9 breaking glue bonds.

[Ian MacMillan]

I picked up two Proto 2000 GP9'S for repainting and I need some assistance in how to break the glue bond between the hood and walkway so I can paint them without masking. I have already striped the shells

[Spades]

Ian

From the Bachmann S-4 thread (n scale) Place the shell in the freezer.  I have rinsed the shell (IMR SD40/45T-2) and put it in a baggie in the freezer. Did work? Mostly, some carnage. Do you need to add the water?  Here is

Catt's & Peteski replies:

Catt
Never tried the feezer method with water just put the offending item in the freezer for 8 hours.Then work it while it is still ice cold.By the way Peteski this urban myth has been working for me for over 10 years now.YMMV.

Peteski
Sure it works. But did you first try (and fail) to spearate the parts at a room temperature?    But it is good to know that it works (at least for you).

As far as the water expansion goes (I know that it was me, not you who mentioned it), sure, it expands when it freezes. But how will it find its way into a glue joint in the first place.  Iif the glue joint is solid enough that it is not possible to disassemble, it will not allow water to get in either.
Never tried the feezer method with water just put the offending item in the freezer for 8 hours.Then work it while it is still ice cold.By the way Peteski this urban myth has been working for me for over 10 years now.YMMV

G

[wazzou]

I picked up two Proto 2000 GP9'S for repainting and I need some assistance in how to break the glue bond between the hood and walkway so I can paint them without masking. I have already striped the shells

Shouldn't you stripe them after you have removed the paint and repainted?   

Try acetone or nail polish remover.

[peteski]

Try acetone or nail polish remover.

Keeping in mind that it also attacks and melts polystyrene and ABS plastics.

We don't really know the materials we are looking at here (most likely ABS) and what adhesive was used (solvent cement or CA glue).  As for home-grown methods I've heard that for certain glue bonds moistening the joint area with standard paint thinner like turpentine (not lacquer thinner) can help to weaken the bond.  I haven't tried that myself.

[Packer]

For me this seems to work the best, but gets really tricky on the units with the opening doors:

1. Squeeze the long hood by the tabs starting from the rear. Then separate the long hood and walkway a bit. The cab will still be holding the hood down, but the latches should be loose
2. Push in on the 2 tabs at the front (assuming short-hood forward) of the cab, and separate the cab and long hood a bit more.
3. Push in on the tabs on the short hood and separate the 2 hoods and cab from the walkway

If it still is stuck, it is going to be hanging up by the tabs at the very ends of the hoods or near the battery boxes. The fix to separate the latches inside the cab/battery box area is to spread the walkways a little with one hand, and use the other to squeeze in on the sides of the cabs.

With this, you can kinda see how it goes together.

http://hoseeker.net/lifelikeenginediagrams/lifelikeproto2000gp9ipg3.jpg

[peteski]

I couldn't resist:  HOseeker.net?  That is one unusual domain name. Of course it is all in my dirty mind - it probably stands for H0 model trains. 

[Ian MacMillan]

This shell is being a pain. Does not want to release at the tabs due to the glue. Tried the freezer method with no success. Will try and soften the glue joints.

[Spades]

Ian

If you're still here.  I just stripped two 2 Proto 2000 GP9's in 91% alcohol.  Removed the paint and just about every glued on piece.