How to Unlaminate Plastic
Lamination is applying a protective clear plastic layer to an item to help ensure durability. Once only a product of commercially produced objects or governmental licenses, lamination is common for many types of classroom and office projects. There even is a market for home lamination machines, presumably to protect important papers or fragile family photographs. The machines are so common, and the practice so prevalent, there are times when objects are unnecessarily laminated. For most classroom, home and office jobs that do not use the heat, pressure and thicker plastic of industrial lamination, the laminated object can be unlaminated.
- Difficulty:
- Moderately Easy
Instructions
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1
Examine the laminated object carefully to ascertain the thickness of the plastic and how much surrounding laminate edging is present.
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2
Cut along a straight edge of the laminated object as closely as you can using the scissors. Most laminated objects are sealed between two sheets of plastic fused "around" them, not "to" them. This edge cut is to ascertain whether or not the laminate has fused to the plastic item and to what extent.
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3
Separate the top and bottom laminate layers with the Exacto knife. "Saw" them apart.
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4
Continue sawing the two layers apart along the edges of the laminated object until it is free from the laminate.
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1
Tips & Warnings
Work slowly and patiently. Do not attempt to pull the top and bottom layers apart if you have separated a small portion; continue to use the scissors and Exacto knife.
Be careful if you are removing heat and pressure laminated plastic from any paper or paper areas within the sealed plastic. The plastic might fuse to the paper fibers and cause fuzzing of the upper layer.
Do not attempt to tamper with driver's licenses or state ID cards.
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