How to Separate Two Pieces of Glued Glass

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Things You'll Need

  • Newspaper

  • Cotton swab

  • Rag

  • Acetone

  • Bowl or pot

  • Hot water

  • Glass bowl

  • Mineral spirits

  • Epoxy solvent

  • Safety goggles

  • Respirator

  • Denatured alcohol

All types of glue have a solvent, which will break the adhesive bond. Sometimes pieces of glass bond together incorrectly, and require glue removal and glass repositioning. In other cases, pieces of glass bond to each other accidentally and necessitate glue removal. As long as you know the type of glue, breaking the bond is not difficult. If the type of glue is unknown, breaking the bond becomes a matter of trial and error.

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Cyanoacrylate Adhesive

Step 1

Lay a thick layer of newspaper over your work surface.

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Step 2

Dip a cotton swab or rag into acetone and rub the line of glue to dissolve the bond, or soak the glued glass pieces in acetone for 2 to 6 hours depending on the amount of glue present.

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Step 3

Wash the glass with warm soapy water to remove acetone residue.

White Glue

Step 1

Fill a bowl or pot with hot water.

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Step 2

Placed the glued glass pieces in the hot water to soak for 4 to 8 hours, depending on the amount of glue on the pieces of glass.

Step 3

Remove and replace the water every time it cools. Hot water will break the bond of white glue and allow for easy separation.

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Rubber Cement

Step 1

Lay a thick layer of newspaper over your work surface.

Step 2

Fill a glass bowl with mineral spirits.

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Step 3

Soak pieces of glued glass in the mineral spirits for 6 to 8 hours, depending on the quantity of glue and placement between glass pieces.

Step 4

Remove the freed glass from the mineral spirits and wash thoroughly with hot soapy water.

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Epoxy

Step 1

Fill a glass bowl with a specialized epoxy solvent in a well-ventilated room; wear safety goggles and a respirator due to the highly toxic nature of the solvent.

Step 2

Soak epoxy bonded glass pieces in specialized epoxy solvent according to the directions on the bottle or can. Generally, the directions include extinguishing all flames and cigarettes, soaking time, which ranges from 6 to 12 hours and safety procedures.

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Step 3

Remove the glass pieces and wash fully in warm soapy water twice.

Polyurethane Glue

Step 1

Place glued glass pieces in a glass bowl.

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Step 2

Pour denatured alcohol into the bowl, submerging the glued glass pieces.

Step 3

Allow the glass to soak for 12 to 24 hours to dissolve the bond.

Step 4

Wash the glass pieces well with hot soapy water and rinse.

Tip

Wear safety goggles and properly vent rooms when working with solvents. Dispose of chemicals properly.

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