Getting rid of hot glue residue on the inside of a translucid airbox top

[sinikl]

So, i have an 06 xb9sx with cherry bomb airbox and flyscreen, both of which were painted over by previous owner. I got the paint off and sanded and polished it up and it looks sort of murky red now (not perfect, i need to redo it).

Along the way i discovered 4 stacks of magnets that PO had hot glued to the inside of the airbox cover, someone here thinks (don't remember who) that it was probably to mount a magnetic tank bag (makes sense). The magnets are gone but the chunks of hot glue remain, and if i ever get the outside super smooth and clear again, they're gonna look really stupid (they already look kind of stupid but you can't see them well enough for it to be obvious).

Any ideas on how to get this stuff off other than razor knife and sand (and sand, and sand some more)?

The outside probably took at least 4 hrs if not 6 to get to the stage i'm at now -- i kind of rushed thru 800, 1000, 1500, 2000 and should not have -- and i really don't fancy the idea of doing the same to the inside of the plastic, which other than the hot glue is pristine as you would expect.

Also an aside: the frontmost holes near the fuel filler have both been cracked, and one of them, a big chunk, the corner of the airbox if you will, thru which the bolt would pass if it weren't broken off, is gone. What would you fill that with or would you just leave it alone? I'm tempted to try ... wait for it... hot glue?

 

[34nineteen]

You could try heating it up with a hair dryer or heat gun, then peel the glue off with your fingernail or a plastic razor.

 

[Cooter]

Thats what I would try^^^^. The translucent covers don't like solvents at all.

 

[sinikl]

+1 on they hate solvents. the lacquer thinner i used 'crazed' the plastic (i think that's appropriate use of the word, correct me if not.. lacy white opaque bits that feel silky smooth to the touch, but still do not admit light). On the flyscreen, I just left the lacy bits thinking some sort of topcoat would fix them (it didn't). On the tank i sanded through the crazing (worked) but then rushed the step-up thru grits so it's still visibly finely scratched, but nothing you can feel with a fingernail, say.

The heat gun idea sounds good, i'll give it a try. Cheers 34nineteen, cooter!

 

[badmotorscooter]

I would do the opposite, freeze the hot melt off. Get it really cold in your freezer, then whack it with a chisel. If you assume the PO used a quality hot melt, then best case scenario you have low melt kind that is at least 150F usually. At that temp the plastic will likely warp. I doubt they used a hobby store hot melt. Most of that stuff is junk, won't stick to anything that vibrates or hold weight worth a damn. I use hotmelt all the time, the good 3M kind, depending on what kind was used, you may be screwed.

 

[airbozo]

I agree with badmotorscooter. Freeze 'em off.

I used to hot glue connectors onto PC motherboards and had to freeze them of to return for repair. Heat just made it worse.

You can use a can of compressed air and turn it upside down to get insta freeze in a small location.

 

[nicholas900]

As far as removing the glue, you could try this:
https://youtu.be/dNNqSXgj6DE

As far as polishing the cover back up, the headlight restoration kits they sell at the automotive stores that go on a power drill work great on all the plastics I've tried them on. Never tried it on Buell plastics though....

 

[34nineteen]

As far as removing the glue, you could try this:
https://youtu.be/dNNqSXgj6DE

As far as polishing the cover back up, the headlight restoration kits they sell at the automotive stores that go on a power drill work great on all the plastics I've tried them on. Never tried it on Buell plastics though....

OK, so let me get this straight.... your "solution" is that we shell out money for isopropyl alcohol and q-tips? :down:






(sorry, I couldn't help myself) :black_eyed:


Hopefully, its just hot glue and not epoxy.

 

[Outlaw]

Just buy a new set. Pick your color.

 

[sinikl]

Just buy a new set. Pick your color.

This thought has absolutely crossed my mind. For whatever perverse reason i want to "save" these because they were flat-blacked (and had a homemade buell pegasus sticker cut on top of the paint, i think, because there are razor cuts in that shape that i'll Never sand out).

Now that it's not winter (nb: NC winter ain't that bad, but it is rainy) it would be fun to throw minty new plastics on and twiddle with these over the winter....

 

[sinikl]

No headlight resto kit will save me, because i sanded the whole thing from 320/400/600/800/1000/1500/2000 first to get rid of crazing (that i inflicted), and i have scratches from that step-up process where i rushed the latter bits.

It's, IMO, really hard to see sand scratches at 800 grit or higher until it's polished fully.

 

[Cooter]

The bucket of water you're using to soak the sandpaper in and keep the sand paper wet and clean, should have just a couple drops of dish soap in it. A little plastic squeegee like they use for bondo will get the water off the part and the soap will dry quickly and show any parts not sanded uniformly. If you leave the part wet, you can't tell.

With eyes like mine, I need all the help I can get!

And usually no need to do all the grits like that. The first go over (with the roughest paper you need) will take the longest, by far. If you do a good job on the first one, every step after just needs a uniform job and will go quickly. 180 or 240, 400, 1000, compound, polish, wax is what gave my really beat up Buell plastic a perfect mirror finish. It took a full half-day and a 6-pack, but all the parts are pristine!

 

[34nineteen]

, should have just a couple drops of dish soap in it.

I've never heard of dish soap being in the water. Why? To reduce friction? or help clean the area? or both ? or some other reason?

I may have to try this next time I wet sand.


Edit: never mind... I re-read Cooters post.

 

[BuellyBagger]

Car wash soap, not dish soap. Dish soap has salt and even sometimes bleach in it. In the collision industry we use car wash soap. Or you can use a little baby shampoo. No salts, no harsh detergents no extra bs.

And starting polishing at 1000 is quite an endeavor. I've never polished translucent plastics, but 2k is the minimum for me on paint

 

[Cooter]

I've been using 99¢ store dish soap, but no ones told be better until now. I respect your knowledge Buelly and will do that from now on! Heck, it's only a couple drops.

I used to go to 1500 but the 3M Perfect-it is pretty a badass compound and works quickly at 1000. Some 3M Finesse-it, Wax and BAM!

I recently came across some Kick-Ash plastics that need a little more help than just a hand polish/wax, so I'll report back what I find on those. If they're hazy, I'll go to 2000.

 

[sinikl]

My technique was to sand each successive grit at 90 degrees to the previous, so when i saw the crosshatching disappear, i figured i was good. Turns out there's still visible crosshatching now that it's all done, so i didn't even get that process quite right. Funnily enough, my 62 beetle had sand marks under the paint, also crosshatched at 90 deg, and i was like "the painter was a HACK" (he was) but then i did the same sins myself on this project. Once you start sanding, the plastic looks like **** til you add water, then it looks magically OK, and at lower grits, i could see it looked worse in problem areas, but not so with finer paper.

The squeegee may have helped me here, i'll try that next go-round.

I'll try to get some shots of the current state if you guys don't mind suggesting what grit i should start over at?

 

[BuellyBagger]

I've been using 99¢ store dish soap, but no ones told be better until now. I respect your knowledge Buelly and will do that from now on! Heck, it's only a couple drops.

I used to go to 1500 but the 3M Perfect-it is pretty a badass compound and works quickly at 1000. Some 3M Finesse-it, Wax and BAM!

I recently came across some Kick-Ash plastics that need a little more help than just a hand polish/wax, so I'll report back what I find on those. If they're hazy, I'll go to 2000.

the dish soap isnt a real big issue on an "off the vehicle" plastic repair situation. but on a car or bike different story. and its not life or death by any means! JUST DIDN'T WANT ANY NEWBS WASHING THEIR BIKE WITH DAWN PLUS BLEACH ALTERNATIVE AND WONDERING WHY EVERYTHING WAS ALL CORRODED THE NEXT DAY LOL

 

[BuellyBagger]

Cooter: have you ever tried using a DA (dual action orbital sander) on these plastics? Like i said I've never polished a set, but for the more experienced, 3m's dry DA goes up to 1500 or maybe even 2k and then has trizact 3000 all for the DA. Might save some elbow grease!

 

[Cooter]

Tell me what you think. Honestly.

https://www.buellxb.com/forum/showthread.php?51500-Buell-plastic-scratch-removal

Note that part where the DA overheats and blisters the plastic (but only with the heavier grits). 1000 and up seemed fine but theres so many curves, I felt better by hand.

 

[BuellyBagger]

Tell me what you think. Honestly.

https://www.buellxb.com/forum/showthread.php?51500-Buell-plastic-scratch-removal

Note that part where the DA overheats and blisters the plastic (but only with the heavier grits). 1000 and up seemed fine but theres so many curves, I felt better by hand.

Great right up. Honestly! :very_drunk: cheers to you!