Help! Heq5 legs removal question

[Davey-T]

20 minutes ago, Thalestris24 said:

Erm, has anyone actually done this? If so, how??

I'm finding the bottom painted/cast parts come off quite easily but the top ones are very stubborn - so far I've had no success 😞 

I'm thinking that if I can find a solvent that will remove the dried traces on the bottom of the tube it should work to loosen the the top? Since isopropanol doesn't seem to do much, maybe something like evo-stick adhesive remover might do? I've ordered some so fingers crossed!

Louise

Tried similar with a Meade tripod ( there's a post on here somewhere of somebody doing it ) used  a heat gun and lump hammer, needs a lot of heat, easier if you've got someone to hang on to it for you and some bits were tighter than others.

Dave

[Thalestris24]

1 minute ago, Davey-T said:

Tried similar with a Meade tripod ( there's a post on here somewhere of somebody doing it ) used  a heat gun and lump hammer, needs a lot of heat, easier if you've got someone to hang on to it for you and some bits were tighter than others.

Dave

Not sure if they are put together the same? I'm on my own so heating it up would be difficult and if it needs to be _that_ hot then it would likely burn me at the same time (I don't have any heatproof gloves). As I've ordered the solvent, I'll try that first 🙂 

Thanks for the info.

Louise

[Davey-T]

Similar construction I think, probably the same glue.

Tried different solvents with no effect although they burn well when heated 

Dave

[Thalestris24]

Just now, Davey-T said:

Similar construction I think, probably the same glue.

Tried different solvents with no effect although they burn well when heated 

Dave

Must have been this post:

The residue looks similar... It would be difficult for me to use a heat gun in the flat though might be able to make use of the electric cooker hob...

Louise

[Davey-T]

That's the one, as said it takes a lot of heat to shift the glue, don't think hob would apply heat all round quickly enough, really need a heat gun, cheap enough from Screwfix etc and come in handy for decorating 😁

Dave

[Thalestris24]

1 minute ago, Davey-T said:

That's the one, as said it takes a lot of heat to shift the glue, don't think hob would apply heat all round quickly enough, really need a heat gun, cheap enough from Screwfix etc and come in handy for decorating 😁

Dave

Ok, I suppose it wouldn't break the bank. Would one of these do?
ps what's 'decorating'???

Louise

[johninderby]

Proably good enough.

Just reading a thread on CN on the subject and some said the legs just fell apart and others found the legs a nightmare to get apart. Apparently you need to apply enough heat to blister the paint off and blue the steel. 🙀🙀🙀

[Thalestris24]

15 minutes ago, johninderby said:

Proably good enough.

Just reading a thread on CN on the subject and some said the legs just fell apart and others found the legs a nightmare to get apart. Apparently you need to apply enough heat to blister the paint off and blue the steel. 🙀🙀🙀

That's not very reassuring... I don't want to set the flat ablaze!!!

[johninderby]

Outdoors in a sand pit sounds better. 🤔

[johninderby]

Is there a local garage that you could take it too and ask them to remove the tops? They are used to taking stubborn  car parts apart.

[Thalestris24]

1 minute ago, johninderby said:

Is there a local garage that you could take it too and ask them to remove the tops? They are used to taking stubborn  car parts apart.

Not that I know of. I'll have to find a way of doing it myself and indoors. Where there's a will, there's a way! I could use the heat gun with the leg on the cooker hob. At least there's nothing flammable on there. I always have to make sure I don't inadvertently set off the smoke alarm - if it does go off, it's deafening!

Louise

[NEM]

58 minutes ago, Thalestris24 said:

Ok, I suppose it wouldn't break the bank. Would one of these do?
ps what's 'decorating'???

Louise

I've got one of those and though I've never used it for this type of job, it's got enough power to melt soft solder.  You might want to get a pair of these as well; though check them out before using them.  The first pair I got had a small hole right on the tip of the index finger, just on the point where you might poke something to see if it was hot! 

Noel

[johninderby]

Dug up one of the cheap heat guns as well as my DeWalt one. As I remember the cheapie wasn’t too bad. 🙂

 

Edited June 30, 2020 by johninderby

[Thalestris24]

Well I've ordered the cheap Screwfix ('Energer') one - might pick it up tomorrow. I don't want or need it for anything else so it better do the job! I've ordered some gloves also - for barbecue/oven use. At least I could also use those in the kitchen though I really only do microwave cooking.

Louise

[johninderby]

I think the main thing with the cheapie heat gun is not to use it continuously. Let it cool down a bit every once in a while.

[Thalestris24]

1 minute ago, johninderby said:

I think the main thing with the cheapie heat gun is not to use it continuously. Let it cool down a bit every once in a while.

Ok!

[johninderby]

One leg at a time. 😁

[Thalestris24]

21 minutes ago, johninderby said:

One leg at a time. 😁

Of course 🙂 

[MarkAR]

Just thinking that if you can position it on the stove top then maybe try boiling it in a pan of water for a while.

[Thalestris24]

Just now, MarkAR said:

Just thinking that if you can position it on the stove top then maybe try boiling it in a pan of water for a while.

I get the impression it needs a higher temperature to melt the glue - unless someone knows different?

Louise

[MarkAR]

Depends on the glue really, if it's a mastic rubbery style it might soften up enough. An epoxy might as well.

Can you see any traces of glue from the one you have removed?

[Thalestris24]

3 minutes ago, MarkAR said:

Depends on the glue really, if it's a mastic rubbery style it might soften up enough. An epoxy might as well.

Can you see any traces of glue from the one you have removed?

Yes, as I said, it's similar to the Meade above. It's not mastic.

Louise

[MarkAR]

24 minutes ago, Thalestris24 said:

Yes, as I said, it's similar to the Meade above. It's not mastic.

Louise

That looks suspiciously similar to Gorilla Glue, solid brown traces and hard foamy patches.

I think boiling might break it down or the glue remover will work.

[DaveL59]

is there any slight gap between the leg and the part that's glued on?

A coke can sliced to make a shim might be able to slide into the gap and slice the glue? Similar principle to opening padlocks if you know that technique (won't expand further here on a forum tho)

[Thalestris24]

14 minutes ago, MarkAR said:

That looks suspiciously similar to Gorilla Glue, solid brown traces and hard foamy patches.

I think boiling might break it down or the glue remover will work.

I've no idea - it's whatever they use in China!