Removing glue from a card case

Discuss your favorite close-up tricks and methods.
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Tom Frame
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Removing glue from a card case

Postby Tom Frame » March 31st, 2019, 3:17 pm

Guys,

Let's say I've peeled apart/disassembled a Bicycle card case, so that it's one flat piece. What's the best way to remove the glue from the card stock? I tried swabbing the glue with alcohol and scraping it off with the tip of a butter knife. The glue came off, but the card stock looks pretty rough afterward.

What type of solvent is best? Acetone? Steam? Heavy water?

What type of scraper? Certainly I can do better than a blood-caked butter knife.

Please advise.


Thanks,

Tom

Leonard Hevia
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Re: Removing glue from a card case

Postby Leonard Hevia » March 31st, 2019, 7:01 pm

I would try steaming. Use a teapot and a small towel to quickly wipe off the softened glue.

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erdnasephile
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Re: Removing glue from a card case

Postby erdnasephile » March 31st, 2019, 7:15 pm

Tom:
Have you tried a heat gun? I suspect that will soften the glue enough to get it off, but cardboard may still be discolored after glue removal.

Bob Farmer
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Re: Removing glue from a card case

Postby Bob Farmer » March 31st, 2019, 8:51 pm

That's easy: rubber cement thinner available at any artist supply store.

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Tom Frame
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Re: Removing glue from a card case

Postby Tom Frame » April 1st, 2019, 8:44 am

Thanks for your suggestions, guys.

Leonard. I tried steaming. The glue came off, but so did a patchwork layer of card, resulting in a nasty surface.

Erdasephile. The heat gun is worth a try. Thanks.

Bob. What's the procedure? Dip a Q-Tip into the thinner and rub it around the seam, letting the thinner seep into the seam? Please advise.

If these methods don't work, I'll see if USPCC will sell me un-glued card cases.

Bob Farmer
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Re: Removing glue from a card case

Postby Bob Farmer » April 1st, 2019, 9:56 am

Tom: That should work.

Why not, for personal use only, do a color photocopy of a flat case on thick glossy photo paper and then cut it out.

Bill Mullins
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Re: Removing glue from a card case

Postby Bill Mullins » April 1st, 2019, 11:06 am

It seems like Haines House of Cards used to sell Bicycle Box flats. Check with them.

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Tom Frame
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Re: Removing glue from a card case

Postby Tom Frame » April 1st, 2019, 12:48 pm

I have a couple dozen Bicycle card cases. I'm trying not to buy more. When I disassemble the case, there is always some tearing or bits of paper stuck to the surfaces of the flap and the body of the case. I need both the printed and the blank side to be clean. Thanks for the methods. I'm still tinkering with them.

If I don't succeed, I'll try your photocopy idea, Bob. Thanks.

Bill, I'll check with Haines too. Thanks.

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Tom Frame
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Re: Removing glue from a card case

Postby Tom Frame » April 1st, 2019, 4:34 pm

Woo hoo! I love the smell of acetone in the afternoon!

Mission accomplished. Thanks guys. I now have a pile of clean, pristine card cases. But they seem to be undulating...breathing...rippling....

I better open a window.

Mr. Charming

Re: Removing glue from a card case

Postby Mr. Charming » April 2nd, 2019, 12:41 am

Try with fire

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Re: Removing glue from a card case

Postby webbmaster » May 1st, 2019, 2:53 pm

I don't think you told us what you were going to do with the flat. No matter. But I thought I might mention that I peel apart a cardbox then fold and glue it back together but inside out for decks I made up for specific mentalism tricks such as invented by Max Maven (symbols on blank or double-blank cards drawn by a Sharpie pen). It looks like a white box from which I take out a deck of white cards with white backs (so they see no possibility for 'marks'). So, for mental magic, they don't see the playing card backs and all the playing card graphics on the box...causing them to think "a card trick". Back to you.


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