<p>Melted acrylic doesn't bond well to the metal, it's mostly just mechanically stuck in any nooks and crannies, and wrapped around.  You wouldn't have to chip away every bit of it.  If you can get under an edge, large chunks should break away.</p>
<p>On something like a drill bit, you can loosen the plastic's grip by squeezing around the caked plastic with pliers.  With a little friction to grip the plastic shell, you can reverse the drill and back the bit out of it, or drill into some wood and the plastic will get pushed off.  Physically removing the hard plastic is usually the easiest and fasted way to get it off.</p>
<p>You can use solvent to dissolve it off if you have a lot of solvent and a lot of time, and don't mind dealing with the fumes.  There are a number of readily available solvents that will dissolve acrylic or at least soften it, including acetone or MEK (available in paint departments).  It takes a long time for solvent to work its way through solid acrylic.</p>
<p>A solvent that dissolves acrylic will turn it into acrylic goo, so you're trading one problem for another.  Acrylic will go into solution, so all of the solvent will become goo.  Eventually, all of the acrylic on your tools will become soft enough to wipe off with a rag, but it will leave a film behind, requiring another soak in fresh solvent.</p>
<p>The solvents have dangerous fumes (fire hazard and not good to breathe), and they will defat your skin, so wear protective gloves.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-08-20T21:07:52.710Z
The acrylics I use in work - there are different types - are all but untouched by isopropanol (they swell a little, but don't soften, and we can only detect the swelling because it's under a microscope anyway.  Acetone is good and is what we use, though it doesn't dissolve completely.  MEK is better, but as you say, you get goo.  Solvents are a reasonable option to get the last bits out of saw teeth, and the solvent used for the second clean can be sealed up and used for the first soak next time.
Chris H
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-08-20T21:07:58.607Z
Chipping off will be slightly easier on drills if you wipe with oil before working - the bond will be even weaker
Chris H
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-08-21T02:50:43.860Z
@ChrisH, I'd never tried isopropanol, but assumed it would be very slow. Your experience sounds like the timeframe wouldn't be practical for cleaning tools, so I just removed it. Thanks. Good suggestions on reusing the solvent and oiling the drill bits.
fixer1234
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-08-20T20:56:16.923Z
2022-08-21T06:39:51.407Z
2022-08-21T06:39:51.407Z
fixer1234
<p>Is there a solvent that I can used to remove melted Perspex from tools. For example Perspex that has melted on to a drill bit or saw blade during cutting and then hardened as it has cooled down?</p>
<p>I would rather not melt the Perspex by reheating it, or chip away at it.</p>

<material-selection>
Solvent to remove melted Perspex from the blades of metal tools?
Aaargh Zombies
# Solvent to remove melted Perspex from the blades of metal tools?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2022-08-20)

Is there a solvent that I can used to remove melted Perspex from tools. For example Perspex that has melted on to a drill bit or saw blade during cutting and then hardened as it has cooled down?

I would rather not melt the Perspex by reheating it, or chip away at it.

**Tags:** material-selection


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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2022-08-20. Score: 2

Melted acrylic doesn't bond well to the metal, it's mostly just mechanically stuck in any nooks and crannies, and wrapped around. You wouldn't have to chip away every bit of it. If you can get under an edge, large chunks should break away.

On something like a drill bit, you can loosen the plastic's grip by squeezing around the caked plastic with pliers. With a little friction to grip the plastic shell, you can reverse the drill and back the bit out of it, or drill into some wood and the plastic will get pushed off. Physically removing the hard plastic is usually the easiest and fasted way to get it off.

You can use solvent to dissolve it off if you have a lot of solvent and a lot of time, and don't mind dealing with the fumes. There are a number of readily available solvents that will dissolve acrylic or at least soften it, including acetone or MEK (available in paint departments). It takes a long time for solvent to work its way through solid acrylic.

A solvent that dissolves acrylic will turn it into acrylic goo, so you're trading one problem for another. Acrylic will go into solution, so all of the solvent will become goo. Eventually, all of the acrylic on your tools will become soft enough to wipe off with a rag, but it will leave a film behind, requiring another soak in fresh solvent.

The solvents have dangerous fumes (fire hazard and not good to breathe), and they will defat your skin, so wear protective gloves.

> **Comments:**
> **username_2**: The acrylics I use in work - there are different types - are all but untouched by isopropanol (they swell a little, but don't soften, and we can only detect the swelling because it's under a microscope anyway.  Acetone is good and is what we use, though it doesn't dissolve completely.  MEK is better, but as you say, you get goo.  Solvents are a reasonable option to get the last bits out of saw teeth, and the solvent used for the second clean can be sealed up and used for the first soak next time.  
> **username_2**: Chipping off will be slightly easier on drills if you wipe with oil before working - the bond will be even weaker  
> **username_1**: @username_2, I'd never tried isopropanol, but assumed it would be very slow. Your experience sounds like the timeframe wouldn't be practical for cleaning tools, so I just removed it. Thanks. Good suggestions on reusing the solvent and oiling the drill bits.  

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