What will dissolve gorilla glue thats holding two ikea units together?

[mumofoneAloneandwell]

Hey everyone

Two ikea eket units glued to one another - on top of eachother - would like to dissolve the glue but not sure what to use

Not bothered about how it will affect the finish, will paint them anyway but definitely need them separated

Please do let me know your suggestions xx

I would look up the assembly manual and identify the two parts that are stuck together then go to the Ikea service desk and ask for replacement parts. It’s part of why I love ikea they have this service:-)

This is a shout, but i think that these are very hard to assemble so I dont want to have to take it apart!

You won't be able to get at the glue to dissolve it but not sure anything would anyway. You will need to break them apart.
Can you get a bread knife or a saw between them and cut through the glue.
Dental floss might also work.

A couple of nights ago I got gorilla glue on my finger tips. It now seems to have worn off, after a couple of hot showers and plus washing the hands in very hot soapy water. But it was strong stuff.

While looking for suggestions about what could remove the glue from my skin, I saw nail polish remover containing acetone recommended. I didn't try it in the end, not having any in the house, but I guess you could give it a try?

I can get dental floss and a bread knife

Been wanting to get a cheap saw anyway

Will buy some acetone from b&q hopefully tomorrow as that's what Google said

The ones I have weren't.

EKET modular cube storage unit, white, 35 x25 x35 xMax. load/shelf: 5 kg - IKEA UK

The reviews seem to agree wth you.
I wouldn't put acetone on them.

Possibly nail varnish remover - but only if it is acetone based. PROTECT YOUR FLOOR!
Position the units so the joint is vertical and drip some acetone in, and perhaps try tapping a wooden or plastic wedge gently into the joint.

Caustic soda ?

Warm the glue with a hairdryer or heat gun. It should soften it enough to pull apart maybe.

If you want to start splashing acetone around do it in the garden not inside, partly due to it being a really strong solvent so probably ruining anything it sits on, but also it stinks and is a health hazard.
I'm not sure what acetone would do to the chipboard either, you have to remember that gorilla glue will be stronger than the glue they make chipboard from.
Good luck!

Also I don't know if it was you or someone else who glued them together, but I would recommend these or equivalent in future
www.screwfix.com/p/inter-screws-m4-x-10-pack/65152

This is true

I dont have a garden 😅 but I am prepared to look a mad woman on my street if it will work

I didn't glue them together, terrible idea to

Possibly a lot of heat. Gorilla tape would not stick to our UPVC door when it was 30 degrees inside in summer.

I would start with a hairdryer. Or maybe see if someone online would swap two units for your one.

Nail varnish remover is not really strong enough to get rid of superglue quickly. I think sawing is you best bet.

Mylee 100% pure acetone nail varnish remover is wicked strong. Or any 100% acetone.

Hammer and chisel

And brute force.

Followed by a trip to IKEA when the two items are fubar’d.

Dental floss might also work

Nearly spat my beer out at that^^ one! Gorilla glue vs dental floss is only going to go in one way.

If you have a length of thin wire you could saw it apart with that, especially if you sprinkle a bit of sand/salt into the gap first to add friction to the sawing action. Wear gloves though, or you’ll cut your hands.

Small items can be "unfixed" by soaking in Dettol. How you do that with an Ikea cabinet, I have no idea tho'!

My DH managed to get 3 splodges of gorilla glue on my newly laid LVT, nothing will remove it, we’ve tried scrubbing, acetone, white spirit, hairdryer, it’s proved impossible.

WD 40 is good for removing glue. See if you can get the long nozzle to spray the edges.

Acetone is flammable so be careful. Also you need to buy the strong stuff, not supermarket nail varnish remover. I would try beauty supply stores maybe Amazon. 100% is quite hard to get as it can be used to make drugs and bombs.

Solvent will diffuse into the glue and soften it, but its unlikely you will be able to get the solvent in contact with it for long enough.

A combination of heat plus saw/twist prying might work.

Remember to do it from the part that isn't visible (at the back not the front). Then if (when) you damage it it will be in the behind bit that isn't seen.

Honestly, it has been a bit of a faff and I've not gone ahead 😭

Will have to go tp b&q to return the glue dissolver I bought. They dont sell pure acetone, had no idea why until I saw @gettingreadyforChristmas post that it can be used illegally 😭

The b&q staff seemed cagey when I was asking where I can buy it!

You can get it on Amazon. IPA is a different (maybe slightly less aggressive) solvent that you can use for cleaning/diluting stuff.