Removing poly glue from clamps

[Jerry Lawrence]

I recently bought a big plastic tote full of 80 spring clamps for $20! Great deal at only .25 each plus the handy storage tote included in the price. The only problem is that many of the clamps have polyurethane glue hardened onto the jaws. The rubber jaw covers are long gone, which isn't an issue for me, but the glue makes it difficult to get even clamping pressure and in some cases makes the clamps twist a bit due to the uneven build up of the glue. Other than that, they work great. The springs are strong etc. So my question is, is there something I can use to get the glue off of the clamps? I could sit there and scrape each one clean one by one, but that would be a pain. Do you think soaking them in thinner, or some other solvent, would soften the glue enough to dissolve it away? I could just try different things, but whatever I try, I will have to purchase, so instead of buying a bunch of different things to experiment with, I thought I would turn to the expertise of all of you. All suggestions welcome and greatly appreciated.
Thanks in advance!

[Paul Murphy]

If they are the metal spring clamps I would try soaking one overnight in Acetone. The glue probably will not disolve, but might soften enough to peel off with a putty knife.

I use polyurethane glue sometimes for its long open time, its great for sliding dovetails, and it has near zero "creep". One other "advantage" is many common solvents do not affect it much. You don't have to worry about polyurethane glue becoming soft when some crazy finishing schedule exposes your project to highly thinned finishes or dyes. The downside is blue tape for dried squeeze-out, or chisel/scrape/sand.

[Prashun Patel]

Try using a hammer. With the jaws open, and one side resting on a machine vise or a concrete floor. Then rap the jaw with a hammer. The pressure will often be enough to rupture the bond, and it might just pop off. This works for my spatulas and glue scrapers.

Once glue is cured, even acetone is reluctant to loosen its bond.

The other thing to try is an angle grinder or dremel. Note however, that any of these methods will likely leave a rough surface on the jaws that you might need to sand down to avoid leaving transfer marks.

[francis gunde]

Heat gun??

[Kevin Bourque]

Try putting them in your freezer for a few hours, then hit them with a hammer to remove the glue.