Removing Elmers Glue from Wool

[Johnny R]

Has anyone figured out a way to remove Elmers from wool. I picked up a great Medical EM visor yesterday but some bonehead glued an eagle with broken prongs to the hat. I have seen breast eagles and collar tabs glued to tunics too but those are easy to cover with sewn insignia. If there is a way to get that stuff off without stainging or damaging the cloth I would be very happy to know how.

[Paul McKee]

If its white Elmer's Glue, you may be in luck. Try soaking the area in distilled water. White glue is supposed to be water soluble for reversable repairs. If it is Elmer's Carpenter's Glue (yellow glue)...forget it.

Paul

[Johnny R]

Good advice from Mineral Point

It was white glue but now sun baked and most likely 30 years old by looking at it. I will try it.

[Johnny R]

Thanks

That sounds like it would work but I am not sure about dipping the top of a visor cap in boiling water. Good idea for other items though.

[pzrwest]

If a metal eagle will cover the glued area I would cover it with an eagle with all prongs still intact and leave the glue there. If the cap has over-all soiling any attempts to remove the glue will change the color of the material to the rest of the cap. If it is correct to have an embroidered eagle with a metal wreath you could cover it with an embroidered eagle. Sometime it's better to err on the safe side than be sorry later when you make it worse than it is

[pzrwest]

double post removed

[MilitaryCollect]

Removing Elmers Glue from Wool

Hello,

I once had a tunic with a glued-on breast eagle. I carefully removed the eagle (w/o ripping or stretching the wool fabric and used a small sponge with a little warm water and a small dab of dish washing detergent and applied very gentle pressure over a very small area. I repeated the process over several days - never applying too much water or elbow grease.

* Elmer's Glue is water soluble and it all came off.

I saw another person's unsuccessful attempt. He used too much water at too high a temperature and with too much elbow grease. The 60+ year old wool almost disintegrated. The fabric dried out and it looked all stretched out and very wrinkled.

Christopher

[Paul McKee]

If a metal eagle will cover the glued area I would cover it with an eagle with all prongs still intact and leave the glue there. If the cap has over-all soiling any attempts to remove the glue will change the color of the material to the rest of the cap. If it is correct to have an embroidered eagle with a metal wreath you could cover it with an embroidered eagle. Sometime it's better to err on the safe side than be sorry later when you make it worse than it is

Wise advice. Always best to be conservative. Less is more.

If you do attempt to clean it, DAKcollector1's advice is sound...use a gentle blotting technique and take your time. Continue blotting the area over time, constantly changing to a fresh, moist cloth so as not to spread the dissolved adhesive to other areas. At the hazard of destroying a valued collectible, resist the impluse to scrub the area. The abrasion will wear away the wool in a surprisingly short amount of time.

Paul

[Johnny R]

Hat Pictures

Here is the hat. I took some off with a surgical knife. I did not think it was wise to use a liquid. Does not look too bad. Thanks for the ideas.

[Johnny R]

Close

Still can see the glue on the edges but not too bad.

[pzrwest]

from those pics I would say leave it alone and don't go any further. Looks fine now

[Paul McKee]

Nice cap! I'd probably leave well enough alone as well. I've certainly seen plenty worse.

Paul

[Johnny R]

Hat

I am finished with it, there was a glob outside of the Eagle that I could remove loosing very little wool. I will leave it at that.