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Someone intentionally sabotaged the lock on the front door of my house by putting glue inside it apparently, I have no idea what type of glue it is. Is there any chemical substance I can use to dissolve the glue instead of having to replace the entire lock?

Also, would heating the lock work?

I took a look at this, the heating option wasn't possible since they're talking about paper, but I was wondering if it'll work before trying any of the chemicals mentioned.

Please consider that I don't have much experience in Chemistry while answering, thank you for your time.

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  • $\begingroup$ If it's superglue, it should be dissolved pretty easily by acetone (i.e. nail polish remover), though it'll take a while. Superglue is, in my experience, the weapon of choice for vandals since it's cheap and hardens quickly, so that's a good starting point. On the other end of the spectrum, if they used casting polymers, you might just be out of luck. $\endgroup$
    – chipbuster
    Commented Sep 15, 2015 at 6:54

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To paraphrase the link you mentioned,

Without knowing the specific glue, you should try different solvents to see if it dissolves the glue:

  • Start with a mild, non-polar solvent like paint thinner.
  • If that doesn't work, try a polar solvent like acetone.
  • If that doesn't work, try tetrahydrofuran (PVC pipe solvent)

All of these solvents are flammable and pretty nasty if you get them on you. To minimise risk, use small quantities at a time, minimise the time that the lid is off the container. The fumes shouldn't be too much of a problem if you're outside, but still take care.

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