# Any way to dissolve (or at least soften) thermosetting plastic?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-way-to-dissolve-or-at-least-soften-thermosetting-plastic/1007140>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [September 11, 2024, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-way-to-dissolve-or-at-least-soften-thermosetting-plastic/1007140 "2024-09-11T23:18:50Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![scudsucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scudsucker/32/14101_2.png) [@scudsucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scudsucker)\
**Post date:** [September 13, 2024, 8:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-way-to-dissolve-or-at-least-soften-thermosetting-plastic/1007140/21 "2024-09-13T08:59:55Z")

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> [@beowulff](#):
>
> I always try to save rare-earth magnets.  
> I have a huge collection from hard drives

I made a very nice knife rack with a piece of Oregon pine, and a bunch of hard drive magnets very similar to the link below. The hard drive magnets are a stupid shape - sort of C shaped - but they were free.

(Apologies for a link to Temu, I broke it, https : /www.temu.com/kuiper/dn9.html)

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**Author:** ![jnglmassiv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f07891/32.png) [@jnglmassiv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jnglmassiv)\
**Post date:** [September 13, 2024, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-way-to-dissolve-or-at-least-soften-thermosetting-plastic/1007140/22 "2024-09-13T19:26:55Z")

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I went on the lookout for retail magnets recently and they’re very cheap and mostly easy to find. ‘Mostly’ because they can be difficult to locate within a store that I know has them like Michaels or Hobby Lobby or Walmart.

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**Author:** ![Lumpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lumpy/32/446_2.png) [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\
**Post date:** [September 13, 2024, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-way-to-dissolve-or-at-least-soften-thermosetting-plastic/1007140/23 "2024-09-13T20:31:39Z")

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Yeah, while it’s nice to be “handy” and resourceful about modifying stuff you have access to, at some point you have to figure out where reinventing the wheel isn’t worth it.

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