Sticker removal...

travelingfools · June 15, 2009, 12:21:23 PM

Ive been working on getting the stripes of the ole' girl and its become a royal PITA. The lettering came of easy with a heat gun, but the stripes are a thinner materiel. It seems that the same temp that is needed to loosen them up also melts them, so you end up with it comming off in little scraps. Pas side is done, but Ive still got the rear and drivers side. Any ideas ?

luvrbus · June 15, 2009, 01:24:37 PM

Go to a paint and body supply house and buy you a 3M rubber wheel to remove the letters and stripes cost about 15 bucks ea and they do work I have 2 one is 1/2 in wide and the other a 1 inch wide, they are called decal removers.
It is a real soft white rubber that lifts the decals with no harm to the paint and can be used with a drill motor or a 2500 rpm polisher. good luck

travelingfools · June 15, 2009, 01:40:12 PM

Quote from: luvrbus on June 15, 2009, 01:24:37 PM
Go to a paint and body supply house and buy you a 3M rubber wheel to remove the letters and stripes cost about 15 bucks ea and they do work I have 2 one is 1/2 in wide and the other a 1 inch wide, they are called decal removers.
It is a real soft white rubber that lifts the decals with no harm to the paint and can be used with a drill motor or a 2500 rpm polisher. good luck

Will give that a try ! Thanks

belfert · June 15, 2009, 05:07:59 PM

The issues I usually see with paint after decals are removed is brighter paint where the decal is. Does buffing take care of that?

My decals were removed by the dealer, but they did a terrible job. Will the 3M wheel remove the adhesive and other crap left behind, or will a solvent work just as well? I don't care too much if the paint is damaged as I need a paint job anyhow.

junkman42 · June 15, 2009, 05:17:01 PM

To remove the thin stripes try to wet the edge of the stripe material with lighter fluid. As you get the stripe to peel apply the liquid to the area where it is separating from the paint. You can use naphtha as that is what lighter fluid is or at least used to be. This will work for many very tenacious stick on labels etc. John

JohnEd · June 15, 2009, 05:48:15 PM

Brian,

The problem with the glue is that it is inder the plastic and the solvent can't get to it to soften it. Whatever cuts the glue, cuts the glue. I always go straight for hte crotch and begin with laquer thinner. If that dissolves the glue I have a great process for you. Mix in a 25% dish washing soap to the alcohol. When you scrub this in the alc will cut the glue and make the glue mixable with the soap. You can scrub along the work to the end and come back with a garden hose and dissolve the soap glue mix right off. If alch doesn't dissolve it try MEK or Toulene or even that Orange glue remover(?) stuff. Be careful that the solvent doesn't dissolve the paint. Took me years to perfect that 25%.

HTH,

John

Chopper Scott · June 15, 2009, 06:24:14 PM

Belfert, You may actually never be able to remove that ghost that the old decals left. You can try some buffing compound and a power buffer and lessen it somewhat but for some reason it seems that short of sanding to bare metal and starting over those old impressions from the decals are hard to get rid of. On a brighter note you're probably the only one that notices it. Later

travelingfools · June 15, 2009, 06:52:03 PM

I talked to my NAPA dealer about getting me a 3M rubber wheel. He suggested a product 3M makes thats designed to remove the wood panaling sticker off station wagons. Ill be trying it tommarow and will report. Ill be completely repainting so the differant finish left ia a non issue for me..

JohnEd · June 15, 2009, 09:05:49 PM

Traveling,

That is the stuff! Whatever it is. I tried to use long ago and I had a nightmare experience. The decal had been gone over with sandpaper. The Stuff, at the time, was to be applied to the plastic "without sanding". Holy Crap what a gooey mess.

Bounty wouldn't pick it up.

Follow the instructions. For sure.

John

bevans6 · June 16, 2009, 07:05:17 AM

I've used the 3M woodgrain remover, and it works really well. It's a two step process, one spray can to remove the vinyl and a second step/can to remove the glue residue.

Brian

travelingfools · June 16, 2009, 06:56:21 PM

Well, the 3M woodgrain remover worked OK..not great. Took me two cans to do a small section. Timing is everything. If left on too long, it dries and the stripe restuck. Where it worked good, it reminded me of the Strip-it used to refinish furniture..Wait a min..Ive got some, what have I got to lose ?
What a big score !!!!! Brushed the strip-it on the stripe, let it sit for about a min and like magic, the stripe peeled right off !!! Wiped it down with water after and no marring to the paint. Did the whole pass side in a fraction of the time it took to do the other side with the heat gun. Ran out of daylight and the skeeters started moving in, so I had to stop. It did leave the glue behind, but that cleaned up pretty easy.

skolbibp · June 17, 2009, 09:18:30 AM

You may want to replace the panels. Call or send me an email and I will be glad to quote the replacements. 1-800-468-5287 x232

Steve