I have my new Gradywhite decal for the both sides of the cabin of my 248 The issues is the old ones are old cracked and weathered. How do I remove with out damaging the gelcoat? Razor blade is not an option
Sticker removal?
- Thread starter gradywhite248
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gradywhite248 said:
You need a heat gun and razor blade scraper. You don't need much heat to get the decal soft but if you do it right you can get the decal and adhesize off in one shot. If not go back with thinner and a rag/scraper. Just make sure you go slow and don't allow the corners of the blade to catch and dig into the gel coat and you will be fine.
They do sell decal removal abrasive tools that attach to polishers or angle grinders etc. Do a quick search on google and you'll see what I'm talking about.
While a razor blade can done safely, if they're "cracked" as you say, that will be a VERY tedious job. Another method is using a heat gun to help soften the glue and allow the peeling/pulling to go pretty quickly. But again, with the "cracking", you're constantly starting over. For this case, the best tool I know of is made by 3M. I call it an "eraser" tool - it's about 10, 6" rubber discs all stacked together. Each one is very thin - think about what 10, flexible, CD's would be like. They are clamped together in the center and the clamp/post is inserted into a high speed (a couple thousand RPM's is needed) drill. It works like MAGIC. Google it - you'll like it! Acetone will clean up any remaining glue residue.
Oh, forgot to add - if you want to just tackle it with a razor blade and heat gun, round over the edges of the blade. That will help to keep you from digging in. Also, make sure to keep the blade at a very shallow angle to the gel.
I agree that a heat gun is the way to go. This worked great for me. Removed all stripes and logos on my 1994 tournament. I used a little plastic scraper to pick up the edges after heating. It is a pain of a job for sure, but the heat gone works wonders. Any leftover residue from the adhesive I removed using acetone and a rag. Took me several days to do the job simply because I got tired of doing it after an hour or so. I would put it down and come back to it the next day. Patience ! Good luck.
A retired buddy of mine worked in auto body shops and told me to use a sharpened stick ( beveled end) like a paint stirrer. Worked well for me and very little chance of scratching. Used with a little heat as well.
That's a good tip with the sharpened wood stick. That works well, as long as you're applying heat.
For relatively "good" striping (not dried out, cracked, etc) I would stick with the heat gun and a scraper as once you get it going, you can pretty much pull the whole strip off in one motion - keep the heat on it (ahead of you), but not too much as the vinyl will then just rip. BUT, if the striping is dried out and cracked... you guys have gotta try that eraser tool - it's fantastic when it comes to old striping. It goes pretty quick, too!
For relatively "good" striping (not dried out, cracked, etc) I would stick with the heat gun and a scraper as once you get it going, you can pretty much pull the whole strip off in one motion - keep the heat on it (ahead of you), but not too much as the vinyl will then just rip. BUT, if the striping is dried out and cracked... you guys have gotta try that eraser tool - it's fantastic when it comes to old striping. It goes pretty quick, too!
My wife has a sign company and I help her sometimes, including removing old decals. The absolute best thing is a rubber wheel on a mandrel that goes in a drill. So much better than heat and razors. Much, much faster, no risk of damage, a lot cheaper than a heat gun and it doesn't even leave glue residue. Do a search for "rubber wheel decal remover". 3M makes one and there are even some on ebay.
I just removed the stripes off of my 1990 seafarer. Cracked to hell. Forget the heat gun on OLD vinyl tape. The best way is the 3M eraser . Got it at autozone, 37 bucks and I was done in 2 hours. Worked great
Chessie246G
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