Decal tape removal ?

[hamishb]

Help ........ Any trade secrets on how to remove 12 years old decal tape from the coachroof ( Moody 31 ) ?

I have tried a window paint scraper, which is basically a razor blade, but this was too sharp and was cutting the GRP. I also tried a wallpaper scraper which only took tiny pieces off at a time. I have applied heat from a hair drier but this just made a sticky mess when scraped. I know that there is a solvent which I had before, but I do not know what it was. Any suggestions ?

This job is going to take forever if I cannot find an easier way !!

Hope that there are some tips available out there ?

 

[beneteau_305_553]

I removed the old decals from my Beneteau by first removing the vynyl tape. I then softened the old adhesive by applying white spirit with a cloth and scraped it off with a blunt paint scraper. I then cleaned the surface with Acetone. The line of the old decals are slightly noticeable as the gel coat has not been bleached by sunlight.

Make sure you don't get white spirit or acetone on the windows if they are plastic as it probably will craze the material.

good luck

Richard

 

[BarryH]

I've got a friend in the sign game, now they use a heat gun for paint removal. DONT let the grp get too hot, kepp the gun moving and DONT let it burn the surface. Lighter fluid will get rid of the adhesive. For the marks left due to fading. Best use a compound such a G3 or similar. If the hair dryer was sofening the adhesive use that as its probably much safer than the paint stripper heat gun. I done my boat a while ago. Its just one of those jobs!!

 

[numenius]

I used a window paint scraper (the sort sold in wallpaper shops), then bog standard WD40 took the sticky residue off.

http://members.lycos.co.uk/boaty1965/index.htm

 

[castaway]

I came up aginst this problem when trying to remove the big decals from the side in the old MK 1 Ford RS2000........The answer; and it has worked for every thing similar ever since was a kettle of boiling water poured over the decal. It softens the adhesive and makes the plastic film plyable again. Nick

 

[quaelgeist2]

Try your wife's hairdryer (without telling her, prefereably). Unlike the heat gun there is much smaller achance that you ruin your gelcoat from to high a temperature.

You may still need some scraping, but in many cases after undoing one end, you can pull off the whole thing in one -warm- go.

We just removed some old deco strip off a 19-yr-old Feeling. The main coloured piece worked weel, the name was of diffrent material and disintegrated completely, but was easily scraped off - try a hardwood wedge with a straight edge if you care for your gelcoat.

chris

sailing is hard work - particulary before and after the sailing !