Removing adhesive from GRP deck

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crown22

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Hello Everybody
My sailing boat had been on Lake Windermere before I bought it.I have removed the registration numbers but some
of the adhesive has been left behind leaving a "witness" of the numbers on the hull.I was going to use acetone aka nail polish remover or brasso but thought that there might be something better?Thanks again
 
crown22 said:
Hello Everybody
My sailing boat had been on Lake Windermere before I bought it.I have removed the registration numbers but some
of the adhesive has been left behind leaving a "witness" of the numbers on the hull.I was going to use acetone aka nail polish remover or brasso but thought that there might be something better?Thanks again
Click to expand...

"Sticky Stuff Remover" from any decent hardware store, DIY store or most supermarkets. No home should be without!
 
WD40 is fairly effective at removing the adhesive commonly used on vinyl: leave it to soak for a while covered in WD40-dampened tissue paper, then vigorously rub it off with a rag.
I suspect, however, that some of the effect you're seeing is "shadowing", where gelcoat protected by the vinyl contrasts with that exposed to weathering. That's not easy to remedy.
 
All the above will work, but just to check that the surface is gelcoat?

Use Acetone if so and not nail varnish remover as some/most are now acetone free.

There is also a rubber wheel that you pop into a drill but prob not cost effective for one set.

If painted you'll want to approach with a little less aggression, IPA for example or the other suggestions as these are even less aggressive if not a little more time consuming.
 
I don't disagree with any of OP comments since I have never tried some of them.

I have used Xylene which did the job but it is quite toxic so be careful with it
.
Exposure to high concentrations of xylene can result in liver damage, kidney damage, loss of coordination, loss of consciousness, respiratory failure and even death

Here is a guy who asked the same question as you and these are the responses he got on the forum.
http://continuouswave.com/ubb/Forum1/HTML/010971.html

Clive
 
coopec said:
I don't disagree with any of OP comments since I have never tried some of them.

I have used Xylene which did the job but it is quite toxic so be careful with it
.
Exposure to high concentrations of xylene can result in liver damage, kidney damage, loss of coordination, loss of consciousness, respiratory failure and even death

Here is a guy who asked the same question as you and these are the responses he got on the forum.
http://continuouswave.com/ubb/Forum1/HTML/010971.html

Clive
Click to expand...

I've not used xylene based thinners on gel coat, VicS is the man to probe on that front due to knowledge of chems, Acetone is pretty much a standard when it comes to prepping gelcoat and will cut through adhesive well, I use it mainly in the gelcoat repairing stages.

The safer options as mentioned are sticky stuff remover or WD40.
 
For such usage you can buy at small can at Lidl when on offer to remove adhesives which is handy as tend not to use large quantities I think the fading of surrounding hull will need treatment to match the unfaded section under letters unless hull is painted with awlgrip or suchlike but appreciate Question was aimed at glue removal .
 
The 'shadows' where the vinyl has protected the gel coat pigment from colour changes can be dealt with, the OP is unclear on the subject.

The common tactic is to sand down and polish back, but this will only help if the pigment changes are within the top % of the gel. For complete removal the protected needs accelerated age to match. I admit this is not easy, but more than possible if you know how.
 
Heard good things about Multisolve - made by the people who make CT1 adhesive/sealant which I swear by, though haven't used the Multisolve myself...
 
Lidl used to sell Baufix thinners which contained xylene but the stuff they sell now doesn't. It still looks like the same tin so perhaps it is too nasty for the general public to be allowed to play with. Glad I still have some left.
 
We've just replaced the SSR numbers on the boat after 17 years. The numbers came off fine, as did the old adhesive but the 'shadow' was still there. I tried using cutting compound but although that made very things nice and shiny, you could still see and feel the shadow. So I used 1200 grade wet and dry, followed by polishing compound followed by wax. That did the job but I had to do the rest of the coach house roof to get it all to match the immaculate shininess of the tiny patch where the numbers go.....
 
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