removing adhesive

[doca]

I removed the black tape strips which were adhered to the perspex hatch door to let in more light (so much for modesty!). The remains of the adhesive is hardened on the perspex and havig tried "cif", hot water, etc, the stuff is not moving. Does anyone know of a way to get this off without scratching the perspex?

 

[Lakesailor]

3M do a range of adhesive remover products. Try a Google search for "Adhesive remover" not forgetting the quotation marks.

 

[anglo_saxon]

try celulose thinners (hammerite thinners) from paint shop.£4.00 for 250ml
auto spares shops do spray gun cleaner (same stuff) but at one tenth of cost about £5.00 for 5 litres
dont use any abrasives such as jiff...

 

[pampas]

Try PARR (Paint and resin remover) by Loctite. good hand cleaner but should also work for your purpose. Obtained from most auto dealers etc.

 

[VicS]

Beware of any solvents without testing first on a scrap of Perspex or other acrylic material.

Meths may be worth a try also white spirit. I think things like acetone and cellulose thinners will attack the Perspex.

I have found "Sticky stuff remover" which you will find in your local hardware shop effective but again test that it does not affect the Perspex. Warming things up a little may help to soften it as well.

 

[Matrosen]

Good old fashioned Petrol! It works really well and if sensible precutions are taken, it is safe. Ask at your local car body shop what they use. The answer is (with quick look around for HSE bods) petrol.

 

[scarlett]

I have used Xylene to remove glue but I think Acetone may do it too and less problematical safetywise. Acetone is useful on a boat for precleaning jobs. Very easy to buy.

 

[macd]

Agree that you must beware of using any solvents on perspex or polycarbonate. Best to test on separate piece first, if possible. I've found that WD40 softens most adhesives: wipe it on; if stubborn leave a piece of WD-impregnated tissue in place to soften the glue. Then a good wipe, sometimes with help from fingernails, usually does the trick.

 

[pappaecho]

Please be very careful of using any solvents on acrylic. There is a problem with "stress cracking" which will manifest itself after a few weeks. Solvents such as acetone will cause severe problems, as will most aromatic solvents.
I strongly suggest that you use a hairdryer, and a scraper with a blunt blade. Have removed old stickers, PVC adhesive decals etc without any damage.
Solvent induced cracking is a problem. My wife used superglue to reaffix a rear view mirror on her Ford Fiesta, and cracked the front windscreen! ( which then failed the MOT..)

 

[Papapete5]

3M make an adhesive remover in the form of soft synthetic discs on a plastic shaft which you can fix to a drill. It cannot scratch the perspex but will take off the glue. they also do a very slow drying solvent based adhesive cleaner, but as previous posters have pointed out i would be very careful about using solvents on Perspex. By no means use acetone, it will destroy your windows!!!

 

[tsmyth]

If you can get it in your part of the world, I think you will find that eucalyptus oil will easily remove adhesive without harming the perspex. It should also be cheap.