Removing Stick-on Boat Name

[MASH]

I don't know what the material is but I need to remove the self- adhesive name from the transom of my boat without wrecking the paint beneath it. It's been there over 10 years so is pretty well attached.

Solvents? Heat? Prayer?

Anyone with experience in shifting these things?

 

[lenseman]

I don't know what the material is but I need to remove the self- adhesive name from the transom of my boat without wrecking the paint beneath it. It's been there over 10 years so is pretty well attached.

Solvents? Heat? Prayer?

Anyone with experience in shifting these things?

First of all, I would try with a hot air gun, make sure you don't electrocute yourself in the process.

I would try hot air BEFORE any solvents.

 

[VicS]

I agree hot air is the way to do it... but a hot air gun could easily damage the paint unless used carefully. A hair dryer is less likely to damage the paint.


Any adhesive residue can be removed with white spirit or "Sticky Stuff Remover"

 

[Ripster]

Hairdryer should do it to get the sticker to peel. Do not be surprised though if you can still see the letters in the paint underneath even if all the glue residue is removed with a solvent. The topcoat will have aged and worn over time, the paint beneath the stickers is perfectly preserved and thus may stand out. If this happens, try cutting the area back with a suitable compound, but even this will not always make it invisible. Perhaps one of the prof valeters on here will advise if you need.

 

[ex-Gladys]

That's interesting, I had it on my boat when I removed the original name, but it did disappear eventually... and that was on native gelcoat

 

[grazbo]

I don't know what the material is but I need to remove the self- adhesive name from the transom of my boat without wrecking the paint beneath it. It's been there over 10 years so is pretty well attached.

Solvents? Heat? Prayer?

Anyone with experience in shifting these things?

Removed mine this year from the transom. Been there about 10 years too.

I considered a hair drier but I just got up close and picked it away with my nail. Just had to adjust how I approached each letter to try and keep it intact pulling off. If you try one you'll know if it is do'able for the rest - as long as you can lift a corner a tiny bit. Took me about 15-20 mins. Fiddly but worth it. The warmer the day the better.

Dunno why but the human nail seems to be the perfect hard/softness for that type of job. I was advised to use a hair drier previously and that would have been my next attempt.

I did have a faint outline of the letters on the gelcoat, but it seems to be fading and I am sure a polish will sort it out. Not too obvious but you can see if you look for it.

 

[Seashoreman]

Softening with hot water

I believe the most effective way is with a hairdryer but not having one of these, including a 12v version I tried something else. Boiling water! I removed 10 very stuck large transom letters on a swinging mooring in the spring. By the time the kettle reaches the transom it is off the boil, poured about a pint over each letter, climbed into dinghy and scraped with a blunt screwdriver, sloshing hot water as I went. Finally rubbed with compound and waxed, perfect finish, no scratches, no faded impressions. Took a couple of hours but at least it got rid of the old name!

 

[grafozz]

kettle method

I believe the most effective way is with a hairdryer but not having one of these, including a 12v version I tried something else. Boiling water! I removed 10 very stuck large transom letters on a swinging mooring in the spring. By the time the kettle reaches the transom it is off the boil, poured about a pint over each letter, climbed into dinghy and scraped with a blunt screwdriver, sloshing hot water as I went. Finally rubbed with compound and waxed, perfect finish, no scratches, no faded impressions. Took a couple of hours but at least it got rid of the old name!

this boiling water method has always worked for me , it has worked on boats and is the usual way of removing vinyl signwriting on commercial vans . I have yet to resort to a scraper , just pour on the water and start peeling it off .

 

[cimo]

+1 for hot water. I steamed them with a hot towel.

 

[Koeketiene]

I don't know what the material is but I need to remove the self- adhesive name from the transom of my boat without wrecking the paint beneath it. It's been there over 10 years so is pretty well attached.

Solvents? Heat? Prayer?

Anyone with experience in shifting these things?

Removed them using the wife's hair dryer.

 

[claymore]

Heat and a blade from a stanley knife then 3M cleaner and wax

 

[MASH]

Thank you all, with no hairdryer on board it's boiling water for me then though in Turkish sun it should hardly need the help. (Windvane going on over the name hence need for removal)

Advice much appreciated as ever.

 

[single]

Hairdryer not hot air gun.

 

[LittleSister]

Spent nearly two hours recently, removing an aged RYA branded SSR number sticker. Some other lettering and various other stickers had come off fairly easily, and glue residue easily taken off with some isopropyl alcohol, but this was really tenacious, completely refusing to come off in more than a milimetre at a time, tried stanley knife blade, curved knife blade, thumbnail, etc..

A heat gun (a bit too hot, but a no hairdryer household - used at a distance and played back and forth to keep temperature moderate) made the difference between achievable and not, but it still took a lot of doing.

 

[david_bagshaw]

I don't know what the material is but I need to remove the self- adhesive name from the transom of my boat without wrecking the paint beneath it. It's been there over 10 years so is pretty well attached.

Solvents? Heat? Prayer?

Anyone with experience in shifting these things?

When de logo-ing disposal trucks of 7 years,(70 + trucks +70+vehicle bodies, all in full corporate trim, the workshop use a earlex wallpaper steam stripper. no scraping, or scratches etc