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perspex – removing glue, best way?
I have to remove some vinyl from some perspex panels and replace with new images but it has left loads of hard glue any ideas of removing it as meths will crack the panels
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12 Replies
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If it’s perspex, then meths shouldn’t affect the plastic at all.
To remove vinyl from perspex I would use a heat gun to carefully warm up the surface and you should find vinyl and glue come off together.
If you’ve gone past this stage and you’re left with just glue, then I would liberally apply white spirit, …………have a cuppa, ………
………then carefully using a Stanley glass paint scraper, scrape off the top layer of glue.
When your down to just a thin layer of glue, try using just white spirit and a cloth to clean off what’s left, so you don’t end up scratching the surface.
have fun! 😀
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cheers ill give it a go……… especially the cuppa part
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Don’t scrape with a blade – there is absolutely no need!!
Meths WILL affect really old acrylic (perspex) causing it to ‘craze’, but limited use will be OK.
If you’ve got stubborn adhesive use a ‘citrus based’ remover, or at a push unleaded petrol on a rag (do this outdoors!!) – this will make the glue ‘gummy’, the a quick spray with meths and it’ll ‘ball up’ when you wipe / rub it.
Worst case scenario is having to polish out any scratches / UV fading – wet & dry sandpaper for any deep stuff (proper bodywork material) and then brought to a shine again with T-cut. But if it’s at that stage – sometimes cheaper buying new material!
Dave
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Just expanding on Dave’s comments –
and not trying to teach people to suck eggs here but if the acrylic (Perspex) has flame polished edges you will have a problem with meths ingression on the edges crazing the panel (very visible on clear acrylic)Turps/white spirit won’t touch the perpex and if left will soften the glue, you’ll probably need several goes at it and take the final layer off with a cotton rag (old tee-shirt or tea towel would be fine).
Only issue you now have is to get rid of the oily residue of the turps (light use of Isoprop, Dana body wipe or Avery surface cleaner should work)
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Hey guys – I’d hate to be giving out duff advice.
I’ve never experienced any problems with meths on acrylic sheet before, but after reading what’s been said since my posting, I’m going to try it out by soaking a cloth in meths and soaking the edge of clear acrylic for a few hours and see if it crazes.
You’re never too old to learn something new……………
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Your right !
When the acrylic was soaked with meths for a few hours there was some very faint lines appear on the flame polished edge.
To be fair though, the crazing was so slight, and it was only after long exposure to the meths that anything even showed, I can’t see why I wouldn’t carry on using meths for a quick clean up on acrylic plates in future.
Anyway, I’ve learnt something new from you guys and my comments to Adam were written in good faith – hope the job didn’t get screwed up.
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Dont worry i carried on using meth just very carfully and not to touch the edges, cheers anyway
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Neil, you are right – a quick wipe down will do little or no harm at all. It’s really only when you soak it in meths to get rid of stubborn glue that it tends to go a bit weird.
Old acrylic is really bad as the surface is already starting to break down under the UV exposure, and flame polished edges can have a lot of stresses put into them at the meths just compounds the problem.
Trouble is, that although crazing starts off small…it just grows (slowly) over time.
Dave
ps. we all learn stuff on here that makes life a little easier!!
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David,
after reading your comments, I’ll be more cautious about using the meths on acrylic and just stick to drinking the stuff instead! 🙂
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ILL BE IN THE PUP IN 20 MINS A NICE PINT WILL TASTE BETTER 😉
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As david says , Any perspex that has been subjected to any process that creates heat in it (like flame polishing , bending , lasering , routing or saw cutting with the wrong bits) will almost certainly stress crack at the heated points if you use meths and some other solvents. This can happen years after it has been processed and the stress cracks can also appear some time after the solvent is used. If the pex used is extruded and not cast , its even MORE problematic in this regard.
Use either safety solvent , citrus oil or benziene to remove the glues. If non of these work , then replace the pex sheet. -
Petrol works. Getting the apprentice to do it works better. Making a new panel works best!
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