Removing old application tape, advice needed please?

[Derek Heron]

mr muscle window cleaner has worked for us on stubborn app tape spray on and let it soak in
but all depends on your brand etc
could even try just warm soapy water

Derek

[Carl Jackson]

Thanks Derek.

It’s R Tape conform high tack.

[Pane Talev]

Jetwash?

[David Hammond]

I’d think soaking it with water would work, the paper should fall apart leaving the vinyl in place. :thumbsup:

[Carl Jackson]

quote Pane Talev:

Jetwash?

We’re going to try and hot pressure washer tomorrow. Hopefully the heat will soften the glue and take everything with it. Even if the livery comes off I’ll be happy!!

[Carl Jackson]

quote David Hammond:

I’d think soaking it with water would work, the paper should fall apart leaving the vinyl in place. :thumbsup:

I had the same thought and was really hopeful it was going to work.

Water does soften the paper slightly but it doesn’t bubble up and lift like fresh app tape would. It then leaves all the glue!

Having looked at the tech sheet for the tape (R-tape conform high tack) it says the adhesive is rubber based (is this standard!?) and I think it’s almost baked itself to the paint!

Back there in the morning and hoping to find a solution. All ideas welcome!

Thanks guys

[Pane Talev]

quote Carl Jackson:

quote Pane Talev:

Jetwash?

We’re going to try and hot pressure washer tomorrow. Hopefully the heat will soften the glue and take everything with it. Even if the livery comes off I’ll be happy!!

Do it from a distance safe for the vinyl.
The paper tape should give up first.

[Carl Jackson]

quote Pane Talev:

quote Carl Jackson:

quote Pane Talev:

Jetwash?

We’re going to try and hot pressure washer tomorrow. Hopefully the heat will soften the glue and take everything with it. Even if the livery comes off I’ll be happy!!

Do it from a distance safe for the vinyl.
The paper tape should give up first.

Thanks Pane, keep your fingers crossed for us!

[Hugh Potter]

How did you get on?

[Patrick Donaghey]

If you don’t care about the vinyl use tar and glue remover with have it off really quickly

[Robert Lambie]

quote Carl Jackson:

I have a situation where a vehicle had vinyl applied to it several weeks ago and the customer offered to remove the tape themselves as we had to rush off to another job.
Unfortunately they didn’t remove it. 4-5 weeks later, the tape is dry and totally stuck to the vehicle.

I can only guess you applied this wet and could not remove the tape straight away as a result of the wet application?
As I cannot imagine a customer of mine being able to remove tape quicker than our lads.
Regardless, 4+ weeks later??? surely they thought, "i better get this tape off my van to show off my new graphics!"

Anyway, as much as i do not like using them for this type of thing, i think a wallpaper steam stripper would do the trick.
the wet steam will break down the paper and its adhesive, as well as heating the panel and allowing you to get the vinyl letters too, "if" the paper alone is not budging.
Combined, I would also use something like a lil-chizler. any adhesive residue, i would remove with tar and glue remover.

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Attachments:

[Carl Jackson]

quote Robert Lambie:

quote Carl Jackson:

I have a situation where a vehicle had vinyl applied to it several weeks ago and the customer offered to remove the tape themselves as we had to rush off to another job.
Unfortunately they didn’t remove it. 4-5 weeks later, the tape is dry and totally stuck to the vehicle.

I can only guess you applied this wet and could not remove the tape straight away as a result of the wet application?
As I cannot imagine a customer of mine being able to remove tape quicker than our lads.
Regardless, 4+ weeks later??? surely they thought, “i better get this tape off my van to show off my new graphics!”

Anyway, as much as i do not like using them for this type of thing, i think a wallpaper steam stripper would do the trick.
the wet steam will break down the paper and its adhesive, as well as heating the panel and allowing you to get the vinyl letters too, “if” the paper alone is not budging.
Combined, I would also use something like a lil-chizler. any adhesive residue, i would remove with tar and glue remover.

No. Applied dry Robert. I was applying in a Ford dealership storage compound and the fella wanted to lock up and go. I applied 4 lots of graphics and would generally then go round and remove tape in one hit after, giving it plenty of time to adhere in what was a slightly chilly day.

The guy with the compound keys wanted to shoot off, he kept hassling me (even though I wasn’t running late) and against my better judgment I let him convince me that the valeters or drivers back at the dealership would remove it the next day, he totally assured me of it.

Hindsight is great. I could have followed it up, I could have gone back, I could have insisted that I finished the job, but I didn’t.

The bottom line is I have tried EVERYTHING. You name it, I’ve tried to remove the tape with it.

Please please please don’t any of you allow this problem to effect you. This is what I had to do (and if anyone says, surely something far easier would have worked…just, please don’t!!)….

– pressure wash the paper off
– heat gun to remove the vinyl and the hardened tape glue that might have adhered to each letter
– spray with tar and glue
– using a brand new squeegee with a nice sharp edge, remove the top layer of glue residue
– the next layer was “concrete”… there’s no better word…. so, it was WET SANDED.
– continually wet sand (2000 grade) until the glue was almost gone
– machine polish with a medium compound
– final polish with fine compound
– then apply a whole new set of vinyl graphics
– final step….REMOVE TAPE!!

Lesson learnt. A hard lesson.

Thanks for everyone’s input, really appreciate it [emoji106]

[Carl Jackson]

quote Hugh Potter:

How did you get on?

Sorry Hugh, it’s been a chaotic couple of months. See recitification method above!! [emoji37]

[Simon Worrall]

I wont be using R-Tape in a hurry. :shocked:
This should not happen.
Ide be writing a strongly worded letter, with an invoice for your time, to R-Tape.

Lol.

[Hugh Potter]

quote Carl Jackson:

quote Hugh Potter:

How did you get on?

Sorry Hugh, it’s been a chaotic couple of months. See recitification method above!! [emoji37]

My god, that’s horrendous, I#ve never had this situation arise, except on very old stored graphics, what a nightmare for you!

[Carl Jackson]

quote Simon Worrall:

I wont be using R-Tape in a hurry. :shocked:
This should not happen.
Ide be writing a strongly worded letter, with an invoice for your time, to R-Tape.

Lol.

They were totally disinterested in everything to do with the issue. I won’t be buying any of their products ever again and am frankly disgusted that they didn’t at least entertain a longer conversation to try and help me suss out the issue.

The same goes for the stockist, Spandex. I’ve used them for the whole of my signmaking career and I appreciate I’m not one of their “key accounts” but they couldn’t give a toss. Generally I’ve lost faith in Spandex over the last 3 years or so.

I’m now using Hexis for as much as possible. Slightly more expensive for some things, but I feel happier giving them my money, Lynn (the area rep that looks after us) has been fantastic. Highly recommended.

I’d love to think a letter and an invoice would have an effect on someone at R-Tape or Spandex, but I think it might fall on deaf ears!!

[Carl Jackson]

quote Hugh Potter:

quote Carl Jackson:

quote Hugh Potter:

How did you get on?

Sorry Hugh, it’s been a chaotic couple of months. See recitification method above!! [emoji37]

My god, that’s horrendous, I#ve never had this situation arise, except on very old stored graphics, what a nightmare for you!

It’s purely a reaction to UV apparently, combined with the adhesion to vehicle paint. I will NEVER do it again I can tell you that much.

I know everyone who reads this thread will be thinking “there MUST have been an easier way”. I had a chemical supplier, a professional valeter and car sprayer and myself all looking at it and trying various methods. No joy whatsoever.

Lesson learnt in a big way!