removing very old vinyl from a cold metal surface help

[Marekdlux]

Depending on what kind of vinyl it is you will find that just a little bit of heat will do the trick. I just removed some graphics from a trailer that were on there for 6 years. The high performance 3M material came off cleanly, the other stuff….well I am still working on it.
-Marek

[Jill Marie Welsh]

I use a hair dryer and a L’il Chizler, lots of elbow grease, a few cuss words, and then I clean up the glue goo with label and adhesive remover.
I know a lot of folks on here use a wallpaper steamer.
Love….Jill

[Peter Normington]

Elbow grease is the only way,
Hot air gun plenty of one edge blades to lift the corners( dont use as scrapers though)
You will have blisters and sore digits when finished, but never mind,
Next time you may consider buying a tool from http://www.jagsignsupplies.co.uk
Or getting the customer to do it himself ( i recon he new the score)
No easy way, the remover from graphityp isnt that good, it leaves the glue behind which can be as difficult to remove as the vinyl.
Always make sure you quote by the hour for removal, sometimes is ok other times its a sod, depends a lot on which vinyl was used originally, and how long its been stuck.

If you know a friendly spray shop get them to put it in their oven first.

Peter

[Shane Drew]

I use a wallpaper steamer myself. Strip buses that have been on for 7 years and it comes away easier than doing with a heat gun.

Best solution I have come up with yet is to offer my kids a big pack of lollies to get the job done.

All that sugar sends them hypo tho.

[Jayne Marsh]

Shane, I love the way you treat your kids :lol1: Mine are now too wise to be bribed by sweets and have started demanding money 😮
Anyway, I use a heat gun and my fingernails, I tend to mark the paint if I use a blade to lift the edges, I dont have any fingernails left when Ive finished but what the heck 😮
Then I use Jizer or something similar to clean off the glue, but it’s never a nice job.

[Shane Drew]

I have forbidded the terms ‘wages’, ‘payment’ and ‘money’ to be mentioned around my kids. They think that everyones works for free and that is the way I like it 😮

The only time ‘money’ is allowed is when it is associated with ‘pocket-money’ and then it is strictly a ‘gold coin donation’.

Lollies however are considered better currency because they can never afford them based on the pocket money I give them. 🙄 😛

I am not sure if you guys can buy these in the UK, but I have found them very usefull for removing old signs. They don’t damage the paint, and I sell heaps of them to panel shops when they need to remove old signs. I get continual reorders, and is a nice little earner for me.

http://www.ags.com.au/store/item.asp?Ca … SCRAPERITE

[Jason Adams]

Here’s What I learnt at School Today… :headbang2:

1: Use the rear-window heater to heat the vinyl on the rear window, and then a gentle going over with the heatgun.

2: Use plenty of heat from the heat gun on the vehicle’s mettalic surface.

3: Purchase a nifty craft knife set, from the local pound shop, containing a special small very flat-chisel type blade for lifting corners. (Genius!)

4: Use some T-cut to remove remaining visible outlines on paintwork.

5: Give it a good wipe down with some soapy water and then some vinegar based window cleaner.

6: Apply the new set of vinyl.

7: Apply some plasters to the forefinger and thumb blisters and charge the customer extra!!

Voila! It’s 1pm and I’m Done….

[Jason Adams]

P.s Thanks for all the help in your answers guys and gals… 🙂

[Jason Adams]

Might I just add a great Discovery!

For removing Vinyl Glue from a Vehicle…Windows and all…I quote:

“Auto Glym” Intensive Tar Remover.

“Rapidly removes tar, adhesives, grease, wax, oil and silicones”

“Also ideal for Caravans, trucks, vans, motorcycles, boats, planes and mechanical equipment”

Using this and a worn down washing up sponge. Perfect!, 20 minutes and all was sparkling.

The key is to heat up the vinyl so much that the glue comes off with it.

I started on the left hand side of the van, with moderate heat, and found that a large amount of glue was being left behind.
On the right hand side, I really heated up the vinyl so that it was hot to the touch, and no glue was left behind. The paintwork remianed totally unaffected.

These are my learning for the day!

Have fun and thanks for all the fish :funky:

[Nigel Pugh]

Peter wrote: No easy way, the remover from graphityp isnt that good, it leaves the glue behind which can be as difficult to remove as the vinyl.

Of course it leaves the glue behind Peter, it is a vinyl remover only 😀

[John Childs]

Jason,

A lovely tale. The bit that made me laugh was, “the customer reckoned it would come off with ease, and he didn’t have the time”

In my experience they never have the time until I tell them how much I am going to charge, then, all of a sudden, they find a slot in their calendar. 😀

That is far and away the most valuable lesson you have learned from this particular job, and one that will stand you in good stead down the years.

Thanks for sharing. 😀

[Shane Drew]

quote John Childs:

In my experience they never have the time until I tell them how much I am going to charge, then, all of a sudden, they find a slot in their calendar. 😀

So true John, so true 😛

[autosign]

You never really know how easy the vinyl will come off until you start. Some colours are harder to get off than others, silver that’s a few years old can be a total nightmare.

Just stripped a Business Post LWB sprinter the other day, took a couple of hours and charged £100.

[Nicola McIntosh]

quote Jason Adams:

Might I just add a great Discovery!
For removing Vinyl Glue from a Vehicle…Windows and all…I quote:
“Auto Glym” Intensive Tar Remover.
“Rapidly removes tar, adhesives, grease, wax, oil and silicones”
“Also ideal for Caravans, trucks, vans, motorcycles, boats, planes and mechanical equipment”
Using this and a worn down washing up sponge. Perfect!, 20 minutes and all was sparkling.
The key is to heat up the vinyl so much that the glue comes off with it.
I started on the left hand side of the van, with moderate heat, and found that a large amount of glue was being left behind.
On the right hand side, I really heated up the vinyl so that it was hot to the touch, and no glue was left behind. The paintwork remianed totally unaffected.
These are my learning for the day!
Have fun and thanks for all the fish :funky:

nice one jason…great you found out the tips….yourself, you will feel good eh!! 😀 thats what its all about….trial and error 😀 good one on going for gold also…lots more stuff for you to see 😀 😉

nik

[sprint]

Ive heard of someone using nail varnish remover…..anyone know if this is fact/fiction?!!!

[Shane Drew]

Acetate will work, but it will probably damage the paintwork too. I wouldn’t use it myself