Removing decals

I

imported_HiTek21

New member
I'm helping clean up a Scion xB which at the moment covered in old weather beaten decals. Most of the larger decals are coming off fairly easy with a hair dryer and using my finger nail to peel it. There are a few which are so bad that it doesn't even peel, it just turns into dust as you scrape it. Any ideas on how to remove those without damaging the paint underneath?
 
3M Decal Remover or something like Goo-gone, combined with a plastic razor, have worked for me. Some people claim heat will also help.



dec_bef.jpg


dec_aft.jpg
 
Heatgun or hair dryer, try to keep it slowly moving just ahead of where you're peeling. If one end of the decal is crumbly, try getting it started from another end. Once you get enough decal edged up to grab, gently pull up while keeping your heat about 4 in. ahead of where you're pulling. That way hopefully you can get most of the whole thing in one sweep.



Then you gotta use a chemical strong enough to cut the glue like adhesive remover and/or scraper. The real messy old baked in kind are very very hard to come completely clean without knicking the paint. And yeah, your fingernails get a good work out if you don't have a scraper tool



3m eraser wheel works good, but I wouldn't go buy it for just one job.
 
Thanks for the suggestions. I bought a plastic scraper and will probably order a box of the plastic razor blades. I might try some goo gone the next week. I can't seem to find any of the 3M adhesive remover.
 
I just took one of these stickers off yesterday. I pealed the sticker off first but it left a lot of adhesive behind. I tried alcohol on the remaining adhesive first - didn't touch it. I tried some adhesive remover I got when my daughter was in the hospital figuring if it was OK for skin it wouldn't hurt paint - didn't do anything either. Finally used the goo-gone and it worked. It took a couple of swipes for the goo-gone to begin to dissolve the adhesive so be a little patient.



RG
 
just an FYI for others...goof off is not the same as goo gone. Goof off is much much stronger and can attack finishes. A salesdrone sold a buddy this as a replacement for goo gone once.
 
alkemyst said:
just an FYI for others...goof off is not the same as goo gone. Goof off is much much stronger and can attack finishes. A salesdrone sold a buddy this as a replacement for goo gone once.
Click to expand...



I've been through many dozens of gallons of Goof Off and I've never witnessed it damage paint that any other solvent wouldn't have. I'm sure if your soaked a towel with it and left it on the paint for a few hours, you'd be in trouble, but it's a great all purpose solvent. BTW, it's awsome for removing decals too.
 
alkemyst said:
just an FYI for others...goof off is not the same as goo gone. Goof off is much much stronger and can attack finishes. A salesdrone sold a buddy this as a replacement for goo gone once.
Click to expand...



EXACTLY!



Goof-off is some strong stuff. It can melt and discolor plastic rather easily. Big difference between goo-gone and goof-off. Goo-gone is pretty gentle but does the trick.
 
If you can get a hold of a steam machine it works great. Don't turn the heat up TOO much or hold it really close to the paint just because you don't want too damage the the paint. A low setting on the steam machine just lightly steam over it a few times and it will come right off. I then used 3m adheaseve remover to get the residue off with a mf towl. I have even used the steamer to remove window tint ! Very awesome machine.

-Nick
 
For me, keeping a hair dryer on it while I peeled worked great. I learned that after I had one that was so stubborn that my fingernails literally were bleeding when I was done. I'm glad to hear you got it off with the Goo Gone though.
 
If you can get ahold of one of these they work wonders

PinStripeWheel.jpg




Its basically a giant rotary eraser, just take it slow and dont get it wet.
 
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