# removing decals



## TJ Paint (Jun 18, 2009)

whats the fastest way to remove decals, vinyl stickers from a surface? I tried heat and scrape but that seems to take too long.


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## Workaholic (Apr 17, 2007)

A blow dryer or a heat gun is the recommended way.


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## Roadog (Apr 18, 2007)

M.E.K. :thumbsup:


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## Rick the painter (Mar 30, 2009)

Razor blade than goof off.The stuff works great.It even removes tree sap off your car.


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## TJ Paint (Jun 18, 2009)

Rick the painter said:


> Razor blade than goof off.The stuff works great.It even removes tree sap off your car.


i got xylene to take care of the adhesive, thats not a problem. Its peeling the decals off in the first place thats the issue. i tried a blow dryer but it took 1/2 hour to get on 10x4 decal off. seems like too long. I'm too impatient. lol

I guess I'm just gonna use 40 grit and grind off with my orbital and then finish sand after taking off the adhesive.


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## LA Painter (Jul 28, 2009)

A clothing steamer works good.


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## daArch (Mar 15, 2008)

not exactly sure what adhesive you are talking about that holds the decal, however, many self stick stickers (like your average political bumper sticker, or cute little stickers the girls put on their doors or "scotch" tape) the adhesive will come off with mineral oil. Actually cooking oil (vegetable, corn, canola, etc) will also work. 

Sometimes you may have to razor them off the surface and then use the oil to get the adhesive off.

OH, and Goof-Off works - but that stuff is LETHAL, Wear gloves and a good respirator. 

I'll take this opportunity to once more state that these oils will also remove oil base paints from your hands and also tar, pine pitch, and even epoxy resin. It will take more rubbing than when using DL, but there are no solvents (DL has mineral spirits in it) in these oils to migrate through your skin into the blood stream.


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## Metro M & L (Jul 21, 2009)

I've also found that tsp works on many sticky residues and again a no solvent solution (no pun intended).

The job in particular was a set of doors that had vinyl shelf paper adhered across all six sides. Once I got it peeled off, the tsp cut right through all of the adhesive.


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## TJ Paint (Jun 18, 2009)

these stickers are on atms, (or were). they didnt want to peel off at all with any razor or such. They are off now, i ground them off with my orbital and some 40 grit. was about 5 times faster than a blow dryer or scraping them.


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## Calist (Jul 19, 2009)

I've had good luck removing stickers and decals with ....wait for it....
WD-40. Don't know why it works, just does. Strips that adhesive right off.


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## nEighter (Nov 14, 2008)

what is the surface like? Smooth? If so a D/A sander is PERFECT.


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## nEighter (Nov 14, 2008)

or....











THIS:


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## FL.BM.DEALER (Apr 2, 2009)

for your future reference, get yourself a one-finger, MAP gas torch gun, heat an area of the decal and scrape off, this is the way the Graphic industry strips old vinyl graphics, then use either goof off or Denatured alcohol to remove the glue.

If you need a good scrape tool, go to a sign shop and see if you can buy some of the "little-chisilers", they work great!


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## premierpainter (Apr 17, 2007)

Try an Orange Based cleaner. Spray it on, wait 5 mins. Spray it again and then peel. We use Chomp Pro after to clean the oxidation, or you'll see the shadow of the old sticker


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## TJ Paint (Jun 18, 2009)

premierpainter said:


> Try an Orange Based cleaner. Spray it on, wait 5 mins. Spray it again and then peel. We use Chomp Pro after to clean the oxidation, or you'll see the shadow of the old sticker


good tip, but after sanding hardcore, there isnt any shadow left. thats good to know if i'm not going to be sanding it after.


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## gamebird (Jul 18, 2009)

They make a "rubber wheel" that is made for removeing decals from smoth, painted surfaces.


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## gamebird (Jul 18, 2009)




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## TJ Paint (Jun 18, 2009)

yeah you know i was going to order one online but didn't and then I was starting the project already and needed something. If I ever have another deal like this, I'm gonna order one.


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## [email protected] (Mar 1, 2008)

Interior or exterior. The last van I removed the sign of with the power washer an roto tip.


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## FL.BM.DEALER (Apr 2, 2009)

Those Decal "erasers" Suck big ones.... I tried one years ago when I was in the sign industry, it was a joke..


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## TJ Paint (Jun 18, 2009)

[email protected] said:


> Interior or exterior. The last van I removed the sign of with the power washer an roto tip.


u remove anything else with it?


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## TJ Paint (Jun 18, 2009)

FL.BM.DEALER said:


> Those Decal "erasers" Suck big ones.... I tried one years ago when I was in the sign industry, it was a joke..


whats better then?


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## [email protected] (Mar 1, 2008)

I didn't care the van was one step from junk. So what if I took off a little rust.


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## TJ Paint (Jun 18, 2009)

[email protected] said:


> I didn't care the van was one step from junk. So what if I took off a little rust.


so why did you bother taking time to take off the decals in the first place? :whistling2:


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## daArch (Mar 15, 2008)

FL.BM.DEALER said:


> Those Decal "erasers" Suck big ones.... it was a joke..




When I was a few decades younger and even more gullible than I am now, fell for the Roto-Stripper ads and bought one.

Anyone else?










Talk about sucking *BIG ONES*


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## TJ Paint (Jun 18, 2009)

what the heck is that for?


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## Workaholic (Apr 17, 2007)

daArch said:


> When I was a few decades younger and even more gullible than I am now, fell for the Roto-Stripper ads and bought one.
> 
> Anyone else?
> 
> ...


I think I saw that thing used in Hell Raiser


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## TJ Paint (Jun 18, 2009)

lol.


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## FL.BM.DEALER (Apr 2, 2009)

The best way we found to remove decals was a one-finger MAPP GAS torch with a "little chisler" decal remover and either some denatured alcohol or "rapid remover", the little chisler and rapid remover can be bought at almost any sign shop. 
Heat up the decal , get behind it on one corner with the little chisler, grap a hold of the decal and keep heating as you pull back the graphic, pulling at a 45 degree angle downward. Always worked like a charm!

We tried that eraser wheel on an entire van lettering removal once and it actually ended up burning the graphics into the paint of the van, luckily we were wrapping the thing so we could cover it all up.


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## FL.BM.DEALER (Apr 2, 2009)

daArch said:


> When I was a few decades younger and even more gullible than I am now, fell for the Roto-Stripper ads and bought one.
> 
> Anyone else?
> 
> ...


 
I think I remember my father falling for this same damn thing!


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## graybear13 (Feb 28, 2009)

daArch said:


> When I was a few decades younger and even more gullible than I am now, fell for the Roto-Stripper ads and bought one.
> 
> Anyone else?
> 
> ...


That thing looks positivily dangerous !!!:blink:


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