Graphic Removal

[AwardImage]

Hi folks, thanks for letting me in. (I will post an intro later)

About 5 years ago, I lettered a tow truck.
Most of my vinyl is Avery A6.
The best I remember, THIS material was a custom-house vinyl from Tubelite. It's metallic 2mil (not mirror, not reflective) silver.

His door logos are photo degrading, no edge curling, they still lay beautifully, but they are getting crusty and wasting away. They look faded.

What do you use to remove something like that?

I really don't care how much labor is involved (or how simple it could be). This guy hasn't said a work to me but I see his trucks, and they're all shiny and polished and his logos look like crap. This was the first guy that cut me loose on $250,000 worth of new equipment, and I'd like to fix him up with some new logos. Something like that can put a whole new spin on his new year, and brighten his world a little. What's better than the gift of graphics

But how do I get the old ones off without screwing up his door paint?

Thank you!

 

[wwpro]

If you don't mind the labor, wallpaper steamer and lil' squeegee , some use the eraser wheels or vinyl zapper (sp?) but not sure how that affects the clear coat of a vehicle

 

[Dave Drane]

The vinyl Zapper is good but I did have a bad experience with it doing damage to a Ming Guard treated surface.

 

[ThinkRight]

Hi folks, thanks for letting me in. (I will post an intro later)

About 5 years ago, I lettered a tow truck.
Most of my vinyl is Avery A6.
The best I remember, THIS material was a custom-house vinyl from Tubelite. It's metallic 2mil (not mirror, not reflective) silver.

His door logos are photo degrading, no edge curling, they still lay beautifully, but they are getting crusty and wasting away. They look faded.

What do you use to remove something like that?

I really don't care how much labor is involved (or how simple it could be). This guy hasn't said a work to me but I see his trucks, and they're all shiny and polished and his logos look like crap. This was the first guy that cut me loose on $250,000 worth of new equipment, and I'd like to fix him up with some new logos. Something like that can put a whole new spin on his new year, and brighten his world a little. What's better than the gift of graphics

But how do I get the old ones off without screwing up his door paint?

Thank you!

A heat gun and plastic scraper and lots of patience !
http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200195624_200195624
http://www.homedepot.com/Tools-Hard...splay?langId=-1&storeId=10051&catalogId=10053
Heat carefully till soft,use a hard plastic squeegee that will not scratch,when you get a corner lifted,lower temp and start peeling.

 

[Kottwitz-Graphics]

+ 1 on the vinyl zapper...if you have one. They are pricy at $450...

And you may want to think about another brand of vinyl. A lot of folks here have had issues with it, myself included.

 

[S'N'S]

5years out of calendered vinyl on a truck isn't bad.
As other stated the MBX vinyl zapper, but go carefully or use a heatgun. When using a heatgun, I always keep my hand on the surface I'm heating, if it gets too hot for your hand you are heating the graphic too much and will be softening the duco. You only need to warm the vinyl, even a hot day with the sun on it will do. Pull the vinyl slowly and backwards over itself not on a 90deg angle....if you heated the area too much you can pull paint off.(even factory paint)
Sounds worse that it really is, its a easy job.
Redo with cast vinyl, I use Avery on EVERYTHING and have never had a problem.

 

[BobM]

$50 wallpaper steamer, plastic razor blades, patience and Rapid Remove to remove the execss adhesive. For some reason, the calandered silver has given me problems especially if you over heat it. I do have a vinyl zapper that I use as a last resort.

 

[AUTO-FX]

3M makes a spraycan product , woodgrain and graphics remover, and it works great on calendered stuff that's all burned out. It melts the material and you can easily scrape it off with a squeegee.

 

[Malkin]

Good on you to replace it unasked. Not many would.

Bear in mind all metallics will degrade faster than their non-mettalic counterparts, and are difficult to remove (much like reflective and chrome)

I can see you want to develop/mantain a good reputation on which to support your sign career. As such you should switch to cast vinyl for all vehicle and permanent sign work. Use calendared for only temporary signs.

Good luck!

 

[4R Graphics]

heat gun or steamer as others have posted and a small squegee probaly a lil chissler(but be carefull with the lil chissler its plastic but can scratch paint) the rapid remover is awesome for the adhesive. If you use the rapid remover all you have to do is get the vinyl off you can leave LOTS of big clumps of adhesive this stuff is awesome.

I have never used it as of yet but I hear its pretty good but there is a product I think its called vinyl new or something like that. It is suppose to give some of the flexibility back to old dried out vinyl to make it come off easier.

I think I have seen it in the Felle#s catalog.

 

[ChicagoGraphics]

A torch and a plastic scraper is all you need.

 

[CheapVehicleWrap]

You don't care how much labor is involved or how simple it will be? Rethink this.

 

[AwardImage]

Thanks for all of the replies. :U Rock:
Cut some of that material this weekend for some magnetics for a Nissan Dealership... Christmas parade. The material was branded on the backpaper CalonII by Arlon.

What about the juice?
CrystalTek, rapid remover, snakeoil?

We're in a bit of a cold snap and maybe won't warm beyond 50F for close to a week.

Leaning towards Squeegees, HeatGuns and even blow torches come up a lot It's so crusty, not sure if the adhesive will gel. I don't want to scrape his door with millions of micro-crystals.

Time does matter, but I'm not incredibly busy.
An afternoon and a small material investment (based on the most knowledge... thank you very much) is a small price to pay to see the WOW! face.