removing painted vehicle lettering

[slappy]

Hi All,
Is it possible to remove hand painted lettering from truck doors without harming the factory vehicle paint? I have a customer that just purchased a new flatbed truck and the doors were painted with the previous owners business name. Is there a away to going about this without having to strip and repaint the entire door?

 

[OldPaint]

nope!!!!!!!!! your best approch to this is telling him to take the truck to a body shop, THEY CAN SAND AND REPAINT the doors, so you can stick letters on it. situations like this, if you have no BODY SHOP/PAINT experiance, it will wind up costing you more then you will make.

 

[Trimline20]

Although I've never tried it, I've heard from multiple sources that spray-on oven cleaner will remove hand painted graphics without harming the vehicle paint.

I suppose that if the oven cleaner doesn't work or does harm the original paint, your customer is no worse off than having to get the doors re-painted as OldPaint suggested.

Mark

 

[slappy]

they own a body shop and capable of painting. He said the last one they did with painted letters, the letters where still showing after all the paint from the door was removed, so i wanted to see if there was something different they could do.

 

[deane]

It is tricky, but can be done with easy-off oven cleaner. If the vehicle has a factory paint job it will work. You MUST wear rubber gloves. Nothing worse than getting the oven cleaner under your finger nails.

I know because I talk from experience!! If the paint is a metallic flake, forget it because the oven cleaner will discolor the paint. I have done quite a few of these over the years

and it takes patience. You must tape off everything because you don't want the oven cleaner to come into contact with aluminum or trim. Don't allow the oven cleaner to stand too long on the paint.

If you are extremely busy, tell them to take it to a body shop.

 

[Billct2]

Nope, oven cleaner was the old stand by, but that was when people were more easily satisfied and a sign painter would customize the design to cover the ghost.
And besides why is a body shop asking you about vehicle paint?

 

[slappy]

Thanks Deane,

I found an article:http://www.ehow.com/print/way_5672326_painted_on-truck-lettering-removal.html

just kinda like your post also. Thanks again! They are a body shop by the way, but just don't want to repaint the door cause its in great condition

 

[Craig Sjoquist]

Easy off oven cleaner.
.. WILL take this off easy ... spray on let sit in sun about 10-20 mins
..if cold out do inside let it sit longer
.... but you will see it change color and slide down
.. time to clean off WITH plastic scrub
.... wash with soup and water .
.let dry /// repeat again
... WARNING it is better to start to soon then wait to long it will take top coat of paint off sit to long, it does work well but with care, done many times, old and new.
it is best to take your time in between wash good the water neutralizes, let dry.

you can buff after and all will look very close to normal if not perfect, depends on alot of factors... alot easier to remove then OLD VINYL with less hassle.

 

[Gino]

The old oven-cleaner method worked in it's day, but it worked best on the trucks of old days when they were painted and cleared differently. Today's paints and methods are much different, so if you want to use 30 year old ideas with brand new tens of thousands of dollars of truck .... on someone else's truck nonetheless.... knock yourself out.

This is not an exact science and even the people that know how to do it... only do it in a pinch if they know they can recover it up, like Bill said.

Do yourself a favor and let a professional do this.... seriously.

 

[FatCat]

Here's a good link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cfWL4ncEyI8

 

[Deaton Design]

Ive used the easy off method quite a bit, and have yet to have a problem. I always tape off the area Im doing, spray it, then use a rag to remove. Even with the easy off, it takes a fair amount of elbow grease to get it off, but it will come off. I did a brand new truck last year that a guy had lettered and he hated it, so I took it off. THe paint and clearcoat werent hurt at all. Test on an inconspicuous place first to make sure it wont hurt the paint.
Edited to say, always wear gloves, and a long sleeve shirt. Run the gloves up over the shirt and tape them there. If you get any on your skin you will see why. I have a scar to prove it...

 

[designflow]

Ive used like a stove top cleaner or oven cleaning to get the painted letters off before. You have to be really careful that you dont leave it on for to long or it will eat away at the clear coat. I waited for about 1-2 min and whipped it right off, you may have to do it 2-3 times but dont put to much at one time, you'll be fine.

 

[Jillbeans]

If they own a body shop make them handle it.
It's not worth it.
I've used Easy Off to remove painted graphics.
It makes a mess, you can't do it outside in the sun, you have to wear gloves so you don't burn yourself, if it touches aluminum it turns it black, it can turn paint to goo so you have to test it in an inconspicuous spot on the vehicle, all that and the doors will probably need to be repainted anyway, and it's just a plain pain in the c*nt.
Love....Jill

 

[Si Allen]

He said the last one they did with painted letters, the letters where still showing after all the paint from the door was removed

What kind of body shop would paint over lettering without sanding them flush, first?

Tell them to bring it to you ready to install your sign/graphics! There has to be a reason they are trying to push this off onto you!


If you jump into this ... you are going to deserve what happens to you, after all these warnings!

 

[OldPaint]

si is right on.........the reason the lettering showed thru.......THE BODY SHOP DIDNT REMOVE ALL OF THE PAINTED LETTERING!!!!!!! i do a fair amount of body work. i can repaint doors and panels but i dont/wont get into overall vehicle painting. take the door down to bare metal, prime with automotive primer, wet sand, dry top coat........ITS THAT EASY FOR A BODY SHOP!!!!!

 

[artsnletters]

what color is the vehicle? What color is the lettering? Factory paint? All things you gotta know. Easy off will really screw up Peterbilt Metallics. If its a repaint all bets are off. Factory (baked) white will usually be OK but ghost and staining can still be present. Red One-Shot often leaves a pinkish ghost. I just removed some 4 year old One shot using lacquer thinner and a rag with just a lil bit of rubbing compound. The compound breaks the skin and helps the lacquer thinner do its job. Very,very faint ghosting, after a final buffing with a foam pad i think it will be OK. Use plastic single edge razor blades and some gloves and it goes pretty good. Remember to make the customer sign a disclaimer saying YOU (the sign shop) are not liable for any damages due to underlying paint defects and or previous paint application. Otherwise send him to the bodyshop for a re-paint if he wont sign.
Tim

 

[bryan sullivan]

• Oven cleaner will take it off. Used it years ago. Dont remember any paint damage

 

[john1]

One time i had a white semi that had painted lettering. The owner took it off with oven cleaner and the white paint actually didn't look that bad. It did take the clear coat off the area some but nothing crazy. I wouldn't recommend that at all but that's my experience

 

[Pat Whatley]

Heck, they're a body shop. Tell them right up front that you MAY be able to get the lettering off but that you probably can't without doing some damage. Tell them that if they're willing to accept the risk AND the responsibility for repainting it if it comes to that then you're willing to give it a shot. The way I see it it's a no-lose situation for them. Right now they know they need to strip it and repaint it....the worst thing that can happen is that the oven cleaner destroys the paint and they have to strip it and repaint it.

Just make sure you tell them up front of all the potential problems and you'll be okay.

 

[GAC05]

Best to take a look at the door and see if they cleared it after it was lettered.
If the hand painted logo is under a topcoat of clear the oven cleaner is not going to work very well.
If it is not cleared and the base coat is factory (& in good shape) some thinner or reducer should do it
Them being a body shop should know what is what.

wayne k
guam usa