Removing Stickers

[petegoud]

3M makes a product called 'General Purpose Adhesive Cleaner, Quart, 08984', I've used this for years. Has you're removing the decal, slowly drip some between the finish and the glued back. No scraping involved, no chances of damaging the surface.

 

[Gary Fowler]

For removing spray can enamel paint from auto finishes, I have found that mosquito repellant works best. Just a light spray and quick wipe gets it off without damage to the automotive paint. We use to use it to remove the spray painted equipment numbers from our assigned company vehicles when we didn't want folks to know they were company vehicles.
Don't over do it though because if left on long it will attack the factory paint also. Mosquito repellant will also soften plastic (damage it ) so don't get it on plastic finishes. I found this out when using the repellant while wiring up some trailer lights. The wire insulation started getting sticky from the repellant on my hands to keep the mosquitos away. This works great for removing painted on Logos and other unwanted art from vehicles. Just work small areas and quickly remove the paint then clean the residue off before starting on another area.

 

[arrow]

Pilgrim you can make your own "rubber" eraser by simply pouring out a glob of rubber cement on wax paper and let it dry and peel it off. They sell these at art stores as well but they are getting harder to find. Their primary use for this type of eraser was for drafting but the advent of the computer has made hand drafting kind of obsolete. What I like about this method is that no harsh chemical, powered eraser or plastic scraper touches the paint which avoids any accidental scratches. Here is a pic as I remove the sticky residue from a dealer sticker off of my Durango. Took 5 minutes. You can see the rubber cement blob sticking to the sticker residue. Soaked it lightly with WD40 first and went at it. Not a scratch.

 

[xring]

While not by design, the stickers on all my tractors are removed by a 3000 psi power washer. My tractor washing area is strewn with parts of those foil labels.

Sometimes a bit of goo is left over and gasoline takes it right off. No smoking while doing it!

That's what happened to mine & like you I wasn't trying to get them off.

 

[N80]

WD40. Let it soak in it. Far better than Goo-Gone in my experience. But always try peeling it off first. Sometimes it works.

 

[oldpilgrim]

I'm not worried about the after goo, it's getting the 'paper' off that i always have problems with.

I'll try the heat thing but it seems like the metal would suck up the heat pretty quickly.

 

[Snowback]

My input is similar to the above notes - Peel what you can with a plastic scraper, but don't try very hard, then place a dabs of some Goof Off on the remaining sticker residue, let it melt the remaining paper/adhesive for a few seconds and then wipe off with paper towel and you're done. Probably similar to the Goo-Gone noted above, but Goof Off is all I use for this sort of thing. Useful for car registration window stickers as well and also tar, paint, and anything the kids get on stuff they shouldn't. Home Depot has it as well... I am going to need to try the goo gone to see which works better.

Amazon.com: Goof Off FG653 Professional Strength Remover, Pourable 16-Ounce: Home Improvement

 

[aczlan]

I'll try the heat thing but it seems like the metal would suck up the heat pretty quickly.

Easier on the fingers that way. Glass is really bad for sucking up heat (much worse than metal).

Aaron Z

 

[Clay45]

WD40. Let it soak in it. Far better than Goo-Gone in my experience. But always try peeling it off first. Sometimes it works.

x2-ditto-same here!

 

[ovrszd]

I often remove decals from trucks at work. Heat gun or hair dryer to soften the adhesive, then a plastic putty knife to pick at the edge, then just pull it off with your fingers. Brake cleaner and a soft rag takes off the left over adhesive.

Good luck.

Yahtzee!!!!

I've taken off dozens using the heat gun method.

I always remove the safety stickers. Especially if buying a new piece. Do it immediately to minimize difference in color.

Back in the day, when we were allowed to have really good paint (lead based), the discoloration was minimal. Now, if it's not coated with clear coat, it'll change colors the first year.....