Removing Old Adhesive

[trihartsfield]

I am trying to remove the old adhesive from the previous owners name on the front of my boat. I have no idea how long the graphics were on there. I have the lettering removed but the adhesive remains. You can still see the old name, especially the closer you get to the boat.

Here is what I have tried:
Denatured alcohol
Paint thinner
Goo be Gone
Flat razor blade

I have also used a blue scrubbing pad with the goo be gone to no avail.

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Chris

[Lou_tribal]

Are you able to see the name because of the adhesive or because of the paint color difference?
May look odd but to remove all sort of adhesive I like to use finger nail varnish remover from any drug store (my wife does not like it as much as I do lol). Soft enough not to damage paint but hard enough to dissolve adhesive.

L

[Comodave]

On a previous boat we had to paint the transom. He had metal flake vinyl letters and it literally burned the gel coat brown. We tried sanding but it went very deep. You might try a polishing compound and then waxing. Just don’t go with a really aggressive compound first. Start light and work your way up in grit.

[Comodave]

I have also had good success with 3M General Purpose Adhesive Remover.

[BruceK]

Eucalyptus oil is usually effective but may be difficult for you to source. I`m yet to see a koala with an adhesive label attached .

[ghost]

3m general purpose adhesive remover. I use this product too often, but it really works on lots of things.

[koliver]

https://www.ebay.ca/sch/i.html?_nkw=...e+removal+tool

[ksanders]

Lacquer thinner or acetone will remove almost anything

[SoWhat]

Heat gun is best with rigid plastic scraper, putty knife, or jackknife.
Clean up residue with acetone.

[tiltrider1]

If you are trying to remove old adhesive follow the link that koliver posted. The rubber wheels can be used with a cordless drill. The rubber coats the adhesive with rubber dust and it just falls to the ground. All solvents do is melt the glue and allow you to spread it around, once the solvent evaporates the glue returns to being a sticky mess.

[Iggy]

I am doing the same thing right now. I am using alcohol and a 1/8" flat screwdriver with painters tape over the blade. You can't use anything too wide. Otherwise it will go over the glue, rather than digging in and removing it.

What I found is that the alcohol will soften the glue. Then using the screwdriver, the glue will roll up in a ball. I use a rag too, but after rubbing for a minute the glue will build up. So I am always turning the rag to a clean spot.

[Pete Meisinger]

Try Acetone, carefully.

pete

[sdowney717]

Use a polisher with foam pad and polishing compound. Is it really leftover adhesive as in sitting on top of the gelcoat? or a stain or uv fading around the old letters. Try some oxalic acid.

Maybe the porous gelcoat has absorbed some staining. Like Comodave says, it may have gone deep into the gelcoat, so paint them, little else may work.

If an impossible to remove adhesive residue, as in nothing is working, then sanding, polishing or even citri strip paint remover. Citri strip wont hurt your hands but it dissolves paint and adhesive. The only concern with it, does it dissolve gel coat too. It is a very slow dissolver, it is not a hot solvent, so you could control its use.

[sdowney717]

https://forums.iboats.com/threads/wi...l-coat.233375/
post #6 says he used it on his boat and it did not hurt the surface. Citri strip is neutralized by washing it off.

[RT Firefly]

Greetings,
Mr. t. Try WD-40.

[trihartsfield]

Originally Posted by Lou_tribal

Are you able to see the name because of the adhesive or because of the paint color difference?
May look odd but to remove all sort of adhesive I like to use finger nail varnish remover from any drug store (my wife does not like it as much as I do lol). Soft enough not to damage paint but hard enough to dissolve adhesive.

L

It is definitely adhesive. I can see the outline of the letters and the ridge left from the letters.

Thanks

[trihartsfield]

Originally Posted by ksanders

Lacquer thinner or acetone will remove almost anything

I have tried acetone also with little effect.

Thanks

[trihartsfield]

Originally Posted by Comodave

I have also had good success with 3M General Purpose Adhesive Remover.

I will give that a try.

Thanks

[trihartsfield]

Originally Posted by Iggy

I am doing the same thing right now. I am using alcohol and a 1/8" flat screwdriver with painters tape over the blade. You can't use anything too wide. Otherwise it will go over the glue, rather than digging in and removing it.

What I found is that the alcohol will soften the glue. Then using the screwdriver, the glue will roll up in a ball. I use a rag too, but after rubbing for a minute the glue will build up. So I am always turning the rag to a clean spot.

Holy cow that sounds tedious. I may end having to do that.

Thanks

[trihartsfield]

Originally Posted by RT Firefly

Greetings,
Mr. t. Try WD-40.

I will. Thanks.