anyone used a heat gun & scraper to remove wide stripe?

[wehrbüchse]

I've heard about this 3M eraser wheel but it seems that this wide silver stripe encompassing my van could be scraped off using a plastic paint scraper or plastic putty knife if its glue were warmed up.

Any input appreciated.

Finally swapped out my bare aluminum slider window frames for black ones and I'm eager to finish the de-cheesification of this van. After this I'll be painting the bumpers black.

[insyncro]

I use a Crud Thug...a HD rubber wheeled tool...still a PITA job.

Mild heat if scrapping, once the adhesive gets to a certain temp, it makes a mess of things.

[geo_tonz]

Don't use a scraper and heat gun...I did and it made a mess of things that I have to clean up. In order to get the glue off you end up getting it hot enough to make the paint soft and wil scrape through. Plus I tried to use a plastic scraper to avoid damage, but the edge would melt in the heat and just smear things around. Learned my lesson!
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"Ron Burgundy": 1991 Vanagon Multivan (Weekender) 2.1L Auto - Driver/Camper

[wehrbüchse]

Holy crap. Glad I asked!

[insyncro]

Snap On, Wurth and DBX make high quality tools with a replaceable rubber eraser...and other very helpful wheels to really get at it.

The key to using the eraser is to keep the speed very low and once you have the decal coming off across the entire face of the wheel...don't stop moving, with even speed and pressure.
You can increase the wheel speed, but adding heat will make the adhesive gummy and that is what you don't want.
After a pass, clean any residue off the wheel, let the area cool if it heated up (a fan on the work area is advised) and than try to start off with the wheel flat and taking off its entire width.

I have successfully removed the original grey stripe off of an Orly Blue late model, in roughly 25 minutes and one and three quarters wheels.
No paint or clear coat was damaged.
The paint below the decal will have been nicely preserved, seeing less UV over its life.

[Terry Kay]

Yea--frget about the heat gun treatment--you'll leave a bunch of the glue behind, and it's a bear to get clean.

I use the 3-M rubber wheel and it works nice, as the Snappy Crud Thug does--

They both get the vinyl stripe, as well as the glue off the panels all in one move.
Save you a bunch of time.
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T.K.

[Xtremjeepn]

There is also a 3M eraser wheel that fits on a drill. About $13 each. It really is one of the most amazing and coolest tools on earth!!

I've removed the stripes from many vehicles, old and new, with the stripe eraser and I will NEVER go back to heat, scrapers, finger nails, solvents, etc.

The stripe eraser will turn a 5-8 hour job into a 30 min job......and do it better!!

[wehrbüchse]

HIGHLY useful input guys.

I am a bit concerned about the sheer width of this stripe. It fills the entire belt channel. I'm worried I won't be able to sustain the continuous removal because the 3M wheel I picked up is only half as wide.

[Xtremjeepn]

I've removed 6" to 8" wide stripes that went all the way around a Jeep and a Dodge pickup with no issues. I just do a section at a time. Never even tried to be "continuous" about it.

[insyncro]

The 3M, drill attached ones come in different widths if you hunt around.
The ones that a hardware store have are pinstripe width.

The ones I'm talking about are north of $38 a piece.
Maybe under the GreenCorps name as some other autobody products fall.

The Snappy rubber wheels work out to be $17 each when bought in a box/case.
I like the old school full width wheel.
Some new ones have alternating paddles and are great for newer decals but our old ones can really put up a fight.

[Terry Kay]

I am sure that in the belt line channel that the 3-M stripe removal tool on the end of an air drill, or electric still will do the job a little easier than the Snappy tool just because of the way the wheel will be perpendicular to the channel & stripe

Work into it, from right to left is the fastest

The muncher wheel is a better deal on wide open spaces.
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T.K.

[goffoz]

[denwood]

I've used both..and a lot of the heat gun method decommissioning many Bell vehicles in my younger days. The secret is not overheating your work surface, particularly once the decal is separated. You want the heat forward of the separation area, so the decal you have pulled off doesn't melt. If you get it right the decal will pull off in one piece(s).
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Cheers,
Dennis Wood
The Grape

[Terry Kay]

I've painted hundreds of Semi's in my lifetime.
Every one of them had either painted on lettering, or vinyl decals on the doors.
One shot lettering piant was a pin to remove--I had to use EZ Off,and wait till the right time to scrub it off.

The vinyl, I have months of heat gun time, and if I got the paint a hair hot--well, I was painting the truck anyway.
And this was all prior to the rubber wheels.
What a time saver.
No vinyl, no glue , no paint damage.
I put the 3-M wheel on an inline air drill that is delegated to nothing but run that wheel--
3-M must have had them out since the early 80's, and that was all that there was available.
Then Snappy made available the thug gizmo, and for 40' trailer vinyl stripes & lettering this was the cats meow, boat stripe removal was a piece of cake.
Works fast and leaves no glue residue.

For you guys that don't want to update to the new millenium and still use the heat gun--DO NOT use a steel putty knife--you'll gaff the hell outa the soft paint--believe me--watch out for sharp edges--you'll tear the paint right off.
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T.K.

[denwood]

Removing the van stripe (the one inset into the body groove) is an application better suited for the 3M or similar product. There is far less risk of damaging the body profile. If you're removing a larger decal, particularly one with a hard surface (reflective) then heat would be my choice. As TK points out, not with a metal scraper though.

Haven't used the crud thug, but I do use the 3M product. Too much pressure = heat = mess, which may be why some have had issue.
_________________
Cheers,
Dennis Wood
The Grape

[Terry Kay]

And the reason your having to use too much pressure, heat, etc, is your not spinning the wheel fast enough with your electric drill.
Note;
I mentioned that I was spinning it with an air drill.
Big difference, big time saver, much better results.

I take of an entire door full of vinyl lettering --Clean--in no more than 10 minutes.

A guy should be able to strip a stripe Clean-- off one side of a vanagon in no more than 15--20 minutes--with the correct tools.

If your using a slow drill--well-- who know's how long it will take.
Chuck up a wheel in an electric die grinder--it'll spin it fast enough.
_________________
T.K.

[Crankey]

I would use goof off, get an edge to peel enough to grab it. then continue to peel and drip goof off on the leading edge of the peel. being careful not to tear.

this has worked on old tool box stickers and window tint. some paint off the tool box comes off when I paper towel off any final residue, but it didn't really melt the paint. I'd do this first and then try the crud thug thing if goof off didn't work well enough.

[Terry Kay]

One problem.

If you soften the skin of the paint with the solvent, then whichever wheel you choose to use will finish up the decal removal process with be hauling the paint off too.

Just use the wheel.

The 3-M or the Thugger wheel is the absolute fastest,& safest way to remove stickers, lettering, stripes off of automotive paint finishes.

Period.
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T.K.

[chazz79]

No chemicals, no mechanical means at all unless you wish to risk paint damage.

Just use the eraser wheel.

One drill wheel can take a crown vic from flying tires and stripes to civilian clean in @ two hours. You'll waste way more cash in brake cleaner just wiping up the sticker residue using the heat gun method.

Insyncro, TK have the right idea. Some others are just beating a dead horse.
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One day as a lion, or a lifetime as lamb

The green monster in bits and peices: http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=332556&highlight=green+monster

[insyncro]