vinyl stick-on tank protectors

eric

eric

Senior member
Location
solihull west midlands
              Hello all,
                  can anyone tell me how to remove those stick- on tank protectors safely, please?
                          thanks, eric
 
Done this a couple of times- use a hairdryer to soften the glue and go carefully, peeling with one hand while maintaining the heat on the protector with the dryer as you go.

Reggie
 
I remove a lot of tatty protectors and decals from Bikes.
Use a hair drier to warm the protector and WD40 to remove the adhesive, again warming the old stuff helps and lots of rubbing and WD.

If its proper paint, ie OEM or similar then you shouldnt have any problems, if someones chucked cellulose paint on it, it might peel or semi dissolve. Ive never encountered a problem.

Rob
 
       l know this is going to sound stupid, but, the tank has to be bone dry, right?
                thanks anyway,
                          eric
 
eric said:
       l know this is going to sound stupid, but, the tank has to be bone dry, right?
                thanks anyway,
                          eric
Click to expand...

Hi Eric its not a stupid question but one has to assume the person taking advice has the same savvy as the one giving it.
For me no way, but I did say hair drier and not hot air gun. Expect to get it no hotter than the same temperature as a bike might get in a hot country (not here then) on a blistering day!

Dont be tempted to use an Oxy Acetylene torch to dry your hair or remove your Tank Pads  :D
 
best thing to get the adhesive off after youve got the pad off is a citrus based goo remover, may take a few goes depending on how thick the adhesive is, dab it on a rag and rub, trick is to neutralise the area with water between removal, it will only harm the paint if left there for a long time, but better to be safe, it is acetic acid, i think
 
If you can lay your hands on "goo gone" give it a try, will not harm the paint at all and with repeated applications remove the sticker.

HTH
Gerald
 
      Well, plenty to have a go at there then,  might swerve past the towel advice though, Cam.
                    Thanks guys, l have another question, but l'll put that in another post.
                                  eric
 
It is a delicate job, requiring dexterity, but don't delegate it to the wife...
angle-grinder-denver-boot.JPG.jpeg
 
I have just discovered that 'Electrical contact/switch cleaner' is great for getting sticky residue off things.

I have the 'safe for plastic' type of contact cleaner and it doesn't seem to effect paint. Having said that, I expect not all contact cleaners and paints are created equal - so test on an inconspicuous area first.

Paul H
 
In the UK 'Polyclens' or similar solutions that make domestic paints water soluble work great. In my experience there's little in the way of adhesives used on bikes that this stuff, methylated spirit (wood alcohol) or straightforward petrol (Gasoline) wont shift without damage to the paint. For shifting fuel stains of carbs etc, cellulose thinners works a treat.
 
For as long as I can remember us modelmakers have always used shellite [lighter fuel] to remove tape/glue residue from painted surfaces. Usually our painted areas consist of several colours speckled on top of each other so can't we afford to rub too vigorously. Of all the various solvents we have on the shelf shellite is the only one that doesn't remove the paint and leave residue. Evaporates away in seconds.
 
yeah, that'll be naptha/naphtha aye? lighter fluid. brilliant stuff. proto-petrol. Is up there with with gaffer, tie wraps, and kit-kat wrapper for usefulness.  Is the first parts off of the fractional distillation of crude oil (well the first few hydrocarbons are gasses above ground of course, but you know what I mean. ).

also ace for crusties and their display fire antics.  (that's crusties as in Dr Phibes/Levellers fans ferals grebos,  not as in crusty demons "$60 gets you the whole seat BUT YOU'LL ONLY NEED THE EDGEEEE" )

RGDS,
 
I frequently have too remove vinyl from various substrates. Using some heat helps a great deal, when you get the temperature right almost all the glue comes of with the sticker. The glues used vary quite a lot but generally I find white spirit to be one of the best at removing the glue. White spirit does not affect the paint work at all, where some of the thinners and other higher flash point solvents can (and have!!) cause problems with cellulose based paint. Soak a rag in the white spirit and lay over the gooey-gluey area and leave for a few minutes, then wipe away.
 
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