Decal removal from case

[Jude Reinhardt]

I recently found a nice Flatiron 2M on ebay and it came in a hardshell case. The loose vinyl edges have been reglued and eventually I'll go over it with Low Gloss Armor-all. It has several decals that look as if they've been on since the case was new, 1982. Any ideas on how to remove them? I'm thinking if I can get some WD-40 underneath the edges it might help loosen things up. Any and all suggestions welcome.

Jude

[Ivan Kelsall]

I'd go for the WD-40 approach,it is wonderful stuff,but any oily coating that you can get underneath to stop the decals from re-sticking should do the trick. You can then wipe over the oily bits & the rest of the case,with some lighter fluid to de-grease it,prior to coating the case with Armor-all. Use a 1/2" wide,fine bristled paint brush,to work the oil (or whatever) under the decal.Don't spray the WD-40 directly onto the case,it'll go all over the show. Coat the brush so that it's 'wet',then work it beneath the decal as you gradually lift it. It works,i know because i once removed several decals from a Banjo case prior to selling it,
# # # # # # # # # #Saska

[Jude Reinhardt]

I was able to slowly peel the ones off of the back. These were the stick on type, similar to bumper stickers. I then spread WD-40 over the glue residue with my fingers, let it set a few minutes and then wiped it down with a paper towel. Looks and feels good, WD might be as good as the Armor-All for the final treatment. One sticker to go, a "Ralph Stanley For President". Maybe I should leave it until after November.

Jude

[mandopluker]

...in the future and for those that may want to remove a sticker from a case or (fill in the blank). An automotive secret is to use a heat source, a hair dryer for example and slowly heat the sticker up. This will make most glues used on stickers a bit soft and then one can peel away the sticker very easy.

[Jude Reinhardt]

Thanks much for the tips and advice. I have used heavy breathing where the sticker joins the case as I slowly peeled if off. Slower than the hair dryer I'm sure but the warm moist air from breathing on it seems to help. I've got all the stickers/decals off and just have to do the glue residue removal. It's looking good. Again, thanks much.

Jude

[MikeEdgerton]

WD-40 would be my choice with some sort of household cleaner to remove the oil. The problem with heat and with harsher chemicals is that the tolex covering might not survive the treatment.

[mandopluker]

Mike,

I ain't talking that much heat..... as they say "a little dab will do ya" I have also seen chem's and cleaners eat up the covering as well.

Some of the Murphy's Soap oil may be good to remove the oils if you have some handy otherwise a mild soap solution used sparingly.

[Jude Reinhardt]

I don't want to start a WD-40 thread but do want to point out that it's not oil. I was first introduced to it in 1966 in a Hi-Fi repair shop where we used it to clean electronics. It displaces moisture and I've used it in noisy pots, tv tuners, auto distributors, all kinds of places where I wouldn't spray oil. Right now it appears to be a good vinyl treatment.

Jude

[mandopluker]

Jude,

Right on..... WD-40 is not oil (per say as we generically think of oils)....

Doesn't the "WD" stand for water displacement? Seems like I read that once upon a time... http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif

[MikeEdgerton]

Here (http://www.wd40company.com/files/pdf/msds-wd494716385.pdf) is a link to the WD-40 aerosol Material Safety data Sheet. Please note that the second largest ingredient after the aerosol propellant is petroleum oil. It is an oil, simply not a heavy oil but an oil never the less. It should be treated as such. As for using it on electronics, it isn't listed as one of the 2000 uses for WD-40 on their site and I certainly wouldn't recommend that. I would recommend any of the aerosol tuner cleaners sold in electronic stores. I think you'll find that they are different animals.

In past threads this has been discussed often with some folks using it to clean strings and oil their fretboards. To each his own but I wouldn't use that for either task.

As for the WD in WD-40:

"WD-40 literally stands for Water Displacement, 40th attempt. That's the name straight out of the lab book used by the chemist who developed WD-40 back in 1953. The chemist, Norm Larsen, was attempting to concoct a formula to prevent corrosion -- a task which is done by displacing water. Norm's persistence paid off when he perfected the formula on his 40th try. "

[mandolooter]

WD-40 = the duct tape of the petrol world!

[TomTyrrell]

For sticker removal I use my wife's blow dryer. A little heat is good, a lot of heat is bad. Be sure to take the instrument out of the case first!

For sticky stuff removal I use a product called "Goo Gone".

[Ignatius]

For sticky stuff removal I use a product called "Goo Gone".

+1 for Goo Gone. I've used it ever since my grocery store and retail days in high school and college. We used it to remove the tags on the shelving that indicated the name of the product and the price (and that now have evolved to those omnipresent yellow and white barcode stickers). Actually, just like WD-40, Goo Gone will bleed through most stickers if it is allowed to sit first for a few minutes so you can use it directly on the sticker or decal rather than just on the leftover glue. And it leaves a fresh citrus scent. ;)

Even the most messy stickers come off surfaces with just two or three applications, but be sure to wipe down the surface afterward with another cleaner. Goo Gone seems to reduce the sticker glue to a thin film of goo that attracts dirt very quickly if it isn't washed off. Armor All would take care of that problem on a case.

I've found Goo Gone in the grocery store and at the local hardware store, and it is useful on lots of surfaces where WD-40 might be a problem.

Ignatius

[Paul Hostetter]

Heat and vinyl case coverings are not a great idea. I have seen some real unfortunate problems there.

Self-adhesive stickers are not decals. But while WD-40 will eventually get them off, naphtha is a lot more efficient and much less messy. Any hardware store, not especially toxic. Also known as lighter fluid. Brush it under an edge, lift gently and work it into the stickum. Do not use heat!

Decals, which don't stick to vinyl worth a darn, are lacquer films that are floated on with water and adhere simply because the water is floated out. If you ever want to get a real decal off, and it's not under a layer of clear lacquer sealer, just use water.

If you want to get a painted logo (think Washburn or Montana Gibson) off a vinyl case, Goof-Off works well. It contains xylene which is bloody awful toxic, but it'll dissolve the paint before it dissolves the vinyl covering. The vinyl will look a bit weird by the time the paint's gone, but a day later when the xylene's gone into either your liver or the atmosphere, the vinyl will snap back to its original leatheroidal texture.

[raulb]

Thanks much for the tips and advice. I have used heavy breathing where the sticker joins the case as I slowly peeled if off.


FINALLY, a use for sex.