How would remove paper stuck to back of 1915 Gibson mandolin?

[garyr]

There is some paper stuck to the back of my 1915 Gibson mandolin which is otherwise in very good condition. Can you recommend a safe method to remove the paper?

[sunburst]

I would first try a clean, damp, soft rag, and if that doesn't work, I'd carefully scrape the paper off down to the finish with a tiny scraper blade... a method I would not recommend to someone not experienced with such an operation.

[MikeEdgerton]

It would probably be easier for people to make intelligent recommendations if you posted a picture of the mandolin and the paper involved. I'd probably try to soak it off as well per John's recommendations. I don't know if I have steady enough hands to scrape it.

[Rvl]

I lay a piece of tissue paper , then drip some water onto the tissue and let it soak for about an hour
The sticker usually slides off
Usually the finish is a little discolored because of oxidization. So I take a little bit of car compound and rub out the finish.

For stickers that use non water soluble glue they need lighter fluid , but you can't use that on lacquer finishes

[Kerry Krishna]

If I were going to follow Sunburst advice, the 'scraper' I would use would be a plastic one. Maybe a guitar pick. Make things a bit safer...

[mrmando]

So I take a little bit of car compound and rub out the finish.

Which car compound do you use?

I had a luthier pal recommend "Meguiar's Mirror Glaze," but I couldn't find a Meguiar's product by that particular name.

[Vernon Hughes]

Naptha..

[Bill Snyder]

I lay a piece of tissue paper , then drip some water onto the tissue and let it soak for about an hour
The sticker usually slides off
Usually the finish is a little discolored because of oxidization. So I take a little bit of car compound and rub out the finish.

For stickers that use non water soluble glue they need lighter fluid , but you can't use that on lacquer finishes

Two things:
Lighter fluid (like used in a cigarette lighter) shouldn't damage lacquer,
but then a 1915 Gibson would not have lacquer on it unless it had been refinished or oversprayed.

[fatt-dad]

Peanut butter comes to mind. I mean if the lighter fluid doesn't work.

f-d

[pfox14]

Sand blast it. LOL

[houseworker]

Since you're planning to sell the mandolin I'd leave the paper where it is and let the buyer deal with it.

[Jacob]

WD-4O?

[Timbofood]

Dampen a sponge, let it sit for twenty minutes on the paper then, use a nylon pot scraper or flatpick to GENTLY scrape the remaining paper off. Don't have the sponge dripping wet, it will just make a bigger mess.

[Jim]

water on a damp cloth to soak off paper, scotch brite or similar non metalic pot scrubber pads if paper won't just wipe off when wet. Buff up with rubbing compound after to restore shine

[Bluejay]

Have used medical grade adhesive remover with good results. I believe it is alcohol based. Comes in aerosol or liquid. Put on enough to wet the paper and rub and roll it off. Cannot say if it would harm the finish on that type of vintage finish.

[sunburst]

Scotch brite and such will damage surrounding finish, plastic picks and other soft, dull scrapers can dent and damage the finish and/or wood, solvents like naptha, WD-40 and other petroleum based products are not particularly good solvents for paper, but water usually is.
I still stand by my idea of a soft, damp, clean rag (or sponge or whatever) to soften the paper so that is may wipe right off. Otherwise, a sharp metal scraper (exacto blade or similar) can be used to scrape away the paper without disturbing the surrounding finish and without requiring the downward pressure needed to get something like a plastic pick (with it's rounded edge and flexible nature) to do any scraping. A sharp metal scraper can be controlled and localized so that only the paper is scraped, not the surrounding finish, and the procedure can be stopped as soon as the paper is gone. The finish will probably need some light smoothing and/or polishing, but there should be no damage to surrounding finish and no denting.
But, that's all beside the point is a little water takes care of the situation, and there's a good chance it will.

[Pete Jenner]

Chisel.

[Rvl]

Which car compound do you use?

I had a luthier pal recommend "Meguiar's Mirror Glaze," but I couldn't find a Meguiar's product by that particular name.

Any brand of compound is ok
The ones I buy comes in 3 levels of grit
Offhand they are 7 microns , maybe 1 micron and .03 microns
I start with the 7 and then the 1 and finally .03
They come in little starter kits of a couple ounce bottles

Meguiars is a high quality brand
I believe Mirror Glaze is another brand , but dont quote me on that

[Tavy]

Have used medical grade adhesive remover with good results. I believe it is alcohol based. Comes in aerosol or liquid. Put on enough to wet the paper and rub and roll it off. Cannot say if it would harm the finish on that type of vintage finish.

Careful, alcohol will strip shellac based finishes and do nothing good to varnishes either (these Gibsons were varnish with shellac over the top I believe?). It is brilliant at removing stickers though, so if this were a poly-finished electric guitar it'd be ideal, but leave well alone on a vintage mandolin! Do as John H. suggests and use water and be patient...

[Frank Ford]

What causes the paper to be stuck? What, and how original is the finish? What are your expectations?



Rather than ask for DIY technique from a group with varying experience, I suggest you take this oldtimer to someone experienced with period finishes. It's easy to make a mess that could be hard to recover from. . .

[Jim Garber]

The OP didn't really say that the paper was glued onto the back only that it was stuck on it. I agree with the Johns -- generally the first step for cleaning or removing things from finished wood is judicious application of water.

[garyr]

Thanks all. The paper came off fairly easily with a damp paper towel in just a few minutes.

[John Arnold]

Heat is one reason that finishes get soft, allowing various things to stick to them.
Meguiar's Mirror Glaze:
http://www.autopia-carcare.com/megui...FQto7AodwFkAhQ

[j. condino]

Even though it sounds like the problem has been fixed.....

At the Oberlin summer workshops, I learned a great trick for working on very delicate old violin family finishes when they get covered with rosin from Robbie McIntosh. Take an old credit card and burnish the edge like you would a cabinet scraper. The fine little burr is just strong enough to remove stubborn finish clingers and still soft enough that you can work the area with much more confidence and much less likelihood of damage than with a harder object.

j.
www.condino.com

[Bernie Daniel]

What causes the paper to be stuck? What, and how original is the finish? What are your expectations?



Rather than ask for DIY technique from a group with varying experience, I suggest you take this oldtimer to someone experienced with period finishes. It's easy to make a mess that could be hard to recover from. . .

Thank you Frank for asking the most critical question! What do you think the paper is stuck on there with?
If it is some kind of glue that is not water soluble then you have a much bigger mess on your hands.

The advice to try water is all I would follow at this point -- all the suggestions like naptha, alcohol, and other organics are ill advised (IMHO) until you have some idea what you are dealing with in terms of glue and also finish on the mandolin. See John's post #2!

edit: Well I see others made the same point -- jumped the gun.