Removing glued on labels


 

LMichaels

TVWBB 2-Star Olympian
So a little off "grill topic". The hood on my Kubota is made of some type of plastic. Fiberglass I think. It has these labels (heavy decals?) that are metallic glued on it. Working with heat gun and putty knife. What a beytch! Anyone have any "magic" method of removing those PIA things? Without ruining the plastic hood. Been working on one for over an hour and barely making a dent
 
Goo Gone is some pretty darned good stuff, but it's better for removing adhesive traces left behind.

If you can get a strong fishing line, maybe even a long leader, started under one edge of the emblem, you may be able to cut your way through the adhesive, then use Goo Gone to finish cleanup.
 
This is soo freaky. I JUST removed 2 labels from empty spice jars. The only thing I used was my fingernails. Got them started and then they just peeled right off.
 
Strong fishing line.....wrap around both hands, get it under the label, work it.......then possibly goo gone.
I have done this method on automobiles. When it comes to cars its paint so not so strong fishing line and more care is needed.
 
This is soo freaky. I JUST removed 2 labels from empty spice jars. The only thing I used was my fingernails. Got them started and then they just peeled right off.
This really depends on label material and adhesive. Some stick like grim death (no apologies, 3M!) some are water soluble, and some really are intended to clean up easily.

Funny thing is that the Civic emblem just fell off on my '99 sedan. Not sure if I'm gonna put it back, try and reattach the badge (which I have,) or get a new one.
 
I think the “Naptha” is wise, followed dental floss as a “parting tool”. GooGone for cleanup should work for finishingup as well.
WD-40 works very well as well.
 
Well, to date I have used, mineral spirits, prepsol, goo gone, lacquer thinner, WD40, heat gun with scraper. I now have most of the junk off, hours of heating, and scraping, then wet with spirits and scrape some more. Also with my large Bosch random orbital sanger and some 80 grit. I'm getting there little by little. Kubota just did not want anything coming off.
If we EVER get some decent weather (above 55 deg) I will be able to continue completion of painting and then painting on the Herculiner in place of where it had the awful glued down rubber mat.
I bought the actual orange paint in qt size for it. Got a Hazard Fraught HVLP spray gun. First bought the purple one on sale $10. Actually did a decent job until the air bleed valve stuck so I could not control air flow properly. I took it back and got this one https://www.harborfreight.com/painting/paint-sprayers/32-oz-siphon-feed-spray-gun-56981.html It was $25 when I bought it though I now see like everything else it's up. Haven't tried it yet. I got all the disposable cups and such for it. I want to wet sand everything I have done so far and try to get a little nicer finish since I still have to paint the lower hood (hood is 2 pieces upper and lower I have done the upper). Weather and other work have REALLY gotten in my way. I have 2 mixers on the bench, my dad being "needy" and a January that refuses to quit. Maybe by August it will get above 55? I will post photos in my Kubota thread seen elsewhere here :D
 
Dunno about this case, but I often put a paper (or cloth) towel flat on top of a sticker and then soak it with boiling water. Let it stay there for hours or over night. If necessary, cover the wet towel with plastic wrap to retain moisture. Usually, nasty stickers and their glue come right off after that with hardly or no effort.
 
I tried peanut butter once when I didn’t have any WD40 around and it worked awesomely, though quite messy. I read it online somewhere and gave it a try. Perhaps the oils in the peanut butter reacted with the adhesive to help remove it?
 
I ended up getting them off (well the bad part was getting the glue off). Wipe liberally with thinner (spirits or lacquer thinner), allow to soften, follow with scraper for the bulk of it. Then mineral spirits on ScotchBrite until gone. Wasn't worried about the underlying paint since I am gonna spray it once we actually get weather above 60 deg. Maybe by July
 
I tried peanut butter once...
Peanut butter works great on adhesive residue from Scotch tape, packing tape, etc. Safe on most surfaces, I guess the peanut oil dissolves the adhesive and it wipes off cleanly. Probably not a solution for LMichaels' situation, however. :)
 

 

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