How to remove decals?

||I have a liquid nitrogen dewar that has some decals (Union Carbide) on it. ||The vessel is mirrored stainless - how could I remove the decals w/o messing ||up the finish of the stainless?? Thanks for any help.

Autobody supply places carry a 3M product that fits on a polisher and removes decals without harming paint. Should be perfect for your application. Texas Parts Guy

Greetings:

Try a hair dryer, first on low heat, then higher if needed. The dewar will have quite a bit of insulation so the contents shouldn't be at risk, but if heat is too high (heat gun v. hair dryer), you might get a wave or warp if too much heat were applied. The heat softens the adhesive and the decal peels off. Alternatively, a razor blade works also... not scraping against the steel, but rather 'picking' and peeling the edge of decals. In any case, the decal usually tears at some point and also will leave some adhesive behind. Clean with a solvent and soft cloth.

I've used the above with success to remove decals from painted and unpainted surfaces.

Regards, Jim Brown

Everything depends, of course, on the type of "decals".

The first things I'd try are:

1. Water The next three are in order of increasing strength 2. Goo Gone 3. Lift-Off 4. Goof-Off You can also go to a good hobby shop and get a product made by one of the Decal Accessory Manufacturers that's specifically engineered for removing water-slide decals -- but it won't work at all on any other kind. IIRC Floquil also makes a hobby-oriented decal & paint remover.

Norm

Do you have a heat gun or even a hair dryer? Warm 'em up and they should come off. Respectfully, Ron Moore

3M makes a two stage spray can system. The first stage removes the plastic layer, the second stage removes the adhesive layer. I used it to de-decal a race car trailer once, no other approach touched the decals (except for the propane torch, but that also discoloured the paint...). Auto-body supply shop.

Brian

There's a MAGIC cure for getting decals off. It's so good, yet gentle, I use it on rare book worth $1,200 for one book and it works very quickly and leaves no residue or stain...

Lighter Fluid. Just put some on the decal and keep it moist with it for a few minutes, the, left it off and it's as if there's absolutely no adhesive at all on it! (it doesn't work as well on 'weatherproof' decals made of foil or plastic, but it will still creep in from the edges and just takes much longer to work.)

James, Seattle

||3M makes a two stage spray can system. The first stage removes the plastic ||layer, the second stage removes the adhesive layer. I used it to de-decal a ||race car trailer once, no other approach touched the decals (except for the ||propane torch, but that also discoloured the paint...). Auto-body supply ||shop.

OK, here ya go:

3M Aerosols: 08907 remobes the vinyl 08908 removes the adhesive

3M Wheels, for use with drill motor:

07498 Stripe-Off wheel w/arbor 07499 wheel only

07501 4" uses 3M Roloc attachment

07502 6" Roloc

Serious jobs:

07517 LASR (Large Area Stripe Removal) 8", use with power buffer

Texas Parts Guy

and lets not forget good ol WD-40....removes all kinds of gooey things !!

Jeff S.

This should be easy. Since you have a liquid nitrogen dewar I presume that you have liquid nitrogen. When a sticker is frozen it floats right off, leaving all of the sticky stuff on the sticker.

The reason I suggest this is once I dumped my Zippo lighter into a can of liquid nitrogen to see if the thing would work at sub zero temps. The lighter had a nice woodgrain sticker. The nitrogen must of displaced all of the lighter fluid however as even when the lighter warmed to room temp there was no fuel left in it. There was no sticky residue on the lighter either, but the sticker was still sticky when it thawed.

Several years ago I got a "Company" car to drive home every weekend provided I changed the decals in my "shop." ( Milk crate to sit on, hair dryer for heat and a well worn putty knife for persuasion.) Even at that, they got a good deal - 400 kilometers on the car as opposed to $200 to a body shop. Gerry :-)} London, Canada

Go to the local hobby shop. Buy some decal solvent (Solvaset, or the like). make a little dam around the decal. Add enough decal softener to cover the decal. Wait awhile and the decal will come off. This assumes the decal is a "water slide" decal and NOT a bumper sticker!!