Friday :: 03 July 2009 :: 09:05 PM
175 days to Christmas!
Cleaning Stickum Left From Vinyl Decals
Just after the winter began winding down and the weather was beginning to warm up, I removed a large 30" x 18" vinyl sticker from the tailgate of my truck. No matter how much heat was applied, the back of the sticker refused to come loose. I tried everything, Goof-Off®, fingernail polish remover, paint thinner, gum turpentine, etc. Nothing seemed to work very well.
Finally, I used WD40®, it worked better than anything else -- but it was still slow. After working almost two and one-half hours, I was able to remove about one-third of the decal debris, as you can see in this photo. At the rate I was going it would take a full day to remove the debris -- not a pretty picture.
So I got this idea to use my handy Wen Model 7000 10 inch Random Orbital Wax Applicator (Home Depot special) to see if that would speed things up a bit. After installing a fresh NAPA® Polishing Bonnet and spraying it with a light coat of WD40®, I went to work.
The working area was kept moist with regular light applications of WD40®. After the polishing action saturated the stickum with the oil, I took a putty knife and CAREFULLY removed the top layer of stickum. I was careful not to use the knife directly on the paint, nor did I try to remove the stickum down to the paint -- just kept to the top layer. This seemed to save some time as well.
All-in-all, I was able to remove the remaining two-thirds in less than an hour an one half. If I had used this technique from the start, the job would have been accomplished in about two hours -- less than the time it took to get the bright idea to use electric horsepower instead of manpower!
Another side benefit is the shine on the tailgate from working the oil into the finish. Kind of like applying a french polish to metal. As you can see the results were successful. Now, I just have to figure what kind of sticker is going to fill the big empty space!
After the last article regarding removing the stickum leftover from vinyl lettering and signs, several people got hold of me to let me know of their remedies. DM left a comment on the article site about peanut butter removing residue left behind by decals. This sounds like it would work, but you should remember there are abrasives in peanut butter (especially the chunky style!).
Lots of people recommended hair spray. I tried several. Most did little better than WD40 -- except one -- and my wife was quick to remind me it is not hair spray but anti-frizz spray. I have used StraightSexyHair by Sexy Hair Concepts. The label says, "Property of Michael O'Rourke" -- how cute!
My daughter picks this up at Fred Meyer (Kroger's for all of you in Ohio and the East).
I have used this on the toughest jobs, including some black marks that looked like vinyl on my rear window that several detailers were unable to deal with. Everything, including xzylene, was used to no avail. But a few deep rubs with StraightSexyHair and the marks were gone.
Try it for yourself. -- and keep me posted!
Random Humor: The Difference Between Hymns And Praise Choruses
HERE ARE BOTH SIDES OF THE STORY!
An old farmer went to the city one weekend and attended the big city church. He came home and his wife asked him how it was.
"Well," said the farmer, "It was good. They did something different, however. They sang praise choruses instead of hymns."
"Praise choruses?" said his wife, "What are those?"
"Oh, they're okay. They're sort of like hymns, only different," said the farmer.
"Well, what's the difference?" asked his wife.
The farmer said, "Well it's like this - If I were to say to you: 'Martha, the cows are in the corn,' well that would be a hymn.
If, on the other hand, I were to say to you: 'Martha Martha, Martha, Oh, Martha, MARTHA, MARTHA, the cows, the big cows, the brown cows, the black cows, the white cows, the black and white cows, the COWS, COWS, COWS are in the corn, are in the corn, are in the corn, are in the corn, the CORN, CORN, CORN' -- well, that would be a praise chorus."
NOW, THE REBUTTAL, SO TO SPEAK:
A young Christian went to his local church usually, but one weekend attended a small town church. He came home and his wife asked him how it was.
"Well," said the young man, "It was good. They did something different, however. They sang hymns instead of regular songs."
"Hymns," said his wife, "What are those?"
"Oh, they're okay. They're sort of like regular songs, only different," said the young man.
"Well, what's the difference?" asked his wife.
The young man said, "Well it's like this: If I were to say to you, 'Martha, the cows are in the corn,' well that would be a regular song. If, on the other hand, I were to say to you:
'Oh Martha, dear Martha, hear thou my cry;
'Inclinest thine ear to the words of my mouth.
'Turn thou thy whole wondrous ear by and by
'To the righteous, inimitable, glorious truth.
'For the way of the animals who can explain
'There in their heads is no shadow of sense,
'Harkenest they in God's sun or his rain unless
'From the mild, tempting corn they are fenced.
'Yea those cows in glad bovine, rebellious delight,
'Have broke free their shackles, their warm pens eschewed.
'Then goaded by minions of darkness and night;
'They all my mild Chilliwack sweet corn have chewed.
'So look to that bright shining day by and by,
'Where all foul corruptions of earth are reborn.
'Where no vicious animal makes my soul cry
'And I no longer see those foul cows in the corn.'
"Then, if I were to do only verses one, three and four and do a key change on the last verse, well that would be a hymn."