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attn chemistry geeks - need correct solvent


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Does anyone happen to know what type of adhesive Fuji used for pinstriping and graphics on the EA82's?

I've tried the following so far - none of which dissolved the pinstripes:

Laquer thinner

Denatured Alcohol

Mineral Spirits

Cleaning (Lighter) Fluid

Nail polish Remover

Acetone

Turpentine

Aircraft remover did remove the pinstripes - along with the topcoat and primer (much too harsh).

Have not tried some of the oddball solvents like gasket remover yet. I'm afraid this would also lift laquer.

If anyone knows what the "common" solvent is for the graphics Fuji used, please share.

thanks, John

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3M has several products that work. If you haven't removed the vinyl stripe or graphic yet there is a aerosol they make that will lift the graphic off then use their general pupose adhesive remover, if you've already peeled off the items in question just use the adhesive remover. I'm not sure of any #'s but if you stop by your local Bodyshop paint supply store they should direct you to a product that works. Maybe 10-15 bucks max for any

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I had a van I bought from a delivery company and it still had the lettering and stuff on it. I used the 3M product mentioned above and it worked. However...it takes LOTS of elbow grease in addition to the aerosol. It would take several applications before the adhesive would start to break up, then it would start gumming up and form boogers that still stuck before it would finally come off. I found it helped if I turned the rag a lot and then got new rags when the old would start collecting the boogers, otherwise they would redeposit back on the paint. The adhesive remover is paint friendly but it will take off any wax you have on there. It actually cleaned up the paint a little (oxidized layer) so I had a shinier spot where I cleaned.

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I just removed some old faded rear boot OE stickers from my car (EA82 coupe) , I used a hair drier to soften them up, then scraped/picked off with my finger nail, once the plastic is removed the stickey stuff can be removed with a little meths and or cut off with a decent polish :). Though I did start to accidently remove the good door 4WD TURBO stickers with the power wash! DOH:banghead:

Hope this helps

Michael

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yeah. I have the round eraser type thing. called "Stripe Delete" or something. put it in my cordless drill and erase away. it's a 3M product. I got if for around $30 or so at NAPA. I used it to remove a brat targa stripe!

I've never used one of these but have heard of and seen them. I was told they don't remove the adhesive. Is that true? What's your take on it?

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I'm not a chemistry geek, but MEK or MPK can remove just about any adhesive I've ever come across.

This is what I'm talking about - a standard general purpose solvent.

I'll also check to see what 3-M carries. The solvents made specifically for their adhesives are excellent.

John

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I removed all the vinyl from my airplane with a hair dryer set on high, followed by cleaning off the glue residue with regular carb cleaner. It didn't hurt the paint (regular enamel) on either the metal or fabric.

 

 

Check on the inside of a door jamb or someplace where it won't show if it eats the paint.

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I do vinyl graphics for a living.

 

At the shop, we WILL NOT use the rubber stripe off things. We have several, everytime we attempt to use it, it ends up harming the surface. We simply cannot take that risk working on other people's cars and trucks.

 

There is no miracle solution, other than lots of hard work.

 

We will heat the graphics with a heat gun, and peel them off. Then, for the remaining adhesive we saturate it with isopropyl alcohol. Then, use a stiff but flexible scrapper (we use a soft plastic squeegee or a harder plastic scraper) to scrape the bulk of the adhesive off. There will still be a residue or film. Wash and scrub with isopropyl until clean.

 

We've tried lots of different methods. The wheels, a bunch of different chemicals (most are mixes of citrus removers and alcohol).

 

Nothing we've tried has worked better than straight alcohol. There is a certain amount of safety using alcohol, its very hard to harm the paint with it. Also, a lot of the chemical concoctions will give you a mean headache, where as you don't so much with the alcohol.

 

So, to reinterate. TAKE YOUR TIME. Rushing or trying to find a shortcut will only lead to surface damage.

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The heat is the key here... you have to soften the adhesive and gently peel while it's still warm.... I used an old credit card to slide along under the vinyl. So, until the vinyl is removed there's no way for the alcohol to saturate into the adhesive... it won't penetrate it. Our first boat was used and it carried a really stupid name that had to go... after removing the lettering, I used denatured alcohol. To clean the surrounding area and remove every trace of the name, I scrubbed it hard with Maguire's Carnauba Wax on a terry towel it seems to deep clean while not hurting the finish. It takes time but it will work.

Good luck! Mary

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