Hi, I have a job in which I have to remove the old vinyl letters & vinyl striping from a 20 foot long box truck;I know its going to be a hassle but, is there any tips to make the job go easier or is it just a hair dryer, heat gun, sweat, and a garage that is somewhat warm. Any comments would be great. Thanks Tim Karras
Posted by Tyler (Member # 2093) on :
A hot day always helps, but this time of year, you are out of luck. I stripped half a dozen 53' trailers with 10 year old vinyl and a few 26' as well with the help of a 'weed-burner'. Check industrial supply places or propane accessory stores. I think they aer used for blacktop and tarring roads, as well as burning weeds, I suppose. Hooks up to a grill propane tank and is like a flame thrower. It heats up a huge area at once, but be careful if you use it in a warehouse! Oh yeah, and rapid remover to get off adhesive
Posted by Dave Grundy (Member # 103) on :
Buggy...Removing old vinyl is a pain in the butt..no matter what anyone tells ya.
I use a heatgun, a "honed" single edge razorblade in a holder, Lil Chizlers, thumbs, fingernails, cursing and swearing!
Removing the old stuff is more of a pain than cutting, weeding and applying the new stuff so I charge accordingly. Personally, I charge...and get...$50/hr to remove old vinyl! It helps to pay my manicurist and it helps to pay for my Rapid Remover that I need to get rid of the leftover adhesive!
Posted by Sharon Bigler (Member # 2203) on :
I use all of the above along with 3M Woodgrain and Stripe Remover, but you need ventilation or a gas mask with that stuff. Also, the "honed" single edge razor is a must, along with the cursing and swearing.
Posted by pierre (Member # 1462) on :
If it's a premium film you want a COLD trailer and quickly applied heat and strip as you go. Temp balance is critical. Overheat and it delaminates. Underheat and it fractures. "The Eraser" wheel works when all else fails.
These removals are my son's specialty. We get all the bodyshop crap in town.
Posted by Mike Battistello (Member # 1353) on :
I recently discovered a fairly odorless vinyl remover that you brush on, wait 10 minutes and hose off. I just stripped lettering and graphics off of 7 vans and it went twice as fast as any other method, (I believe I've tried all the other methods listed in your replys). If you want to know where to get this stuff, call me at 847.482.0099. I don't sell the stuff, but there are a few more things you should know before using this gel-like remover. Things that are not explained in the directions that need to be.
