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Propane torch, good or bad for removin' vinyl. I have some trailers that I have to do some repair on. Someone else put on the graphics, but I have to do some remove & replace letters on 18 trailers. I thought I could use a propane torch. The letters are big, about 2 ft tall and maybe 20 in wide. I thought it might be faster with a torch than with a heat gun and having them have to move the trailers to an electrical outlet. I would just be doing a letter or a stripe here and there. What's your call?
-------------------- Signs by Alicia Jennings (Mudflap Girl) Tacoma, WA Since 1987 Have Lipstick, will travel. Posts: 3812 | From: Tacoma, WA. U.S.A. | Registered: Dec 1999
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I have preferred a propane torch over heat gun for years. It beats dragging a cord around or parking near an outlet. You can scorch the vinyl and leave marks on the surface if not careful.
-------------------- Pam Eddy Niles, MI ple@qtm.net Posts: 460 | From: Michigan | Registered: Dec 2000
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Not Careful??? Also be careful to not pat out flaming vinyl with left hand before moving torch away with right hand.
-------------------- James Donahue Donahue Sign Arts 1851 E. Union Valley Rd. Seymour TN. (865) 577-3365 brushman@nxs.net
Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what's for lunch, Benjamin Franklin Posts: 2057 | From: 1033 W. Union Valley Rd. | Registered: Feb 2003
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Hiya Alicia, A torch works well for smaller stuff. But, what you most likely want is a weed burner. It throws a lot of heat down quickly over a large area without heating up the substrate too much. When you add up the cost for a smaller tank, regulator and wand, they're not cheap. So, you may want to rent one.
Havin' fun,
Checkers
-------------------- a.k.a. Brian Born www.CheckersCustom.com Harrisburg, Pa Work Smart, Play Hard Posts: 3775 | From: Harrisburg, Pa. U.S.A. | Registered: Nov 1998
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Remember that excessive heat warps metal also aluminum goes away quicker then steel, watch the heat!
-------------------- Len Mort Signmaker1.com 11 Juniper Drive Millbury, MA 508-865-2382 "A Good Business Sign, is A Sign of Good Business"(1957) Posts: 811 | From: Millbury, Ma | Registered: Dec 2006
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Making the simple complicated is commonplace; making the complicated simple, awesomely simple, that's creativity. — Charles Mingus Posts: 6712 | From: Mendocino, CA. USA | Registered: Nov 1998
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Well I'm off to remove vinyl today - joy, joy, joy! Worst part is they put the decals on a fairly fresh painted tank...could be a disaster!
-------------------- “Did you ever stop to think, and forget to start again?” -Winnie the Pooh & A.A. Milne
Kelly Thorson Kel-T-Grafix 801 Main St. Holdfast, SK S0G 2H0 ktg@sasktel.net Posts: 5496 | From: Penzance, Saskatchewan | Registered: May 2002
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We just spent a better part of a day removing old printed graphics from a semi trailer. It was the worst ever! We tried everything from steam, a torch, pressure washer....adhesive remover. We did manage to get them off....but it was a nightmare!
-------------------- Patricia A. Raap Raap Signs 2615 Arthur Coopersville, MI 49404 616-677-0158 pat@raapsigns.com Posts: 575 | From: Coopersville, MI 49404 | Registered: Nov 2003
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My heart goes out to both Kelly and Pat. Vinyl removed from what had been put on too fresh paint. Yikes! Rip and tear. The Zapper might be the perfect tool for that. Pat, your job reminds me of when I had to remove some Avery vinyl off Costco trailers. The vinyl had bucnched up and shrunk up. ( I didn't put it on. It had been done by another company) I had to cut the lettering in 1 in strips, heat it up and peel. The adhesive had to be soaked in Rapid Tac Rapid remover, then scrubbed off with BonAmi powder soap. What a tan I got that summer. The job that I'm doing right nopw is,,,,,Costco! The comnpany ( Same company as before) that put on the graphics this time used 3M ControlTac, but being that they had so many trailers to do about 10 percent of the trailers have failture in the letters sticking. So I'm in there doing repairs etc. Bad for them, good for me.
-------------------- Signs by Alicia Jennings (Mudflap Girl) Tacoma, WA Since 1987 Have Lipstick, will travel. Posts: 3812 | From: Tacoma, WA. U.S.A. | Registered: Dec 1999
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