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A local pool and spa manufacturer has just purchased several stainless steel water tankers. The tankers were once used for hauling milk. Anyway, the tanks have graphics (Tuscan) that have been in place for years. The vinyl is quite thick and brittle. I tried heat today with no luck. Any suggestions or directions that I might try? Looking forward to any kind of help.
-------------------- Harvie Loomis Loomis Signs 76 Cortright Hill Road Newark Valley, NY 13811 (607)642-8616 tozrox@frontiernet.net Posts: 47 | From: Newark Valley, NY 13811 | Registered: Jul 2000
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I use a blade scraper with a blade from a utility knife. Make sure it's kinda dull. It gets in-between the adhesive and the Vynull. Then wipe off the adhesive with gas. ready to stick more sticky letters.
-------------------- Mike Meyer Sign Painter 189 1st Ave n P.O. Box 3 Mazeppa, Mn 55956
We are not selling, we are staying here in Mazeppa....we cannot re-create what we have here....not in another lifetime! SO Here we are!!!!!!!
My bro in law has a semi-trailer which has "Budweiser" in huge letters, covering the whole side of the trailer. We have tried prying those babies off and the whole side of the trailer wants to come off with them. We've tried a hair dryer, rapid remover, razorblades. Must be some kind of super-vinyl.
-------------------- Wayne Webb Webb Signworks Chipley, FL 850.638.9329 wayne@webbsignworks.com Posts: 7404 | From: Chipley,Florida,United States | Registered: Oct 1999
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When all else fails....get out a heat gun! Obviously a hair dryer isnt hot enough.
Get yourself a good clean sharp putty knife, round the edges a bit, so you don'y goughe the finish and pour the heat to the vinyl. Be careful...heat guns will melt lead!
Clean up the residue with RR.
-------------------- Si Allen #562 La Mirada, CA. USA
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Brushasaurus on Chat Posts: 8831 | From: La Mirada, CA, USA | Registered: Nov 1998
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Since you are dealing with stainless steel, and not painted surfaces, you can resort to hot thinners if the heat gun doesn't work. 3M makes a spray can product for removing woodgrain vinyl from cars. It's 2 parts. The first can melts the vinyl off, and the second one gets the glue. I used this product on an all aluminum step van once, after trying everything else to remove the vinyl, and could not believe how fast this stuff took off the vinyl. It's expensive, but the savings in time is well worth it."Can't remember what they call the stuff, but I got it at the local auto paint store.
Another solvent is MEK...it will soften the old vinyl and dissolve the glue, but it takes a little longer than the other stuff, plus, unless you are outside in a breeze, MEK may soften and dissolve a few of your brain cells too.....whew!
-------------------- Jeff Ogden 8727 NE 68 Terr. Gainesville FL, 32609 Posts: 2138 | From: 8827 NE 68 Terr Gainesville Fl 32609 | Registered: Aug 2002
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Thru EM plastic in Canada, ive bought and used a product called x-el decal remover.... works great... used it on a gas tanker that changed companies...
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I run into the same thing on old locomotives. Considering the size, a regular heat gun could take weeks or months to do the job. What you need is the king kong of heat guns, the SPACE HEATER! You know, the things that look and sound like a small jet engine. This comes pretty close to "stoopid redneck bloe yer self up tricks", but it does work. And yes, I've never seen anyone else do it, so maybe that says something about me, but a red-er-um I mean man's gotta do what a man's gotta do. I use two A-type ladders, with a heavy plank (2x10) in between. Just be very careful and calculated about all your moves. The previously mentioned 3M product REALLY seems worth investigating. Jim.
-------------------- 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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If you have a John Deer dealer neer by buy some Paint and Decal remover from them it comes in a spray can, I used this stuff on an aluminum grumman truck, one can did the whole truck, the vinyl had been on this truck for 10 plus years.
when I sprayed it on the vinyl ( which was 3M by the way) it wrinkled right up and literally fell off, the adhesive was another story but I used the same spray and I had to scrape it off with a squeegee.
-------------------- Bob Rochon Creative Signworks Millbury, MA 508-865-7330
"Life is Like an Echo, what you put out, comes back to you." Posts: 5149 | From: Millbury, Mass. U.S. | Registered: Nov 1998
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.....heh,heh....I'm with you Amy...I almost did'nt check it out...an' then I said, "nah, it's gotta be a cleanin' issue..."lol........an' James, are you talkin' about yer trusty torpedo heater? Hahahahaha!! I tho't I was one of the few truly insane people around here!!! It also comes in really handy fer warmin' small sections of the shop up! Make sure to always add a dislaimer to such posts, like "You take your life into your own hands if/when you follow this tip. Please do not be callin' and cussin' me out if/when you get badly burned and or otherwise injured by other crazy things like this that I may give you tips on, or if you get caught and fined by the fire inspector, OSHA and/or other very special people who take too much interest in tried and proven, albeit, unorthodox methods!!!" LOL!!
-------------------- Signs Sweet Home Alabama
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"Look like a girl, act like a lady, think like a man, work like a dog" Posts: 5758 | From: "Sweet Home" Alabama | Registered: Mar 2003
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Whatever you do, DONT use anything that will scratch the surface of the tank. I know the specific trailers your talking about. Tuscan Dairies used both polished and brushed stainless steel barrels for their tankers in the past, either way your going to find that if you use anything that could scratch the surface of the barrel it will. Those scratches dont come out. I am not sure who built the tankers, but I would bet that if they are still in business you could contact them and they could give you more ideas how to accomplish this major task.
-------------------- Harris Kohen K-Man Pinstriping and Graphix Trenton, NJ "Showing the world that even I can strategically place the pigment where its got to go." Posts: 1739 | From: Trenton, NJ, USA | Registered: Jun 2001
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if its stainless..use GREAT DANE DECAL REMOVER. sold at truck shops..great dane is a semi trailer builder company.....blisters it right now. use rubber gloves it will burn skin..do not use on painted surfaces! this aint no bull.i guaronteeee it
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It also comes in really handy fer warmin' small sections of the shop up! Make sure to always add a dislaimer to such posts, like "You take your life into your own hands if/when you follow this tip. Please do not be callin' and cussin' me out if/when you get badly burned and or otherwise injured by other crazy things like this that I may give you tips on, or if you get caught and fined by the fire inspector, OSHA and/or other very special people who take too much interest in tried and proven, albeit, unorthodox methods!!!" LOL!! 
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