Decal and Adhesive removal

Discussion in 'General VFR Discussions' started by Jim McCulloch, Dec 12, 2021.

  1. Jim McCulloch

    Jim McCulloch New Member

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    Any tips on removing the adhesive after decal removal? I got the decals off the fuel tank but the adhesive left behind will NOT BUDGE. I tried "Goo Gone" Pro and it not work. I even tried soaking it and no change. I am afraid to razor blade it off because it is taking the paint off.

    This is on a 88 model bike, so maybe the adhesive was different back then? Usually Goo Gone works pretty well.
     
  2. raYzerman

    raYzerman Member

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    Most adhesives will soften up (slowly) if you put a rag soaked in naptha or mineral spirits, but a hair dryer will usually work for the stubborn stuff... plastic scraper at most, scuffs can be buffed out later if not too bad. Heat until you can't touch it, keep the heat on (don't burn yourself) while you work at it. Sometimes it will "roll" off with finger pressure. You'll need lots of patience. If I feel I need an abrasive at the end, I'll use Novus #2 as it won't dull the gloss, perhaps the wax in it helps dissolve too. Microfiber cloths work better than any other rag or towel, seems they pick up stuff really well.

    I use Novus #2 afterwards regardless, to even up any gloss differences.. if it's discoloured due to age, well, difficult to fix. Can you get new decals and put them on? I kinda like the look of warning decals actually... I bought a NOS tank, and left them on my 5th Gen. It cam with the Honda wing decals too, so lucky me didn't have to deal with any of it.

    After the Novus, I'll use isopropyl alcohol to clean off any wax or oily fingerprint residue before I put new decals on.

    Maybe some of the experienced retro guys will have some other ideas.
     
  3. Jim McCulloch

    Jim McCulloch New Member

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    Thanks for the reply, that is good information.

    This is actually on my NT650 Hawk GT, and I am doing a total repaint on the tank.

    Just want to get the adhesive off without destroying the base layer of paint as it makes a good primer for the new paint.

    IMG_0408.JPG
     
  4. NorcalBoy

    NorcalBoy Member

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    So much for my belt sander idea.....
     
  5. Jim McCulloch

    Jim McCulloch New Member

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    Yeah, I wanted to go medieval on that shit but thought the better of it.
     
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  6. Thumbs

    Thumbs Member

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    WD40 has naphtha and other solvents, I used it to get the decals off my ‘89
     
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  7. Captain 80s

    Captain 80s Member

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  8. raYzerman

    raYzerman Member

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  9. bk94si

    bk94si Member

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    I used turpentine on mine.
     
  10. Jim McCulloch

    Jim McCulloch New Member

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    Damn....That looks pretty handy. I have some pinstripes I want to remove from my Honda Prelude fender. Looks like the ticket! Thanks!
     
  11. Jim McCulloch

    Jim McCulloch New Member

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