Removing old boat name

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JonnyBoats
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Removing old boat name

Post by JonnyBoats »

The boat name and hailing port for my boat are put on the transom with vinal letters. What is the best way to remove them?
John Tarbox
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mashedcat
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Post by mashedcat »

John
These guys are very helpful. If the answer isnt on the site, they will tell you the answer on the phone or by email.

http://www.speedysigns.com/lettering/
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Tim
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Re: Removing old boat name

Post by Tim »

JonnyBoats wrote:The boat name and hailing port for my boat are put on the transom with vinal letters. What is the best way to remove them?
A little heat is all you need--something like a hair dryer, or a heat gun on a very low setting. Even a warm sunny day is often enough to soften the vinyl and make it easy to peel off. Start at a corner and heat the vinyl only enough to allow you to peel. After a few minutes you'll get a feel for how much heat is enough, and how much is too much. (Too much will make the vinyl so soft that it will tend to tear; too little and it will be brittle and tend to tear.)

If any adhesive is left behind, paint thinner or acetone or 3M adhesive remover will take care of it nicely.
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tikvah59
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Removing vinyl letters

Post by tikvah59 »

I used a rubber wheel, made by 3M, which is specifically for removing vinyl letters.

Image

There's some more info on my site:

http://home.comcast.net/~markwhipple/Bo ... 202001.htm

The material is like an eraser, so it makes a bunch of crumbs. But no heat or chemicals - although I may have used alcohol or the like for final cleanup.
Emily Hope
Nimble 30' yawl
Jason K
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Post by Jason K »

I second the hairdryer approach. As Tim says, start at a corner and keep tugging and applying heat ahead of where you're pulling. If it gets too hot for your fingers, it's too hot. Takes no time and you can't beat the price.
- Jason King (formerly #218)
J/30 Rambunctious
http://www.rambunctiousracing.com
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