Removing striping and decals.

[mls]

I have a 1983 Sea Ray 207 and the pin striping and registration decals are badly faded and cracked. Is wet sanding the best way to remove the old before applyig new? Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.

Mike S.

 

[muddkatt]

Stay away from wet sanding! Best thing is a blow dryer or heat gun. When they get hot they come off easier. I use a single edge razor blade and a blow dryer, but you can cut into the gelcoat if you are not careful. When the stripes are that old, it is gonna be slow go.

 

[BobV1]

In my opinion, the use of either a hair dryer or heat gun is the fastest and cleanest method to use, when trying to remove vinyl decals or stripes. Usually, you can remove the decal in one piece, once you get an edge started. You might want to use a plastic scraper or putty knife, so that you don't scratch the gel coat.

Some people rave about the use of a stripe removal tool made by 3M. You can buy them in an autobody or paint supply store. I didn't see them in the Boat Fix catalog. Basically, it's a rubber wheel that you use in a drill. My experience with this product it that it's a PIA to use and very messy.

Bob

 

[gcolton]

Ditto. Just be sure you do not overheat.

G

 

[JoeBTB]

I used the 3M stripe removal tool and it worked great. It does make a mess though. I had a lot of lettering to remove from the transom, and the scraper plus hair dryer wasn't doing it.

If you go with the tool, get the disc holder too. I used a 1200 RPM drill, which worked fine. The 4" disc was a little easier to control than the 6" disc.

http://boatfix.com/catalog/714.pdf

 

[sbw1]

Blow drier works great. Follow up with acetone on a shop towell to get rid of any remaining glue. I have replaced lots of stripes on Sea Rays and it's a piece of cake. You will need to rub out the hull when done.

 

[littlebookworm]

I agree: blow drier and plastic scraper. Clean up with acetone and polish out. I removed the old numbers/ decals/ and stern lettering from my boat that way with no problem. Keep the gun moving slowly, and don't let the acetone sit on the gel coat. Wet some toweling with acetone, wipe on, wipe off. Refold toweling frequently. Wear gloves to protect your hands. No smoking!

 

[carver 2557]

I used a product called Goo-Gone, but when the Decal was removed I had to wet sant the whole side of the boat as I could see where the Decal was...If you are planning on puting a new decal the exact same size over the spot where the old one was there will be no need for wet sanding...
You will find after removing the old decal that the Gelcoat will have oxidized where the Decal wasn't...I thought my boat was pretty shinny, until I removed the old decal...You will see the original colour of the boat under where the Decal was...