Removing old lettering

[Roy Udwin]

I have ordered new vinyl lettering for my boat name and home port.

Can anyone please advise me on the best method to remove the old vinyl lettering that has probably been on there for 10 years.

 

[Dean5735]

A hair dryer or heat gun. Hopefully you got the same letters, there will be fadded letters left showing.

 

[kloudie1]

Going to be some elbow grease involved. Like Blowing/Drifting said, if the numbers aren't the same, the un-aged gellcoat from under the old numbers will be really obvious. Some polishing compound (over the entire area) after the old letters are gently scraped off using heat is a pretty good way to get this done.. Plastic scraper to keep from making big scratches/gouges.. Good Luck with it.
I can still see the old letters on my boat that were removed 18 years ago.

 

[Capt. Ed]

Add one of those plastic razor blade to the above post .If you think you will see the shadow from the old letters then try compounding the area ,and remember the Maine 20 foot rule . There is a lot you don,t see from 20 feet away .

 

[Mike B]

Keep the heat gun moving and don't get too close or you'll risk burning your gel coat. Heat the lettering until it just starts to get tacky then using a plastic putty knife roll back a corner so you can grab it with your fingers. Keep the heat gun moving around the area you're peeling and gently pull the lettering off. Just think like Goldilocks Too cold and the lettering stays brittle and either chips off or doesn't peel at all. Too hot and it will rip apart leaving you with little pieces and more work.
Mike

 

[duality]

per a recommendation on this site i just removed my name and stripes with a wall paper steamer. i was lucky and purchased a wagner wall paper remover on craigslist for $20. it went real well, i heated the end and pull it up and moved down the boat pulling slowly and moving the steamer as i went along! the name was easier than the stripe. i am now in the process of buffing the boat as described by "maine sail" when i will reapply new stripes and name.

mike

 

[Tim R.]

per a recommendation on this site i just removed my name and stripes with a wall paper steamer. i was lucky and purchased a wagner wall paper remover on craigslist for $20. it went real well, i heated the end and pull it up and moved down the boat pulling slowly and moving the steamer as i went along! the name was easier than the stripe. i am now in the process of buffing the boat as described by "maine sail" when i will reapply new stripes and name.

mike

This is the same procedure I have used many times but with a hair dryer. A heat gun is overkill and you will likely burn your gelcoat. There will be some glue residue left over but this can be removed with acetone immediately followed by a washing with mild detergent. buff the shadows, wipe with acetone and rinse and apply the new lettering and they will fade fairly quickly.

 

[HukilauMike]

I was able to easily remove old vinyl lettering with just a single edge razor blade. No heat gun needed, no gelcoat damage. In a similar thread, I read where someone filed down the corners of a blade to lessen the chance of damaging the gelcoat. The area under the letters was raised and a slightly different color, so I used some compound to try and even things out. Be careful, as you can easily make the compounded area a different color than the rest of the hull. After some mild compounding, I elected to let the sun do the rest of my dirty work. After only one season, the color was almost uniform; after two, the old lettered area was indistinguishable in color from the rest of the transom. The raised area will probably always be there somewhat, but you can't tell from more six feet away.

 

[BrianW]

I used the type of razor blade paint scraper made for for windows. By being very careful and getting just the right angle, you can see if you're shaving off any gel coat (or not). I used rubbing compound and lots of buffing, followed by wax and more buffing. A "ghost" of the old lettering was slightly visible. It disappeared after two years of sunlight. I only had one problem after rubbing and buffing.... the one spot I worked on for an hour looked so damn good and shiny, it made the rest of the boat hull look like crap in comparison. I had to go back and give the rest of the boat the same deluxe treatment! BrianW

 

[Barnacle Bill]

Heat gun is quick if it won't peel without it. Mineral Spirits is better to soften the adhesive left behind and remove it (better than acetone, I think). You just let it soak in and with some rubbing (not difficult) it will eventually disappear.

 

[Bernie Wolfe]

I face the same problem with my S2 8.0B, so thanks for the info. To remove the left over adhesive I recomend using 3M's Adhesive, Wax & Mark Remover. I've used it many times on my autos with no damage to the finish, and again yesterday. My wife is a nut for those magnetic signs on the rear of her SUV. One had faded so badly I tried to remove it, but the plastic surface on the magnetic pad had melted and adhered to the auto. I used the 3M product to remove it without any damage to the paint. I've never used it on gel coat, so I'll try a small test area on my boat first. I buy it at Advance Auto Pats.

 

[Steve Dion]

Roy: I personally do not like the razors or the heat guns/hair driers.

If the vinyl is very brittle and thin, there is a device called an "eraser" that goes on the end of your drill that works well under certain conditions. I got some stripes removed with the wall paper steamer/remover like Mike mentioned. It was really the most painless method and there was no chance of doing any damage to the gel coat.