Will The Wheel Eraser Leave A Ghost Mark

[Joe Mullee]

I have a 1983 Hunter 34 with some vinyl stripping just below the rub rail. It's old, chipped, and faded so I think it's time to get it removed. The plan is to use a wheel eraser purchased from an auto parts store and take it off. My question is will there be a ghost mark left behind?

Any advice on removing the stripe is appreciated.

Thanks,
Joe Mullee

 

[Steve Dion]

Joe, the ghost will be there based on how much deterioration has occurred. The eraser has little or nothing to do with that.

Another option if you already have one is a wall paper steamer. Depending on the thickness of the vinyl, the steamer is a little quicker. The eraser is good when the vinyl is cracked and dry.

 

[Scott T-Bird]

I would use the eraser and not worry about the ghost mark ... simply use it as a guide for applying a new stripe. Don't make the mistake we did. We used a razor blade to remove the stripe and it was very easy to knick the gel coat as we went along (my wife and I each took a side and we were kind of racing to see who could get done first). I probably am to blame for the worst of the knicks. The new stripe that we put on looks great since we used the ghost line as a guide, but the knicks show thru the tape.

 

[sailingdog]

If you want to remove the stripe using a "razor" blade, they make new plastic ones that are designed be used as scrapers, and will not damage the gelcoat.

 

[Richard Bryer]

Removal will leave a "ghost", Joe- actually I kind of like the look- even the Hunter name and logo show in a kind of grey ghost. I removed mine a couple of years ago. I tried the eraser wheel and I was not happy with the result. It was painfully slow. The old stripe had dried and checked and it seemed to almost weld itself on. I was doing it before launch so the weather was still pretty cool. I tried a hair dryer that did not help. I tried the plastic blades. Didnt work. Finally tried a heat gun for paint removal and a regular one sided razor blade in a holder. That worked. I found I needed to get the stripe pretty warm, actually hot- (careful) then it came off very easily with the blade. Once you get the hang of it you can go along pretty good with the gun ahead of the blade. Kind of works as an early warning indicator too- you burn your hand before you overheat the hull!

 

[DannyS]

As a former owner if a sign shop, I'll tell you that there's no magic bullet. Sometimes the eraser works very well, sometimes hairdryers work, sometimes you need the heat gun. As others have said, stay away from the razor blades. I've found that the hairdryer and fingernails, in most instances, works the best to get the vinyl started, then you move the hairdryer to loosen the adhesive enough to pull up the vinyl with the adhesive still attached to the vinyl. That's the goal. Sometimes the heat gun will be too aggressive on the adhesive and it will be left behind on the hull. You then need an adhesive remover (like 3M Adhesive Remover) to get it clean.
I've done lots of vinyl removal and sometimes, depending on which side of the boat is more exposed to the sun and the color of the vinyl, one side will come off really easy and the other takes forever.
Sorry that I don't have the magic cure, but be persistant and you'll get it. There will be a ghost if it's been on for some time. Compounding the hull will usually take care of that.
Good luck!

 

[Cpt. Jon]

Wheel eraser worked great for me on our last boat. It did leave a little bit of a ghost but I bet if I would have polished the gel coat in that area it wouldn't really have been noticable, in fact it was barely noticable anyway, but I knew it was there. Heck it looked a lot better than the old weathered, beat up striping.