Sticker removal

[Skipoffools]

I recently discovered a great tool for removing "school bus" stickers. A guy at the local auto paint store sold me an eraser disc for removing pinstripes and decals. Was slightly skeptical about it and got home put it on my cordless drill and MAN does that things work just as I was told, it erases the stickers just like a pencil eraser. Use the edge of the wheel and it comes off (without harming the paint!) with in a few passes leaving behind what looks like pencil eraser dust. I've tried sanders and chemicals but nothing beats this eraser wheel. Here's a link I found of the same product. I think 3M and a few others make them too.

https://www.amazon.com/Astro-400E-Pi...2TY?th=1&psc=1

I'm sure a few of you all know of these but I figured to pass on the info to others who are in the same boat as I, prepping for paint.

[chev49]

that is one method of removal for small stickers. doesnt work so great on equipment like the huge bobcat sticker on the back of the mini excavators, nor the huge lettering on the gradall.

Use your 4000 lb hot water pressure washer. That is what I use for all decals.

[EastCoastCB]

Originally Posted by Skipoffools

I recently discovered a great tool for removing "school bus" stickers. A guy at the local auto paint store sold me an eraser disc for removing pinstripes and decals. Was slightly skeptical about it and got home put it on my cordless drill and MAN does that things work just as I was told, it erases the stickers just like a pencil eraser. Use the edge of the wheel and it comes off (without harming the paint!) with in a few passes leaving behind what looks like pencil eraser dust. I've tried sanders and chemicals but nothing beats this eraser wheel. Here's a link I found of the same product. I think 3M and a few others make them too.

https://www.amazon.com/Astro-400E-Pi...2TY?th=1&psc=1

I'm sure a few of you all know of these but I figured to pass on the info to others who are in the same boat as I, prepping for paint.

Only way to remove some of the decals. The reflective strips on my bus wouldn't come off for anything. Till I tried one of these.

[Skipoffools]

Originally Posted by chev49

that is one method of removal for small stickers. doesnt work so great on equipment like the huge bobcat sticker on the back of the mini excavators, nor the huge lettering on the gradall.

Use your 4000 lb hot water pressure washer. That is what I use for all decals.

Good to know! Maybe when I can afford a piece of heavy equipment I'll pick up a 4000 lb hot water pressure washer. But for now the eraser wheel meets my needs.

[XBUNCEX]

Good 'ol heat gun always works for me.

[chev49]

Originally Posted by Skipoffools

Good to know! Maybe when I can afford a piece of heavy equipment I'll pick up a 4000 lb hot water pressure washer. But for now the eraser wheel meets my needs.

Is ok... if you want to make $300 for an hour or two of work, get one. I have often made 1K a day...and the pressure washers only cost around 4K... Just saying.

[golfersmurf57]

I need something that will remove the adhesive that's left after the lettering is peeled. Tried acetone, carb cleaner , pressure washing and would rather not repaint any ideas? These have been on for quite a while. Its not a bus its an astro van with company name and number from the seller. I paid for it don't want to advertise for free.


Sent from my LGL64VL using Tapatalk

[EastCoastCB]

Originally Posted by golfersmurf57

I need something that will remove the adhesive that's left after the lettering is peeled. Tried acetone, carb cleaner , pressure washing and would rather not repaint any ideas? These have been on for quite a while. Its not a bus its an astro van with company name and number from the seller. I paid for it don't want to advertise for free.


Sent from my LGL64VL using Tapatalk

One of these on a drill will do it real nice-

[verotik]

Originally Posted by Skipoffools

I recently discovered a great tool for removing "school bus" stickers. A guy at the local auto paint store sold me an eraser disc for removing pinstripes and decals. Was slightly skeptical about it and got home put it on my cordless drill and MAN does that things work just as I was told, it erases the stickers just like a pencil eraser. Use the edge of the wheel and it comes off (without harming the paint!) with in a few passes leaving behind what looks like pencil eraser dust. I've tried sanders and chemicals but nothing beats this eraser wheel. Here's a link I found of the same product. I think 3M and a few others make them too.

https://www.amazon.com/Astro-400E-Pi...2TY?th=1&psc=1

I'm sure a few of you all know of these but I figured to pass on the info to others who are in the same boat as I, prepping for paint.

I just wanted to post here to thank you for this tip. I ended up needing one for each set of stickers (front and back) because our bus was from Arizona, so the stickers were baked on for 18 years, but this was the only thing that worked and it looks so much better now.

[Miles O Roads]

Never used one of thoses wheels but heard nothing but good things. A steam jenny will remove everything make sure to use PPE and be careful with it.

[Joyful]

HUGE thank you for posting this. Best ten bucks I've spent in a long time.

[Chongolio]

I got to use one of of those wheels on some of my stickers. Goo Be Gone and a razor also worked for me where keeping my balance was needed.

A high rpm drill made a world of difference on the eraser wheels performance

[Joyful]

For posterity, we went almost the whole way through one eraser disc removing the labeling from our short bus, and that was with us hand-peeling the "FIRST STUDENT" lettering off the sides (those peeled off pretty easily).


We've not done the internal lettering yet, but that will likely peel off too.


YMMV.

[Jacob&Spencer]

So, I have the magic eraser wheel and while it works great on the lettering and other small decals on the outside of the bus, the yellow flashing tape is giving me a hell of alot of trouble.... The wheel will eventually take it off, but it seriously burns the rubber off..At this rate I will need five wheels to get through all of the tape.... do I leave the tape and eventually paint over it like a "pinstripe" or....... burn the wheel up? What do y'all think? Much thanks.

[Twigg]

Originally Posted by Jacob&Spencer

So, I have the magic eraser wheel and while it works great on the lettering and other small decals on the outside of the bus, the yellow flashing tape is giving me a hell of alot of trouble.... The wheel will eventually take it off, but it seriously burns the rubber off..At this rate I will need five wheels to get through all of the tape.... do I leave the tape and eventually paint over it like a "pinstripe" or....... burn the wheel up? What do y'all think? Much thanks.

Heatgun and scraper.

[plfking]

Originally Posted by Jacob&Spencer

So, I have the magic eraser wheel and while it works great on the lettering and other small decals on the outside of the bus, the yellow flashing tape is giving me a hell of alot of trouble.... The wheel will eventually take it off, but it seriously burns the rubber off..At this rate I will need five wheels to get through all of the tape.... do I leave the tape and eventually paint over it like a "pinstripe" or....... burn the wheel up? What do y'all think? Much thanks.

I *think* the eraser wheels are designed mostly just to remove adhesive, not the tape itself. Remove all the tape with a heat gun/putty knife, then hit the remaining adhesive with the wheel.

EDIT: I don't type as fast as Twigg.

EDIT: But faster than Charlie.

[EastCoastCB]

Originally Posted by Jacob&Spencer

So, I have the magic eraser wheel and while it works great on the lettering and other small decals on the outside of the bus, the yellow flashing tape is giving me a hell of alot of trouble.... The wheel will eventually take it off, but it seriously burns the rubber off..At this rate I will need five wheels to get through all of the tape.... do I leave the tape and eventually paint over it like a "pinstripe" or....... burn the wheel up? What do y'all think? Much thanks.

Use a heat gun (powerful hair dryer) and a sharp scraper for the reflective tape. Use the rubber wheel for whats left.

[verotik]

I used the rubber wheel for it all. We tried scraping the letters off first. They were the big SCHOOL BUS letters that are reflective and like 8" tall, and it was a giant square sticker, it wasnt just letters, they were black letters on yellow reflective. Our bus spent 17 years in the arizona sun, the letters were pretty much part of the paint, and trying to get them off with a scraper was useless. I burned through one wheel on the front letters and one on the back. I used my really big drill, 10 amp. Lots of smoke and rubber, but it got it done. It isn't easy, but its the only thing that worked.

[EastCoastCB]

Originally Posted by verotik

I used the rubber wheel for it all. We tried scraping the letters off first. They were the big SCHOOL BUS letters that are reflective and like 8" tall, and it was a giant square sticker, it wasnt just letters, they were black letters on yellow reflective. Our bus spent 17 years in the arizona sun, the letters were pretty much part of the paint, and trying to get them off with a scraper was useless. I burned through one wheel on the front letters and one on the back. I used my really big drill, 10 amp. Lots of smoke and rubber, but it got it done. It isn't easy, but its the only thing that worked.

Yes! A lot depends on how baked on the decals and tape are.
On one side of my Colorado bus I had to use the wheel for the entire drivers side.
Last 2 buses I've de-stickered went easy with the heat gun and I only had to use the rubber wheel to clean up afterward.

[bus-bro]

You know, I found a solvent that worked great for me: xeylene! One of those solvents that might kill. But I wonder if my memory serves me well. Maybe it was the xeyline, benzine, gasoline, hydrazine or volitale bramines, but one of those solvents removed the goo. Can't remember so well anymore for some reason.