Tutorial: Removing Decals

Seeing as how I've seen a few people asking how to remove decals and pin stripes, I decided, I was going to be taking my Mazda decal off my tailgate, so why not take some pictures to show how I did it.

Materials:
Paint Thinner/WD-40/Goo-Gone (any of these will work)
An old rag or two (hand rag will do)
Heat Gun/Blow Dryer.
*Polish (not required)
and, your own 2 hands w/ some elbow grease.

Objective:
To remove decals and residue such as old glue.

Procedure:

1. Gather up all of your materials that you're going to be using to remove the decals with.

Here is a photo of what I had to begin with, (I had already started before I took this picture)


2. Grab your rag, and put a bit of paint thinner or wd-40 on it, whipe down the decal and a bit around it.

3. Grab your heat gun or blow dryer, don't hold the gun right against the deal/paint, and don't hold it there for too long, you don't want your paint to lift because you let it get to hot and bubble.

4. After getting the decal warmed up, start picking at a corner to get part of the decal lifted up.

Ex:


Ex(2):


5. After getting the decal tab removed, keep using the heat gun to lightly heat just in front of where you're decal will be lifting up next (as you pull the decal up)

If you get good at this step, the decal removing should become fairly easy




(video angle sucks, didn't have anybody to hold the camera)


For Example, I was able to completely remove this whole 'a' without any rips

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6. After removing all of the decals, there will most likely be a left over glue, dirt or residue.
Like this:


7. Now, the paint thinner and rag, or wd-40 and rag come in handy. Instead of picking at the dry left over glue, put some paint thinner on a rag, whipe it over, and if some of the glue is being stubborn, use the heat gun fto heat the glue up, then whipe the glue off.

8. Now your piece should be free of all residue and left over glue.

9. If you're NOT using polish, just whipe down around where you were working, and if you feel the need, wash your vehicle.

10. (Polishers only), Just polish the fender in which the repair was done. This will help any blending in with any faded lines or anything alone those lines.

11. This is what it shoudl look like now, (you can still faintly see it, but oh well)







Thanks, and good luck, don't bubble your paint.

Disclaimer *I am not responsible for any bubbling paint!

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another thing ive used is glass cleaner with amonia to help get ride of the sticky clue. nice job on the removal.

a guy who details cars once told me to use coke to get the glue off have not tried it but I will one day

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I just removed my decals today using a propane torch. Works very easily and effectivly.

To avoid damaging the paint move the torch very quickly back and forth across a section of the decal. Once you get a corner worked up heat for a few seconds in an area then peel while trying to get all your fingers on it. If you get it hot enough with the torch it there will be little to no residue left. When the decal starts to cool it will start leaving residue to prevent this keep your fingers in the area where you started pulling, as you pull the decal will continue to peel off until it gets to a cool area and will rip, then you reheat and pull again until it rips. Doing it in this fashion keeps your clean-up to a minimum after you get the decals off.

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