Boot Stripe Removal...

1BadTitan

1BadTitan

Member
Whats the easiest and fastest way to get this stripe off that wraps around the hull. Its peeled and cracked, I'd like to replace it.
 
Heat gun, lots of sharp razor blades, and Goo Gone citrus remover. Smear the Goo Gone in sections a few feet at a time. Keep the razor at the proper angle so you don't gauge into the gelcoat, and have patience. It takes a while, but I took off every single stripe on mine and it looks great now.
 
Disturbed hit it right on the head. I have tried multiple ways to remove the boot stripe on mine. Pressure washing, paint stripper, etc. Fastest way is the razor blade. I have not tried a heat gun yet though. I would get mine free sbout two inches and start pulling while keeping pressure on the stripe where its stuck and that worked good.
 
3m makes an eraser wheel that goes on a drill. My buddy does auto and pin stripping for a living and he has a bunch of them. It will remove the stripe and adhesive but not mess up the clearcoat. Same for a boat, it will remove the "sticker" or stripe without messing up gelcoat. You can order one online
 
Kracker Jack said:
3m makes an eraser wheel that goes on a drill. My buddy does auto and pin stripping for a living and he has a bunch of them. It will remove the stripe and adhesive but not mess up the clearcoat. Same for a boat, it will remove the "sticker" or stripe without messing up gelcoat. You can order one online
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We tried the eraser wheel, not much luck... It worked a little but chewed the wheel up fast.
 
X2 on what everyone else has said. Fastest way is the heat gun/hair dryer. The heat softens the gluebond and allows you to pull the stripe away from the hull. Single edge razor blades help in difficult spots, and the Goo-Gone works as a nice finishing "wash" to make sure that all residue of the glue is gone.
 
I found that the Eraser wheel doesn't work on any stickers or decals that are very old and cracked. It seems to be designed for decals that still have "stickiness" to them and haven't oxidized to the boat or car or whatever it is you're trying to remove them from. I had to rely mostly on the tried and true razor blade. Hands hurt like hell after I was done but I love the finished product.
 
The funny thing is on my v I blew them off with a pressure washer and then used a citrus solvent to remove adhesive. The eraser wheels he has are like a light brown color and they kick a$$!!!!
 
Kracker Jack said:
The funny thing is on my v I blew them off with a pressure washer and then used a citrus solvent to remove adhesive. The eraser wheels he has are like a light brown color and they kick a$$!!!!
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I need a pressure washer like this one... I guess its razor blades and GooGone for me.
 
bksah2 said:
Theres only one way to get thoes decals and strips off easily with little effort
its a highly guarded trade secret :pic::pic: Just kidding but here it is http://www.harborfreight.com/catalogsearch/result?q=decal remover


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1




How awesome is this.... I'm getting one of these...



I use it all the time,, then come back with some acetone to remove any leftover glue :oh:
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How awesome is this.... I'm getting one of these...
 
Hi 1badtitan,, Like I said I been useing the decal remover for years also when you go to get yours pick get a box of stright razor blads,,,,,:clap: good luck
 
That hot blade decal remover won't damage the gelcoat? That's the only thing that would worrk me. I can see how it wouold be ok on a car, but it would be just my luck (Murphy's Law) that mine would overheat or malfunction or something crazy and cause me more damage than its worth. Anyone have experience with them on boats?
 
You do have to be carefull when useing it ,,Keep the blade moving and on a low angle or you may dig into the gel coat,,,If you just used a stright blade or scraper you will damage the gel also with nicks and gouges ,,With the hot blade decal remover as long as you keep it moveing and on a low angle to the gel coat you should be ok...I just removed 2 very old 4foot long Grady white decals and it only took 10/15 mins. I had to go back with some acetone to remove leftover glue but i was all done in aboue 30mins,, it only cost around $10 at harbor fright ...
 
I'ver done my v with one and it took no time at all.It woun't gouge the gelcoat anymore than a cold razor blade or scraper.A real time saver .Takes longer to clean the left over glue.Got to be carefull it'll burn you good if you slip.
 
yea, this is where its at.... I work with soldering irons a few times a week... I should be ok with this animal.
 
I just finished up 1 side of my V.
The easiest way I've found is to use a heat gun.Just get the decal stripe heated a bit,start the removal by using a thin,flexible putty knofe then keep pulling as you heat the decaling up with the gun.
Too much heat will cause it to melt and tear but it doesn't tale too long to figure out how much heat it takes to release the decaling.
After that i take some decal remover and dob it on with a rag.Then I use an old towel and simply rub off the old adhesive.
Before I began applying the new striping I wiped down the area with alcohol.
 
I tried the razor blade, heat thing lots of work. WD-40 let it soak a minute or two and a razor scraper and it came off super easy whole boat in a hour. It took me a hour to do 3 feet. WD-40 is all I can say.
 
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