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Removing Vinyl Decal On Headstock


Stiffy

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I put on this vinyl decal on my headstock. Unfortunately it was off center to left by about a quarter of a inch. What is the safest way to remove it without messing up the laquer finish underneath the decal?

If you haven't laquered over it yet, peel away at it with your finger nail. If it breaks up, use a hairdryer NOT A HEAT GUN) to gently warm it and soften the glue. When the vinyl os gone, there may be some glue residue. If there is, put some white spirit or meths on it and give it afew sec to soak - the glue will turn to snot and will be removable with a clean rag. If there's any left then, just repeat.

BTW I know this as I'm a sign writer - I do this daily and it's the best way to remove WITHOUT surface damage.

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What Chunkie said. In the future, if you want to put a sticker on and would like some measure of safety before commitment, do what the car guys do:

Mix some water with one drop of liquid dish soap.

Spray the surface to be stickered lightly with the water.

Place sticker on surface, and move it around gently until it sits where you want it.

When the sticker is in place, press it down, driving the water out from underneath it. You can use a credit card or semi-hard straight edge to drive out any air bubbles.

Also, you can tape off/around the area you want to put the stucker on so that you have a good idea where to put it before applying it.

Remember the Alamo, and God Bless Texas...

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I put on this vinyl decal on my headstock. Unfortunately it was off center to left by about a quarter of a inch. What is the safest way to remove it without messing up the laquer finish underneath the decal?

If you haven't laquered over it yet, peel away at it with your finger nail. If it breaks up, use a hairdryer NOT A HEAT GUN) to gently warm it and soften the glue. When the vinyl os gone, there may be some glue residue. If there is, put some white spirit or meths on it and give it afew sec to soak - the glue will turn to snot and will be removable with a clean rag. If there's any left then, just repeat.

BTW I know this as I'm a sign writer - I do this daily and it's the best way to remove WITHOUT surface damage.

White spirit or meths? Is that Naptha? The hair dryer and finger nail worked thanks. I used a needle nose to pull it off. I used Endodust and a rag to buff off the goo.

Unfortunately there is a small nick in the finish from my thumb nail at the prying point. Been block sanding wet but it doesn't seem to be leveling it out. Just did a drop fill hopefully that will solve it.

Edited by Stiffy
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What Chunkie said.  In the future, if you want to put a sticker on and would like some measure of safety before commitment, do what the car guys do:

Mix some water with one drop of liquid dish soap.

Spray the surface to be stickered lightly with the water.

Place sticker on surface, and move it around gently until it sits where you want it.

When the sticker is in place, press it down, driving the water out from underneath it.  You can use a credit card or semi-hard straight edge to drive out any air bubbles.

Also, you can tape off/around the area you want to put the stucker on so that you have a good idea where to put it before applying it.

Remember the Alamo, and God Bless Texas...

Are you sure that is going to work with a vinyl decal?
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Yeah I know, I'm crazy as a s**thouse rat for doing this. Heres my Fender Gemini II acoustic as it used to be. I swear, putting stickers on a guitar, case or vehicle can be habit forming and in the long run is just plain DUMB. I woke up one morning, looked at the guitar and said, *** am I doing? I've been playing the guitar since 1984 and its a very special guitar for me. I've taken it everywhere, backed my truck over it once and it has also survived numerous campfire episodes, not to mention having entertained a LOT of people.

stickers5dg.jpg

Anyway, its back to normal now. I spend an entire afternoon removing all that useless nostalgia from the front, back and sides that only had meaning to me and no one else. Yes the guitar was completely covered from head to toe. I gently pried, scraped with a razor window scraper and then used acetone for the "glooey" bits. Acetone works best, just wet a rag with it and rub like crazy. It won't harm the finish if the finish has been totally cured. Just rub vigorously and wipe clean, don't allow the solvent to stand for any length of time.

Only the dragonfly is left, was the first sticker to go on and was given to me by a very beautiful woman. One of those memories I'd prefer to keep. :D

Edited by Southpa
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Ok thanks for the tip. I will drop dish soap in a squirt bottle and fill it up with cold water. Spray it on the headstock so I can slide the vinyl decal not water slide decal, and tape it where I want it, squeegee. Wholla perfectly aligned vinyl decal on my headstock right?

That's right - the VINYL decal is installed on water and can either be a mist (just to stop initial grab of the glue) or can be a flood of water to float the decal into place.

The reason i don't mention acetone is because I wouldn't like to leave it on a finish for very long. You can use meths/turps all day long and not cause a problem. Acetone COULD cause problems. It's quicker but that's not always best.

Edited by chunkielad
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