gregg-o

Bought a frame with a ton of stickers on it, was looking for best way to remove them. What is the best way.


Thanks,
Gregg-o

thebristolkid

Razor blade + lighter fluid. Mostly lighter fluid.

redxj

A hair dryer works well too. I remove all of my rim stickers that way. Heat up sticker and peel away with fingernail. Touch up with a little goo gone to get rid of glue residue

operator

Hairdryer + peel. Use goo gone to clean up residue.

masterjack

goo gone is da ****

chase.

porous stickers you can saturate with acetone, slide off, then clean up with more acetone or goo gone. nonporous stickers benefit most from heat and a steady hand with a straight razor, and then cleanup with goo gone. remember that if you're using a razor blade to keep it tangent to the frame tubing.

epschoenly

I think parallel may be more accurate than tangent, most important than anything is not gouging the paint.

loaf

goo gone rocks so hard, just watch them fumes.

Sizzle-Chest

some guy told me wd40 or silicon spray, neither work, don't make the same mistake i did,

go goo gone and wear a fresh air mask!

na975

gasoline + match!

Mtbnomore

Goo gone fumes? Smells of oranges.

rodri9o

right on.

Sizzle-Chest

more like toxic chemical bubblegum

roadscrape

I purchased a nice rebuilt set of wheels for a song. However, the previous owner removed the rim stickers without first using a hair dryer to soften the glue. As a result, a thick coat of glue was left on the black rim. I researched this forum and others for a glue removal solution. I also asked at a couple of LBSs.

I wanted to do the job indoors while watching the Tour de Georgia nightly updates. But first, I tried lighter fluid, acetone, and Goof Off outside. The results of all 3 barely softened the glue. Light fluid/acetone/other petrochems all evaporate too quickly to really soften the glue. I don't want to sit there and scrub the rim for 30 min. on one sticker while breathing toxic fumes (carcinogens - and I worked for Chevron for 20 years!).

So, back to the hardware store. They had a citrus-based gel made for varnish and glue removal. The guy said to test it first to make sure it doesn't take the paint off the rim. I was pretty sure that rim paint is epoxy based (anything else would scratch too easily), but I tested to be sure.

No problem. The citrus gel worked without affecting the paint at all. I experimented, and found that leaving the gel applied over the glue for 30 min. was effective. I used a plastic scraper to get the thicker portion off. I then re-applied the gel, let it sit for 15-20 min., then scrubbed with an old wash cloth. All the glue residue was gone! I'll wash the rim with Simple Green afterwards to remove any citrus gel residue and to clean the brake track.

The citrus get is about the same price as the Goo Gone plus (or whatever they call the up-brand), is not toxic to breath or get on your skin. I'm working over a tile floor, and the drops of gel don't affect the tile at all.

In the end, the citrus gel is effective at removing heavy glue residue wihout a lot of muscle work, and it's also environmentally friendly.

markjenn

Razor blades? Acetone? Only if you don't care about the underlying paint.

On new stickers, heat and patience will often allow you to peel from a corner and have the entire sticker come off clean. Don't go with the solvents until you get as much as possible without them, as they make a gooey mess. On solvents, I start with alcohol, then escalate to WD40, citrus goo gone, then the nastier goo gone stuff. Acetone will work, but it is a rare clear coat paint job that can hold up to acetone.

A hard plastic scraper (like an car ice scraper) is the best tool. NEVER use anything metal.

- Mark

frankstoneline

I use the hairdryer and peel back method, just go slow and heat the bit you are peeling with the hairdryer as you're pulling it off.

tx_what_it_do

brake cleaner will take anything off. watch out for your paint though.

ralphm2k

NO NO NO!!!
This will destroy your finish.

Use a hair dryer and dental floss.

keisatsu

I thought that was how you make a cat go "woof"?!