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Vinyl Lettering...

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seads
1st Mate

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USA
90 Posts

Initially Posted - 05/10/2003 : 19:45:42

Does anybody have any experience removing vinyl lettering?

We just got our boat into town and it is in the boatyard awaiting a bottom job. We want to 'personalize' it by rechristening it and changing the name...but first the old name, in vinyl, needs to be removed.

Any suggestions as to how to easily (if there is such a thing) remove the vinyl letters with the boats 'old' name will be greatly appreciated.

Stewart Eads
"Osprey" 1982 FK/SR

Edited by - on

Buzz Maring
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1770 Posts

Response Posted - 05/10/2003 : 20:02:16

Hi Stewart,

Most of the vinyl letters had already fallen off my boat when I bought her. Her name used to be Carpe Diem, but all that was left was "Carp" ... it looked terrible! Anyway, I used a heat gun and a razor scraper to remove the remaining letters.

Be prepared to see a "shadow" of the old name on the hull when you remove the letters. I used 3M Fiberglass Restorer and an orbital polisher on it, and the old name disappeared. 'Don't know if my technique will work on your boat, but it worked fine for me.

Good luck!

Buzz Maring
<img src="http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b3df23b3127cce9306a9b3abad0000001010" border=0>
~~Freya~~
C-25 SK/SR #68

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John V.
Admiral

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USA
559 Posts

Response Posted - 05/10/2003 : 20:21:25

A hair dryer and a razor scraper will do the trick. And yes, you'll have to clean the fiberglass to get rid of the name shadow.

look up the various de-naming and re-naming ceremonies.

John V. Nin Bimash II
77 C25 sk/sr #153

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Douglas
Master Marine Consultant

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1595 Posts

Response Posted - 05/11/2003 : 01:56:07

If you don't want to risk scratching the gell coat I recomend a plastic putty knife in place of the razor blade.

Doug&Ruth
Triska (Alberg 29)
Tacoma Wa.

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seads
1st Mate

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USA
90 Posts

Response Posted - 05/11/2003 : 19:30:50

OK, I got the letters off no problem with a hairdryer (my wife's Conair 1250 Watt "Wild Thing" to be specific...no sailor should be without one<img src=icon_smile_big.gif border=0 align=middle>).

Got about 90% of the "shadow" off with some "Goo Gone" and 3M restorer and wax. Probably needs another going over with the 3M, but by the time I finished all of the above my arms were about to fall off and I was about to die of heat stroke.

Thanks for the input. This board has, as usual, been a great boon.

Stewart Eads
"Osprey" 1982 FK/SR

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MikeM
1st Mate

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72 Posts

Response Posted - 05/12/2003 : 17:27:40

Here is a denaming/naming ceremony if you are interested.

http://www.48north.com/mr_offline/denaming.htm

Mike M
Marblehead, MA
C25 #1212

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seads
1st Mate

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USA
90 Posts

Response Posted - 05/12/2003 : 21:50:09

I am very interested and we'll do it!

Stewart Eads
"Osprey" 1982 FK/SR #3408

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77Gypsy
Captain

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USA
356 Posts

Response Posted - 05/13/2003 : 13:41:56

i've removed old names and registration numbers with a razor blade then some tar remover, it works opretty well for me.

Steve
78 C25 SR/FK - Gypsy

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seads
1st Mate

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USA
90 Posts

Response Posted - 05/13/2003 : 21:26:58

Followup question:

The people at Boat US tell me that I need to de-wax the area where I want to put the new name (I just waxed it). Any suggestions what to use for this?

Hey Steve, My father in law used to keep an Albin 27 at Herrington Harbor South Marina in Deale. That's a very nice area for boating.

Stewart Eads
"Osprey" 1982 FK/SR #3408

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seads
1st Mate

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USA
90 Posts

Response Posted - 05/14/2003 : 22:02:30

Well, I tried every chemical substance and combination thereof to remove the rest of the "shadow" from the old name from the hull, all to no avail. I think that the gelcoat must simply be permanently differently colored in the area with the prior lettering due to years of different degree of sun exposure.

Any thoughts from anyone?

Stewart Eads
"Osprey" 1982 FK/SR #3408

Edited by - seads on 05/14/2003 23:19:18

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Ben
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1234 Posts

Response Posted - 05/15/2003 : 10:28:57

I haven't tried this, but I probably will because we're in the process of re-lettering our boat. But the suggestion we heard from a local is to spread peanut butter over the discoloration. Somehow it's supposed to reduce or eliminate the discoloration.

I'm skeptical, but at least it will taste good. Now, if only I could decide; creamy, chuncky, or super chunk peanut butter...

Ben
Adventurous
#5553
C25 SR/SK

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Buzz Maring
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1770 Posts

Response Posted - 05/15/2003 : 10:44:07

Hi Ben,

Since you're already desperate enough to resort to peanut butter, while you are at the grocery store selecting your favorite brand, you might also pick up a fresh lemon. I read somewhere (I think it was Sail magazine) that you can use a sliced lemon to rub off the gunk that accumulates on the water line ... maybe it would help the vinyl letter shadow, too.

Good luck ... please let us know if you find something that works!

Buzz Maring
<img src="http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b3df23b3127cce9306a9b3abad0000001010" border=0>
~~Freya~~
C-25 SK/SR #68

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dlucier
Master Marine Consultant

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Virgin Islands (United Kingdom)
7583 Posts

Response Posted - 05/15/2003 : 10:47:27

I recently removed my "Catalina 25" logo and after removing them, I found that the surface directly underneath the logos was raised. Not much, maybe a 64th or two, but raised nonetheless, and if I were good at Braille I could probably read the old lettering.

Because this erosion even occurred within the "a" in Catalina, I'm speculating that exposed gelcoat erodes over time and was not eroded by aggressive rubbing and polishing over the twenty some odd years that my boat has been around.

This maybe why the lettering under the vinyl is leaving a shadow.

Just an FYI.

<img src="http://www.catalina25-250.org/c25sm.gif" border=0>Don Lucier<img src="http://www.catalina25-250.org/c25sm.gif" border=0>
<img src="http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b2d904b3127cce9f7cd9ffdf1d0000003010" border=0>
North Star SR/FK

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seads
1st Mate

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USA
90 Posts

Response Posted - 05/15/2003 : 23:42:47

Don: I think you're right. The "shadow" has an ever-so-slightly palpable smooth elevation just at the edges of the old letters. I think I am simply going to put the new lettering on and let mother nature and routine cleaning/waxing work on the "shadow."

Since I don't plan to race, the extra turbulence and drag created by the 1/64" elevation shoudn't affect the boat's performance in a meaningful way<img src=icon_smile_big.gif border=0 align=middle>.

Stewart Eads
"Osprey" 1982 FK/SR #3408

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Champipple
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
6855 Posts

Response Posted - 05/16/2003 : 08:33:55

<BLOCKQUOTE id=quote>quote:<hr height=1 noshade id=quote>

Got about 90% of the "shadow" off with some "Goo Gone" and 3M restorer and wax. <hr height=1 noshade id=quote></BLOCKQUOTE id=quote>

Stewart -

The easiest way to hide the other ten percent is to put the new name right on top of where the old name is.

dw

D. Wolff - "The Flying Wasp" #401 sr/sk
Chief Measurer C-25/250 National Assn.
<img src="http://www.flags.com/dreamimages/Flags/measurer.jpg" border=0>

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