remove old graphics

[2whlin]

have a 2001 21i. thinking of just removing the old graphics. could I use a heat gun or would that be a no no on gelcoat? once it's off is there anything I can do to help with fade lines? buff wax? new to boating and this gelcoat stuff

[da.bell]

Heat gun, plastic putty knife, goo-gone, towel, fine wet sand paper, and buffer is all you need.

[chpthril]

Heat gun, plastic putty knife, goo-gone, towel, fine wet sand paper, and buffer is all you need.

Pretty much. A hair dryer works good also, just be careful to not burn the gel.

[2whlin]

Heat gun, plastic putty knife, goo-gone, towel, fine wet sand paper, and buffer is all you need.

so the fine wet sand paper and buffer, what does that do?

[chpthril]

I would buff with something like 3M Finesse first, the see what it looks like before breaking out the sandpaper. It may be a little more work, but then again, it may only need the buffing.

Oh, to answer your question I guess, you will probably see where the graphics where because the rest of the gel will be a little faded. The wet-sand or polish will bring back the shine of the gel-coat to match the shine of the newly exposed gel.

[da.bell]

^^ yup, exactly....

[2whlin]

hmm...going to be an interesting day.. should the weather be warm when I remove old graphics then sand/buff r does it really matter? Supposed to be sunny but a high of only 50 Saturday. Thought about doing it this weekend?

[Fuh Sho]

Ive been wanting to do this to my boat also, tell me how it turns out and or the process you used so i can stop freakin out about doin it

[da.bell]

That heat gun or hair dry doesn't care if it's warm or cold. Might take a little longer in the cold but honestly, I don't think it really matters.

[2whlin]

graphic removal

Ive been wanting to do this to my boat also, tell me how it turns out and or the process you used so i can stop freakin out about doin it

you first

[2whlin]

might bring the boat home from storage this weekend, will see. I am going to do that and take the plastic parts off the helm where the toggle switches are mounted and have them redone by a graphics company. The text has faded off and looking to wrap them with maybe a new look with print on them so you can read which toggle switch does what.

[evil0ne]

I did mine last year. While it was stored with a full gas tank the tank decided to pour gasoline all over the decals on the left side so I decided to take all of them off. Not fun. I started with a heat gun and got 95% of the decals off without a problem. The other 5% took me at least 10x longer then the first 95%. I ended up using acetone, goo gone and a few other remedies.


Good luck.

[ajholt7]

If you need any adhesive remover or other removal tools. I suggest buying it from hhsignsupply.com. It's my brothers business.

[Greg Mallek]

I just removed all the graphics off my '05 24V. It was a piece of cake! i used a heat gun on the middle setting (like a blow dryer on high) and just took my time. Once you get an edge to lift, the rest comes quickly. Just remember to keep an even heat to the area without cooking the gel. You'll know when its getting too hot, the graphics will start to get very soft. After the graphics were removed, I wiped the entire area down with Goo Gone (that stuffs amazing)to remove any glue residue left over. Then a quick wax, and your done. I.M.H.O. It looks soo much better "Naked"

[ddutcher]

What? We no longer have twins if yours is naked. I thought about removing them in the past as well. Post up a pic so I can see how it looks.