yankeekd25 Posted November 18, 2008 Share Posted November 18, 2008 Hey guys, I just recently joined the forum. I have a question about a decal. I mistakenly affixed a decal to my front windshield when it had to go on the back. What is the best solvent to use to remove the adhesive and take it off intact so I can move it to the back? I've been told by some to use acetone while others told me not to. Some have told me to use rubbing alcohol while others told me it wouldn't work. Just wanted to ask Chemistry buffs as to which method will work the best. I don't have access to a heat gun or portable hair dryer before someone offers that suggestion Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
big314mp Posted November 18, 2008 Share Posted November 18, 2008 And welcome to SFN! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YT2095 Posted November 18, 2008 Share Posted November 18, 2008 WD-40`s pretty good for most things, but it will take quite a bit of time since it cannot penetrate Through the decal itself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yankeekd25 Posted November 18, 2008 Author Share Posted November 18, 2008 Thanks for the responses. My decal isn't made of the same material as a bumper sticker. It's pretty much a thick piece of paper that's strongly adhered to the glass of my windshield. Would WD-40 still work you think? NOTE: I just came across this video: ... How effective do you think the rubbing alcohol would be on a thicker sticker, or in my case a decal? No reason to think it wouldn't work right? EDIT: Could a lighter work as well? How worried should I be using a lighter on my car windshield?- don't want my car to catch fire lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iNow Posted November 19, 2008 Share Posted November 19, 2008 You're going to get yourself arrested if you try to move registration/inspection stickers from one vehicle to another like that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yankeekd25 Posted November 19, 2008 Author Share Posted November 19, 2008 You're going to get yourself arrested if you try to move registration/inspection stickers from one vehicle to another like that. Lol. It's a school parking decal that I need to move to the back windshield instead of the front. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flashman Posted November 19, 2008 Share Posted November 19, 2008 With it being paper, the most effective solvents at dissolving the adhesive will probably dissolve the the ink as well, leaving you with a chromatography experiment rather than a parking sticker. Otherwise I'd be suggesting stuff like "Ronsol" lighter fluid, or "Varsol" mineral spirits. If you want to test solvents, moisten (not sopping wet, just damp) a paper towel with them and press really hard on top of the sticker, if it transfers an image of the print onto the paper towel, forget about that one. Let the sticker dry off again before testing another. I'd say really your only chance is heat, use anything you can find, hairdryer, fan heater, 150W bulb in a pasta sauce can.... get the adhesive soft and try getting a razor blade under the edge and peel really carefully. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yankeekd25 Posted November 19, 2008 Author Share Posted November 19, 2008 With it being paper, the most effective solvents at dissolving the adhesive will probably dissolve the the ink as well, leaving you with a chromatography experiment rather than a parking sticker. Otherwise I'd be suggesting stuff like "Ronsol" lighter fluid, or "Varsol" mineral spirits. If you want to test solvents, moisten (not sopping wet, just damp) a paper towel with them and press really hard on top of the sticker, if it transfers an image of the print onto the paper towel, forget about that one. Let the sticker dry off again before testing another. I'd say really your only chance is heat, use anything you can find, hairdryer, fan heater, 150W bulb in a pasta sauce can.... get the adhesive soft and try getting a razor blade under the edge and peel really carefully. Yeah I'm going to try getting some sort of heat onto the decal to loosen the adhesive. I don't have a portable hair dryer but I suspected that would be very effective. Nobody in my family is really handy, so we don't have certain "standard" garage things. We don't even have any flat razor blades around the house. I was also planning on going to the auto supply store to see if they could help me out. Do you think it would be safe to use lighter fluid? I've read that's also pretty useful. I'm just afraid to use it on my car, even though it's only the windshield. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
big314mp Posted November 19, 2008 Share Posted November 19, 2008 Just watch the seal around the edge of the windshield. The adhesive there might be damaged by some of the solvents you are thinking of. Maybe you could try an iron box with an extension cord for heat. If you live in the US, go to a hardware store, and tell them your problem. There is a device that holds a blade, sort of like a sharp putty knife, that will help you peel it off. I suppose there is some sort of reason you can't just get another one to stick on the back? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yankeekd25 Posted November 19, 2008 Author Share Posted November 19, 2008 Just watch the seal around the edge of the windshield. The adhesive there might be damaged by some of the solvents you are thinking of. Maybe you could try an iron box with an extension cord for heat. If you live in the US, go to a hardware store, and tell them your problem. There is a device that holds a blade, sort of like a sharp putty knife, that will help you peel it off. I suppose there is some sort of reason you can't just get another one to stick on the back? Yes, $15 is that reason. I already have to pay a $25 citation. I do not wish to pay 40 bucks for this whole ordeal. It was an honest mistake that I put it on the front, but of course my college won't give me a break. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
big314mp Posted November 20, 2008 Share Posted November 20, 2008 Fair enough. I was just thinking that since you can prove that you paid for a decal, then you might be able to get a replacement decal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YT2095 Posted November 20, 2008 Share Posted November 20, 2008 reverse into your parking slot then Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iNow Posted November 20, 2008 Share Posted November 20, 2008 reverse into your parking slot then ROTFL! That's awesome. As per usual, YT comes up with the most elegant solution to the problem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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