How to remove old acrylic protective coating

C

Clowning_Around

New member
I have spare 1/2 acrylic about half a sheet I plan on using for a small series of projects. It been of in my hot garage about 8yrs. It has the kraft paper type proyective coating on both sides. My first piece is a small piece of roughly 6×12, I've managed to slow pick pieces away with my fingernail bit it shreds and comes off in small pieces like nickel size on average. Even after I've managed to remove all of it there is still a stick adhesive residue ledt behind. I've soaked it in a vinegar bath for 5 minites and then rubbed at it with a cloth followed with a rinse but seems to have made no impact. So my first question is are there any recommendations for the residue removal? And my second, any suggestions on a better way to remove the kraft paper in the first place ( I have about 35 sq ft to go)?

Sent from my SM-G930P using Tapatalk
 
An update on the sample piece, orange citrus cleaner seems to have a little effect and removed some, im going to try a couple minute soak and see if that gets it. Once done Ill do a 30 minute clean water bath soak followed by a couple rinses before i weld and silicone parts... still would like input

Sent from my SM-G930P using Tapatalk
 
hot water and a sponge.. dip sponge in hot soapy water and lay on the areas not coming up it will loosen the adhesives.. a HOT WET Towel can also work on large areas...
 
I used to use my wife's blow dryer. Now I have a heat gun. Get it warm and the glue (rubber cement?) will soften right up without the mess of hot water
 
Paper is uncooperative at temp extremes. Let it cool to normal room temp and it should come off more easily.
 
billdogg said:
I used to use my wife's blow dryer. Now I have a heat gun. Get it warm and the glue (rubber cement?) will soften right up without the mess of hot water
Click to expand...
I had thought about that but didn't eat to risk warping the acrylic from the heat gun...

Sent from my SM-G930P using Tapatalk
 
Not sure what type of adhesive, but isopropyl alcohol does a pretty good job of dissolving many adhesives, (with a little elbow grease). The 91% is usually better than the 70% for stuff like this. It should be safe on the acrylic, but test a small section out if you decide to try it.
 
Isopropyl alcohol can craze acrylic. I would be worried about WD40, too. Acrylic is pretty fragile stuff when it comes to chemical resistance, there aren't many solvents that won't craze it. All said and done, moderate heat or hot water work, I don't see the need to use a solvent.
 
So I had a moment last night to work on the project again, I first tried the heat gun i put it on my lowest setting of 430F and kept distance plus monitorrd surface warmth with distance. Ot worked better than nothing but was still hard to get areas started, after an hour i had removed about 1 foot square. So I opted to try the hotwater and towel ideait seemed to go a little better but not always. I did notice one area that i left wet longer seemed to let the paper delaminate from the adhesive (It being still on the acrylic) but atleast it came free easy. So knowing I can get the adhesive off with the cleaner I decided to stop for the night and drop all the pieces in my bathtub filled with water for a 24hr soak. Ill update on how it goes for future ppl qith similar circumstances

Sent from my SM-G930P using Tapatalk
 
if you're just talking about 6 x 12" pieces, stick it in the microwave for ~20-30 seconds or so. Not a conventional oven, but yes - a microwave.

For larger pieces; if they'll fit in a bathtub, give them an overnight soak in hot water.

HTH,
James
 
Unfortunately to big to try a microwave. The soaking didnt seem to help. Its been a brutal task. Still barely made a dent in the project but at the same time I've had a lot of irons in the fire so to speak. In the interim I'm regrowing my fingernails [emoji16]

Sent from my SM-G930P using Tapatalk
 
Here's the technique I used on the last piece I had with stubborn paper.

"HEY KIDS! COME TRY THIS FUN NEW GAME!"

"IT'S CALLED, SEE WHO CAN GET THE MOST PAPER OFF THE PIECE OF PLASTIC IN A MINUTE!"
 
fifthtoe said:
Not sure what type of adhesive, but isopropyl alcohol does a pretty good job of dissolving many adhesives, (with a little elbow grease). The 91% is usually better than the 70% for stuff like this. It should be safe on the acrylic, but test a small section out if you decide to try it.
Click to expand...

Never use isopropyl alcohol on acrylic. It can craze it but it also makes the acrylic brittle. This is a great example of the effect of isopropyl alcohol on acrylic.

<iframe width="1280" height="720" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/cU9Ty0L0g7E?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
 
slief said:
Never use isopropyl alcohol on acrylic. It can craze it but it also makes the acrylic brittle. This is a great example of the effect of isopropyl alcohol on acrylic.
Click to expand...

This is good to know! I was thinking prolonged contact time would cause stuff like this but apparently not.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

hrdneglcry
How long for Weldon 40 to cure?
Replies
1
Views
363
hrdneglcry
hrdneglcry
A
Aquarium Temperature Control: How I Hacked My Air Conditioner to control my tanks temperatures
Replies
6
Views
331
Naso180
N
S
Why do oversized protein skimmers not adequately remove protein from a tank?
Replies
12
Views
153
Paul B
Paul B
K
Anemony, how to catch?
Replies
3
Views
340
griss
griss
ClownBubbaJoe
Skimmer, TALL skimmer vs short under cabinet type ?
Replies
13
Views
655
BeanAnimal
B
Back
Top