Removing old stickers, general refurb procedures.

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Removing old stickers, general refurb procedures.

Postby George Dowell » Fri Sep 09, 2011 11:37 am

Removing old stickers, general refurb procedures. Message List
Reply | Delete Message #41 of 34863 < Prev | Next > from 2003 GCE Post by George Dowell

Often used equipment will arrive with calibration stickers, ID tags, etc.
still attached to the face. Consider yourself lucky if they are untampered
with. Usually attempts by the lab to remove same results in permanent
scarring of the panel by some clown with a knife or screwdriver.

Harmless removal is almost always possible, and the correct methods are
easier than the botched attempts.

First try gentle heat. I use a heat gun made by UNGAR, which is similar to a
hair dryer, but much smaller, and somewhat hotter. Playing the stream of hot
air over the tag will usually melt the glue backing and allow peeling the
tag off in one piece. Try preying up one corner with a sharpened wooden
stick while heating the tag. This method works well with scotch tape and
most other tapes as well. Dried old masking tape is one exception, and
usually takes lots of patience, trying all the tricks.

Once the tag is off, remove the glue residue with a GENTLE solvent. I start
with 100% Isopropyl and have a high rate of success with that. Depending on
the chemistry of the glue, other solvents may be needed, moving from
alcohol, through Naptha ( lighter fluid0 and up to Acetone ( last resort).

Nicotine stains are easily removed with plain old soap and water.

Paint comes off with solvents too, and most magic markers. There are bottles
of stuff like GOOF-OFF, GOO-OFF etc. at Wal-Mart for the purpose too.

Plastic Polish and other chemicals can be obtained from car and boat stores,
and these work well in giving the panels, and even meter faces, a new look.
A type of abrasive brush made by 3M with fiberglass bristles will allow the
lightest sanding operation to remove the most stubborn stains or materials.
Be careful, it's easy to go down to bare metal fairly quickly. Remove only
the stain and top layer of original paint, and bring the area back to a
luster with car polishing ( rubbing) compound. Good for removing rust too,
from more severely damaged panels.

Avoid cleaning switches with liquid switch fluid, unless there is no other
way. In my experience, such fluid works only temporarily, and ultimately
causes more serious problems by drawing particles into the mechanism. When
unavoidable, first try 100% Isopropyl. It leave zero residue, and will flush
out most material from a switch contact. The best method of cleaning ( I
have found) is to exercise the switch many times, and allow it's inherent
wiping action to do the work. First remove debris with a stiff brush ( the
type called a STENCIL brush has many uses on the bench, Wal-Mart craft
department).

Repaint only if really needed. Sometimes bottom cans can't be rehabbed
without painting. Hammertone paint can cover up a multitude of dings, and
the beige color used on Ludlum and others can be matched pretty closely by
using Krylon #2504-Khaki Gloss (Beige)


Have Fun

George Dowell
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George Dowell
 
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