Removing old stickers from tool box

[kpl70sx]

I know of some old ways, slow ways, inefficient ways, crappy ways, etc. to remove old, stuck on stickers from toolboxes as pictured here.
I sure would appreciate if someone could suggest an actual good way to remove these.
I'm afraid I may have to try and find some patience.

 

[Etchase]

Heat gun. Goof off pro strength for the adhesive. Plastic razor.

 

[YesIHaveAHammer]

Soak with isopropyl alcohol, leave for a bit and top up so it proper soaks through, peel corner with nail ensuring your get all the layers, then pull the rest off.

 

[Professor Gascan]

Yup... a heat gun, alcohol, goof off, or goo gone and plastic razor blades are your friends here. Those look like paper stickers that peel like **** when fresh and those look old. The kind that peel off in shreds or layers leaving all the adhesive behind with a thin layer of paper.

It helps to soak a rag or paper towel in any of those solvents and hold it on there with a magnet or clip if it fits so it can soak into the adhesive and make scraping it off much easier.

Or you could try one of those rubber wheels chucked up in a drill or grinder if you want to go the power tool route. Not sure how well it would work on those paper type stickers, but I've used them on vinyl and bumperstickers and they worked well for those. They do make a mess and still require a solvent wipe down as it does leave some residue.

 

[seber]

Heat gun followed by Goof Off or similar.

 

[INSP380]

I have done a few recently. I was gonna grab the heat gun first, but it was in the garage and I’m lazy…So, I used Goo-B-Gone, a razor blade, and a plastic scraper / old credit card. Spray everything down and walk away. I let each side of the box soak tor 30-40 min. Some were more stubborn, but all came off.

Steve

 

[gleman]

I have done a few recently. I was gonna grab the heat gun first, but it was in the garage and I’m lazy…So, I used Goo-B-Gone, a razor blade, and a plastic scraper / old credit card. Spray everything down and walk away. I let each side of the box soak tor 30-40 min. Some were more stubborn, but all came off.

Steve

Excellent job on that box!

 

[neophyte]

Try lighter fluid (ie. Naptha) first.
Naptha usually doesn’t affect paint finishes, and also usually works well as a solvent for the sticky stuff on stickers and tape.
The naptha may not work well on really old stickers, and I’m not sure whether the issue is just age, or whether the sticky backing used to be made from a different formula.
Lighter fluid can be purchased at most hardware stores, and some drug stores and supermarkets.
VM&P Naptha is available at most home centers like Home Depot etc., as well as most hardware stores.
Isopropyl alcohol may work, but will usually take longer.
Heat guns will usually heat up the adhesive for removal, but may leave residue behind, requiring removal with a solvent anyway.
A heat gun set to too high a temperature will also remove the paint.
Citrus cleaners can melt plastic and finishes off in my experience, especially if used at too high a concentration.
Goof Off contains Xylene and Benzene and other nasty stuff.

 

[DAWrench]

I have never had any luck with heat on those paper style stickers. When they get old and the adhesive gets hard they are a pain to remove. You can get the paper part off easy but never have found anything that works well dried adhesive. Last tool box I cleaned up had decades old making tape and it was the same way

 

[mike93lx]

Rubber wheel on a drill

 

[fishwatcher]

WD-40 (or even veg or olive oil), esp for the paper stickers should do the trick. A plastic scraper is a good idea. Fingernails come in handy for this too. You can use an old plastic credit card as an alternative.

A razor blade is tempting to use, but try a plastic or metal scraper first. I’ve inevitably slipped and gouged the paint with a real razor.

After those items, Goo Gone will help get the remaining adhesive off.

Here’s what I started with.



And here is the after. Once the stickers and adhesive were removed, I used Meguiar’s Cleaner Wax.

 

[LopezBart]

On stuff that matters, I've had good luck w/ https://www.amazon.com/3M-General-Purpose-Adhesive-Cleaner/dp/B00ZIM9XPI?tag=atomicindus08-20. Gentle warming (sometimes the sun is sufficient) helps as well.

 

[1Bad55Chevy]

Rubber wheel on a drill

Yup!

3M stripe off wheel thats the ticket. I use that tool almost weekly removing stickers and pin stripe from cars before I sell them! If it dosen't harm automotive clear it will be fine on your tool box industrial paint.

 

[fishwatcher]

Yup!

3M stripe off wheel thats the ticket. I use that tool almost weekly removing stickers and pin stripe from cars before I sell them! If it dosen't harm automotive clear it will be fine on your tool box industrial paint.

Wow, good to know.

 

[Specracer]

2 other chemicals I have had excellent luck with are, 3M adhesive remover, and Stoner bug and tar remover. Both are spray cans that are helpful to soak the stickers. Plastic razor blades are a must.

https://www.3m.com/3M/en_US/p/d/b40070703/

Stoner Car Care Tarminator

Blast Tar, Preserve Your Shine! Tarminator® can be used safely on automotive paint and chrome as directed. Tarminator is a powerful product that can harm clear plastics, adhesives, decals, and solvent-sensitive materials. Always test for compatibility before use. Removes Tar, Sap, & Asphalt...

stonercarcare.com

 

[dnschmidt]

Goo B Gone and WD40 are good solvents for this purpose and assist from a heat gun never hurts.

 

[neophyte]

It should probably be mentioned that some stickers and labels seem to be made from a top layer that is “impervious” to the standard removal solvents, so the solvents need to be worked under the sticker from the side, or the sticker/labels need to be scored or perforated so the solvent can get under the sticker and work on the adhesive.
Heat generally doesn’t need this, but solvents do.
“Perforating” the stickers can make the stickers more likely to tear though, which can make removal take longer.

 

[Beerhippie]

It's pre-organized for you. Just put the damned tools where they belong.

Lots of good advice, but the one adhesive I've always struggled to defeat is years-old masking tape. That stuff gets rock-hard and is impervious to any solvent I've tried (that doesn't eat paint).

 

[autobon7]

Going through this with an old soda machine and

Bestine Solvent and Thinner​

was highly recommended by a few guys on the soda machine forum. Just received it yesterday so have not tried yet. Trying to remove decades old masking tape which laughed at everything I tossed at it so far.

 

[Jgaz]

Going through this with an old soda machine and

Bestine Solvent and Thinner​

was highly recommended by a few guys on the soda machine forum. Just received it yesterday so have not tried yet. Trying to remove decades old masking tape which laughed at everything I tossed at it so far.

Watching this thread now.
Please let us know how this works

 

[tarbellb]

Steve

Who likes AAA this much?

(nice work @INSP380)

 

[gleman]

It's pre-organized for you. Just put the damned tools where they belong.

Lots of good advice, but the one adhesive I've always struggled to defeat is years-old masking tape. That stuff gets rock-hard and is impervious to any solvent I've tried (that doesn't eat paint).

Crusty old masking tape and packing tape make me think twice at garage sales.

 

[Beerhippie]

Crusty old masking tape and packing tape make me think twice at garage sales.

I agree. Sadly, one occasionally finds a thirty-to-fifty-year old Coleman stove still NIB. Problem is, Coleman held the stove lid closed with masking tape. The tape is now a permanent part of the paint--it literally becomes one with the paint over decades.

 

[gleman]

I agree. Sadly, one occasionally finds a thirty-to-fifty-year old Coleman stove still NIB. Problem is, Coleman held the stove lid closed with masking tape. The tape is now a permanent part of the paint--it literally becomes one with the paint over decades.

I've got a soft spot for old Akro-mils bins and the packing tape kills them too!

 

[sz0k30]

WD40.

 

[autobon7]

Watching this thread now.
Please let us know how this works

My 1st go round with this netted ok but not great results. It did remove some of the tape/adhesive but not all. Let the Bestine sit on it for about 15-20 mins and used a plastic razor blade. This combo did better than anything else I've tried but only about half way there. Will try again this weekend.

 

[stevec5]

soak with WD-40 and a plastic Scotty peeler

 

[1Bad55Chevy]

I got my wife to video the process we use here at the dealership to get stickers off cars this morning. The solvent or the stripe of wheel will not harm clear coat.

https://www.tiktok.com/video/7531029455108672823
That was Gorilla duct tape holding on a plastic bag of a window.

 

[bigredcornhead]

Probably alcohol and rubber wheel as those sticker look like they are paper backed and not vinyl.

 

[kpl70sx]

What a great variety of options. I knew I could count on you guys to provide perspectives, cautions and methods I had not thought of, and you did not disappoint.
The stickers on these boxes are very old and will certainly require some finesse to prevent paint damage. I have begun by using WD-40 on several drawers and Goo-Gone on several others so I can see if one really works better than the other.
I have many of the solvents suggested here, but I do not have plastic razor blades or a rubber wheel for the drill - both of which I have ordered and look forward to trying.
I still can't remember where I put my patience, but I will try to locate it to help me with this project.

 

[Beerhippie]

What a great variety of options. I knew I could count on you guys to provide perspectives, cautions and methods I had not thought of, and you did not disappoint.
The stickers on these boxes are very old and will certainly require some finesse to prevent paint damage. I have begun by using WD-40 on several drawers and Goo-Gone on several others so I can see if one really works better than the other.
I have many of the solvents suggested here, but I do not have plastic razor blades or a rubber wheel for the drill - both of which I have ordered and look forward to trying.
I still can't remember where I put my patience, but I will try to locate it to help me with this project.

I have some to spare out in the shop. Let me look....

Nope. My coworkers used up every ounce of it this week.

 

[pcrov]

My go-to kit for stuff like this:

• Heat gun
• Old credit card
• WD-40 or whichever penetrating oil has failed me most recently
• Paper towels
• Mild detergent

Heat gun gets the top off (plastic, often most of the paper.) Oil gets the goo. Detergent gets the oil.

Use the old credit card as needed to wedge the top off and to scrape the bulk of the glue/oil slurry. Rub down with oily paper towel for the rest.

Good sticker-pulling technique can help, though this is most effective with fresher stickers, price tags and the like.


(Masterful diagram.)