Decal Removal

Paul Cote

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I was wondering if anyone has tried removing decals off of ukuleles. I have some makalas and have not tried yet but was curious if others had tried removal and how they did it? I was thinking of using water.
 
I asked the same thing in the Uke Tech Support forum about my eleuke. The logo design leaves much to be desired and I'd love to have it removed. Bumping to see if anyone knows how some of these logos were applied, and ideas of what would remove the logo only.
 
I'm not sure how those decals were applied, but if they are like the old Fenders--floating on top of the lacquer--then warm water will float them right off of there....

If they are under the finish, then you have a different problem.....
 
If it's above the lacquer and warm water doesn't work, WD-40 (spray on and leave for a few minutes) may help in cleaning it up - top tip: WD40 is brilliant for getting rid of adhesive left over after you peel off a sticker, as will rubbing sugar on it

You could also consider covering it up, e.g. http://www.inlaysticker.com/
 
I wish I knew if WD40 was the same chemical composition as the stuff we use here. Obviously being outside the US, we don't have the same stuff. I can't tell if it's above the lacquer or not. It kinda seems like it is. Guess there's one way to find out!
 
Another great product for removing adhesive that will not damage your wood (I would feel uneasy putting WD40 on mu Uke) is a product called "Goo Gone" It is a orange oil extract (all organic) and it works wonders.
 
I've used goo gone on the stuff left over from Piezo pickups and tape on the top of both gloss and satin finishes. Just to be safe I'd try it on some small spot first. Also, I always wash the area with mild soapy water to to make sure no Goo Gone is left. Have not had a softening of the finish or any ill effects.
 
Goo Gone is a great product.
 
Yeah I've never seen that here either. The WD40 didn't do anything, but nor did it damage anything either. I guess I'm stuck with an ugly logo on my headstock. Really Eleuke, the ukes are great, and the logos are not-so-much. The size is such that no inlay sticker would cover it, and those inlay stickers are just as hideous IMHO.
 
Ah yes. Goo gone and WD40...the latter especially, are just amazing inventions. Sorry that those solutions didn't work on the eleuke headstock though.
 
Can you show an image of the decals ? Vehicle grade vinyl is removed by gently heating up ( wafting a hairdryer over the decal for example ) using a lot of caution that the vehicle paint isn't damaged. You 'could' try that approach but I'd go really carefully in case you damaged the wood. Are you able to catch and flick up an edge at all ?
 
Goo Gone is a great product.
Yes, but only on the finished/laquered portions. Keep it off unfinished wood like fretboards. It's a powerful anti-grease/oil detergent that will also suck the natural oils out of wood.
 
I bought a used Kala and the previous owner had removed the decal around the sound hole. There is a slight change in the finish were it was, that only shows when the light hits it a certain way. I actually like the affect, so may not try to replace it.
 
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