Re: Removing label adhesive from instrument windows?
On Thu, Sep 5, 2019 at 01:44 PM, k1ggi wrote:
Peel the label off of a Walmart pharmacy drug bottle
At least for the "pill bottles" we get here (brown or clear plastic, with plastic snap-on, or child-proof caps/tops) and the labels the pharmacy uses around here... if you fill the bottle with boiling hot water, from the kettle, put the cap on, and let the capped bottle stand for a minute... the label peels off very nicely, and remains quite sticky. However, a lot of the adhesive still remains on the bottle. (so you have to live with that stickiness, or apply a new blank label, if you want to reuse the bottle.. which is what I like to do.) Before you take the cap off... let it cool down... and careful handling it... when removing the label.? Best regards and wishes. P.S. I have used a label, removed like this,? to try to get "gum" off of stuff... in my experience, mileage varies... but, it usually gets some gum off... occasionally, on some items, it makes a mess... so I always proceed carefully.? Roy
|
Re: Removing label adhesive from instrument windows?
Greetings,
WD40 work great on almost any surface.
As suggested it often works just to manage the label with a cotton ball or Q-tip soaked in WD40.
For large or stubborn labels I drip WD40 directly on the label, rub it in and around with a Q-tip then go enjoy a cup of coffee. ?More than 90% of the time, when I return the label is very ready to let go.
While WD40 is most often available in spray cans it can also be acquired in a spray bottle and that has better control for label removal.
Following label removal I use alcohol on a cotton round or blue shop towel segment to wipe away the WD40 residue. ?If necessary, then a little dish soap and water as a final cleanup.
Don’t use Acetone. ?It almost always damages the surface, especially plastics.
Hope this helps.
Ken
toggle quoted message
Show quoted text
On 5Sep, 2019, at 9:37 AM, Gedas < w8bya@...> wrote:
try dabbing the label with a cotton ball with ample WD-40. I have found it to work miracles and never affected the underlying plastic.
Gedas, W8BYA
Gallery at
Light travels faster than sound....
This is why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.
On 9/5/2019 11:35 AM, Brad Thompson wrote:
Hello--
I purchased a digital multimeter at an estate sale. Unfortunately,
the seller affixed a sticky-backed price label to the meter's
transparent-plastic display window. Most of the label peeled away but the adhesive
remains. Short of mechanically scraping away the residue and damaging the
window, does anyone have a suggestion for a label-removing solution that
won't attack the plastic?
Thanks, and 73--
Brad? AA1IP
P.S.: if a chemist discovered the perfect solvent that would dissolve anything
and everything, how would it be packaged for sale?<g>
|
Re: Removing label adhesive from instrument windows?
Gedas, W8BYA
Gallery at
Light travels faster than sound....
This is why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.
On 9/5/2019 9:50 PM, Tam Hanna wrote:
toggle quoted message
Show quoted text
Gedas, may I ask where this table is from?
Looks like something I want to bookmark...
Tam
With best regards
Tam HANNA
Enjoy electronics? Join 15k7 other followers by visiting the Crazy Electronics Lab at
On 2019. 09. 05. 20:07, Gedas wrote:
If one can trust
this source of information Heptane & Polycarbonates
(plexiglass) may not do too well together (hopefully added
image makes it through):
Gedas, W8BYA
Gallery at
Light travels faster than sound....
This is why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.
On 9/5/2019 1:37 PM, David
DiGiacomo wrote:
The best label remover is "Bestine Thinner", which is 100% heptane.
(Or, if you have access to a chemical stockroom, just buy heptane.)
Why is it better than the alternatives?
1. It evaporates completely with no odor (unlike WD-40, Goo Gone,
orange solvents)
2. You know exactly what's in it, and it's the same every time (unlike
"naphtha")
3. Effective and doesn't harm plastics
4. Not too expensive
5. Readily available (in the US)
|
Re: Removing label adhesive from instrument windows?
Gedas, may I ask where this table is from?
Looks like something I want to bookmark...
Tam
With best regards
Tam HANNA
Enjoy electronics? Join 15k7 other followers by visiting the Crazy Electronics Lab at
On 2019. 09. 05. 20:07, Gedas wrote:
toggle quoted message
Show quoted text
If one can trust this
source of information Heptane & Polycarbonates
(plexiglass) may not do too well together (hopefully added
image makes it through):
Gedas, W8BYA
Gallery at
Light travels faster than sound....
This is why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.
On 9/5/2019 1:37 PM, David DiGiacomo
wrote:
The best label remover is "Bestine Thinner", which is 100% heptane.
(Or, if you have access to a chemical stockroom, just buy heptane.)
Why is it better than the alternatives?
1. It evaporates completely with no odor (unlike WD-40, Goo Gone,
orange solvents)
2. You know exactly what's in it, and it's the same every time (unlike
"naphtha")
3. Effective and doesn't harm plastics
4. Not too expensive
5. Readily available (in the US)
|
Re: Removing label adhesive from instrument windows?
On 09/05/2019 02:34 PM, Greg Muir via Groups.Io wrote: I think that people who put labels on display lenses and also mark vinyl
equipment cabinets with permanent markers should be forced to wear a
label on their forehead marked “dumb” or have the same legend marked on
their forehead with a permanent marker respectively.I won’t even get
into the subject of those who remove labels with sharp instruments
completely damaging the surfaces the labels were applied to (a common
one done by property officers, warehouse persons and military DPDOs who
surplus equipment).
Amen! (rest skipped) I find that either alcohol or naphtha will remove almost anything, but if one doesn't work, try the other. I usually start with naphtha, and then try alcohol. Both are available in a hardware store for reasonable prices in pint cans. Use outdoors--both are very flammable. Discard rag in outdoor garbage can. --doug, WA2SAY
|
Re: COMMERCIAL:[HP-Agilent-Keysight-equipment] Removing label adhesive from instrument windows?
I usually start with Goo Gone for stickers. <>
If that does not work, try Goof Off. <>
I strongly recommend whatever the chemical, you try it on an area of the device which is insignificant first, (on a corner, or non-critical location) you do not want to ruin the plastic, and different plastics react very differently to similar solvents. Avoid also using tools, because they can leave tool marks.
Thanks,
David
W0IM
toggle quoted message
Show quoted text
-----Original Message----- From: [email protected] < [email protected]> On Behalf Of Brad Thompson Sent: Thursday, September 5, 2019 10:35 AM To: [email protected]Subject: COMMERCIAL:[HP-Agilent-Keysight-equipment] Removing label adhesive from instrument windows? Hello-- I purchased a digital multimeter at an estate sale. Unfortunately, the seller affixed a sticky-backed price label to the meter's transparent-plastic display window. Most of the label peeled away but the adhesive remains. Short of mechanically scraping away the residue and damaging the window, does anyone have a suggestion for a label-removing solution that won't attack the plastic? Thanks, and 73-- Brad? AA1IP P.S.: if a chemist discovered the perfect solvent that would dissolve anything and everything, how would it be packaged for sale?<g>
|
Re: Removing label adhesive from instrument windows?
There are several brands of adhesive removers used in the medical industry, "Band Off" is one, there are several others, they are meant to be used on skin to make removal of bandages painless. I haven't tried them on plastics.
James R. Holtzman
Empirical Technology
Carmichael, CA 95608
(916) 487-9712
emptech@...
|
Re: Removing label adhesive from instrument windows?
Try Eucalyptus oil, will remove pretty well any adhesive goo and is benign
to plastics in my experience.
May be a little bit hard to find in the states but a pharmacy should have
it.
Ken
VK2TKE
toggle quoted message
Show quoted text
-----Original Message----- From: [email protected]< [email protected]> On Behalf Of Jim Shorney Sent: Friday, 6 September 2019 6:52 AM To: [email protected]Subject: Re: [HP-Agilent-Keysight-equipment] Removing label adhesive from instrument windows? Any kind of sticky tape, or even the original label itself, will work to remove the residue as long as it is still soft. If it has hardened to rock soak it with Goo Gone on a swab and let it sit for a while. Repeat as necessary. Goo Gone seems to be safe for most plastics but test it on an inconspicuous spot first. 73 -Jim NU0C On Thu, 05 Sep 2019 11:09:43 -0500 "Leon Robinson" <leon-robinson@...> wrote: Peel the label off of a Walmart pharmacy drug bottle and use it to lift off the redidue. 3M blue painters tape works sometimes.
Sent from K5JLR
-------- Original message --------
From: Brad Thompson <brad.thompsonaa1ip@...>
Date: 09/05/2019 10:35 AM (GMT-06:00)
To: [email protected]
Subject: [HP-Agilent-Keysight-equipment] Removing label adhesive from instrument windows?
Hello--
I purchased a digital multimeter at an estate sale. Unfortunately, the
seller affixed a sticky-backed price label to the meter's
transparent-plastic display window. Most of the label peeled away but
the adhesive remains. Short of mechanically scraping away the residue
and damaging the window, does anyone have a suggestion for a
label-removing solution that won't attack the plastic?
Thanks, and 73--
Brad? AA1IP
P.S.: if a chemist discovered the perfect solvent that would dissolve
anything and everything, how would it be packaged for sale?<g>
|
Re: Removing label adhesive from instrument windows?
Watch out for isopropyl alchol on plastic. It will attack some types of plastic. I assume the sender means IPA not IPO.
toggle quoted message
Show quoted text
On 9/5/2019 8:40 AM, amirb wrote: first heat it up with hot air gun and under the hot air try to slowly peel it off as much as possible
most of the time it comes off completely leaving some sticky residue
then use a lot of IPO to clean it
--
Richard Knoppow
dickburk@...
WB6KBL
|
Re: Removing label adhesive from instrument windows?
Any kind of sticky tape, or even the original label itself, will work to remove the residue as long as it is still soft. If it has hardened to rock soak it with Goo Gone on a swab and let it sit for a while. Repeat as necessary. Goo Gone seems to be safe for most plastics but test it on an inconspicuous spot first. 73 -Jim NU0C On Thu, 05 Sep 2019 11:09:43 -0500 "Leon Robinson" <leon-robinson@...> wrote: Peel the label off of a Walmart pharmacy drug bottle and use it to lift off the redidue.
3M blue painters tape works sometimes.?
Sent from K5JLR
-------- Original message --------
From: Brad Thompson <brad.thompsonaa1ip@...>
Date: 09/05/2019 10:35 AM (GMT-06:00)
To: [email protected]
Subject: [HP-Agilent-Keysight-equipment] Removing label adhesive from instrument windows?
Hello--
I purchased a digital multimeter at an estate sale. Unfortunately,
the seller affixed a sticky-backed price label to the meter's
transparent-plastic display window. Most of the label peeled away but
the adhesive
remains. Short of mechanically scraping away the residue and damaging the
window, does anyone have a suggestion for a label-removing solution that
won't attack the plastic?
Thanks, and 73--
Brad? AA1IP
P.S.: if a chemist discovered the perfect solvent that would dissolve
anything
and everything, how would it be packaged for sale?<g>
|
Re: Removing label adhesive from instrument windows?
I’ll second that.
?
If the residue is not hardened, duct tape
or packaging tape that has a good tack to it can do the job.
It likely wont happen all at once. The
technique is to press and lift, over and over, maybe hundreds of times, moving
to fresh area every few presses. Tape is cheap.
Even if you think nothing is happening, after
a bit, you should start to be encouraged with some stretching or lifting
In the end the effort is rewarding, a 100%
pristine surface. No thin coating of goo spread by solvent, no risk of chemical
haze/fog/crazing.
If you can make it warm to the touch without
causing damage, it helps.
?
Ed, k1ggi
?
Peel the label off of a Walmart pharmacy drug bottle and use it to lift
off the redidue.
3M blue painters tape works sometimes.?
Sent from K5JLR
toggle quoted message
Show quoted text
-------- Original message --------
From: Brad Thompson <brad.thompsonaa1ip@...>
Date: 09/05/2019 10:35 AM (GMT-06:00)
To: [email protected]
Subject: [HP-Agilent-Keysight-equipment] Removing label adhesive from
instrument windows?
Hello--
I purchased a digital multimeter at an estate sale. Unfortunately,
the seller affixed a sticky-backed price label to the meter's
transparent-plastic display window. Most of the label peeled away but
the adhesive
remains. Short of mechanically scraping away the residue and damaging the
window, does anyone have a suggestion for a label-removing solution that
won't attack the plastic?
Thanks, and 73--
Brad? AA1IP
P.S.: if a chemist discovered the perfect solvent that would dissolve
anything
and everything, how would it be packaged for sale?<g>
|
KISS-488 (HPIB/GPIB/IEEE-488 to Ethernet, with included HPGL plotter
emulator) is back in stock! If you use a USA mailing address and contact
me directly or as a member of a user group, I'll discount it $10. Direct
(non-eBay) orders of 5 or more get an additional $10 off per unit. For
international shipping, going thru eBay's international shipping program
is the cheapest way to get it to you. Dave Jones' YouTube video at
does a very nice job of showing off the features to give
you a feel for the device to decide whether it suits your purposes. Thank
you for looking!
Steve Hendrix
|
Re: Removing label adhesive from instrument windows?
I think that people who put labels on display lenses and also mark vinyl equipment cabinets with permanent markers should be forced to wear a label on their forehead marked “dumb” or have the same legend marked on their forehead with a permanent marker respectively.? I won’t even get into the subject of those who remove labels with sharp instruments completely damaging the surfaces the labels were applied to (a common one done by property officers, warehouse persons and military DPDOs who surplus equipment).
?
I have had various experiences with removing labels from display lenses and don’t recommend any form of solvent to remove them.? The ones leaving still-sticky residue are easily cleaned off using a fairly benign non-solvent based label remover such as “Lift-Off” or, as Gedas mentioned, WD40.? These products contain simple oil based products which are friendly to the plastic.
?
As for those labels that have resided on the surface for years and have had their adhesive completely dry up (masking tape is a good example) I use basically the same products and a lot of patience.? Dried adhesive from masking tape will normally allow the paper par to easily peel off while all of the adhesive remains.? Removing the paper and applying label remover over an extended time will eventually soften the adhesive until it can be removed.
?
I normally use Q-tips to apply the label remover in either case.? For the dried masking tape issue I will position the unit so that the display lens is in a flat face-up position and allow the label remover to pool on the adhesive occasionally replenishing it as it evaporates.? But it takes the necessary patience to allow the adhesive to soften, sometimes overnight.
?
Scraping will do you no good.? You will end up with very noticeable scratches on the lens.? If you really need to do that, a fingernail is compliant enough so as to be very gentle on the surface.? It is also great to use for the masking tape dried adhesive to remove a significant portion of it before applying the label remover.
?
If the lens contains legends (markings) you have to be careful if you do use any form of mild solvent since some of them may be silkscreened or printed with solvent based inks.? There is nothing like discovering the markings being removed along with the adhesive.? In addition the other surprise may occur when you have discovered that the solvent has started to melt the plastic.
?
All of the above works well with removing label adhesive from panels as well.? In that case I also use Q-tips gently rubbing in a circular motion so as not to burnish the painted surface leaving a shiny spot.? If that occurs a little dab of Soft-Scrub applied with a Q-tip and rubbed lightly(!!) over the surface for only a few cycles will restore the flat texture.
?
If you do end up dealing with a damaged display lens you may be able to recover it by use of a plastic polish such as “Meguiars Mirror Glaze” plastic polish which is available in several cut grades (cleaning particle size).? It may be available a t a local auto parts store.? Be aware of the grade of the cleaner that you find so as not to get a coarse cut grade and damage the display lens.? I still use Meguiars when refurbishing lenses and used to use it to polish plastic canopies on fighter aircraft.? It’s good stuff.
?
One more caveat – if you do use a plastic cleaner be advised that some equipment (I haven’t found that to be the case with HP equipment) may have lenses that aren’t died completely through but, instead contain a colored film applied to the surface of the lens.? Polishing this type of lens my result in rubbing the color right off of it.
?
I have also had times when the label adhesive will actually attack the plastic lens leaving a noticeable change to the surface.? Gentle polishing will sometimes restore the lens back to a fairly pristine condition.? And there has been other times when removal of the label by pulling it off has removed a film on the surface of the lens that gave it a non-reflective flat appearance.? All of these things should be thought of when removing labels.? For the latter if a flat surface is on the lens it is better to try to soften the adhesive before trying to pull the label off.? That’s when one of the available label removers (again I like Lift-Off) is nice to apply to the surface of the label and allow it to soak through the paper surface thereby softening the adhesive beforehand before pulling on it.
?
The root advice here is to go carefully when doing any of the above.? It’s a heck of a lot more frustrating to sit down in front of your newly acquired instrument and be reminded of what happened when you tried to remove that darned label.
?
Greg
|
Re: Removing label adhesive from instrument windows?
The major brand of polycarbonate is Lexan. It is sold in cast sheet form like acrylic, but also used in flexible sheets for making membrane keyboards and labels, some of which may be found on various instruments.?
toggle quoted message
Show quoted text
On Sep 5, 2019, at 13:17, Peter Gottlieb < hpnpilot@...> wrote: Plexiglass is usually an acrylic while polycarbonates are different. Plexiglass can shatter while polycarbonates deform. Many solvents craze, and sometimes dramatically fast, acrylics, when exposed to certain solvents.?
If in doubt use super sticky tape to pull off gummy residue.? On Sep 5, 2019, at 2:07 PM, Gedas < w8bya@...> wrote:
If one can trust this
source of information Heptane & Polycarbonates
(plexiglass) may not do too well together (hopefully added
image makes it through):
<jlbbbpbbdcjjepal.png>
Gedas, W8BYA
Gallery at
Light travels faster than sound....
This is why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.
On 9/5/2019 1:37 PM, David DiGiacomo
wrote:
The best label remover is "Bestine Thinner", which is 100% heptane.
(Or, if you have access to a chemical stockroom, just buy heptane.)
Why is it better than the alternatives?
1. It evaporates completely with no odor (unlike WD-40, Goo Gone,
orange solvents)
2. You know exactly what's in it, and it's the same every time (unlike
"naphtha")
3. Effective and doesn't harm plastics
4. Not too expensive
5. Readily available (in the US)
|
Re: Removing label adhesive frominstrument windows?
Hi Alan
?
Yes? I also use white sprits but I thought
I would advertise the Sticky Stuff Remover ?as a bit of fun
?
By the way do we know each other? I am
into any think above 40 Ghz
?
Paul B? south coast UK
?
?
Paul
Label
remover is made from orange peel, available from CPC and others. On
non-plastics White Spirit also works well to remove old labels, that’s the main
ingredient in WD40 along with light oil and the perfume.
?
73
Alan
G8LCO
?
Sent
from for
Windows 10
?
?
?
?
|
Re: Removing label adhesive from instrument windows?
Plexiglass is usually an acrylic while polycarbonates are different. Plexiglass can shatter while polycarbonates deform. Many solvents craze, and sometimes dramatically fast, acrylics, when exposed to certain solvents.?
If in doubt use super sticky tape to pull off gummy residue.?
toggle quoted message
Show quoted text
On Sep 5, 2019, at 2:07 PM, Gedas < w8bya@...> wrote:
If one can trust this
source of information Heptane & Polycarbonates
(plexiglass) may not do too well together (hopefully added
image makes it through):
<jlbbbpbbdcjjepal.png>
Gedas, W8BYA
Gallery at
Light travels faster than sound....
This is why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.
On 9/5/2019 1:37 PM, David DiGiacomo
wrote:
The best label remover is "Bestine Thinner", which is 100% heptane.
(Or, if you have access to a chemical stockroom, just buy heptane.)
Why is it better than the alternatives?
1. It evaporates completely with no odor (unlike WD-40, Goo Gone,
orange solvents)
2. You know exactly what's in it, and it's the same every time (unlike
"naphtha")
3. Effective and doesn't harm plastics
4. Not too expensive
5. Readily available (in the US)
|
Re: Removing label adhesive from instrument windows?
If one can trust this
source of information Heptane & Polycarbonates
(plexiglass) may not do too well together (hopefully added
image makes it through):
Gedas, W8BYA
Gallery at
Light travels faster than sound....
This is why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.
On 9/5/2019 1:37 PM, David DiGiacomo
wrote:
toggle quoted message
Show quoted text
The best label remover is "Bestine Thinner", which is 100% heptane.
(Or, if you have access to a chemical stockroom, just buy heptane.)
Why is it better than the alternatives?
1. It evaporates completely with no odor (unlike WD-40, Goo Gone,
orange solvents)
2. You know exactly what's in it, and it's the same every time (unlike
"naphtha")
3. Effective and doesn't harm plastics
4. Not too expensive
5. Readily available (in the US)
|
|
|
Re: Removing label adhesive from instrument windows?
The best label remover is "Bestine Thinner", which is 100% heptane.
(Or, if you have access to a chemical stockroom, just buy heptane.)
Why is it better than the alternatives?
1. It evaporates completely with no odor (unlike WD-40, Goo Gone,
orange solvents)
2. You know exactly what's in it, and it's the same every time (unlike
"naphtha")
3. Effective and doesn't harm plastics
4. Not too expensive
5. Readily available (in the US)
|
Re: Removing label adhesive from instrument windows?
How about Goo Gone??Always works for me.
www.googone.com
|
Jim Shorney
Paul Bicknell