Glue Removal from canopy

[JVolkober]

I used packing tape to protect the canopy while making fiberglass rear skirts for my -9. I left it on for awhile while I fiddled with the skirts. Now I find that I have a lot of glue residue on the canopy. Looking for recommendations of best way to remove. I tried Glue Gone but is very slow going. Is there a solvent I could use that would not harm the plexi?

[bkilby]

WD-40 worked a lot faster than Goo Gone for me.. I tried both.

[647jc]

I had the same problem, 2 year old cheap packaging tape residue. I found that denatured alcohol (Walgreens) worked well and did not harm the plexiglass.

I just Googled this topic and seems to be some conflicting information on the Web (imagine that). Other than proprietary or commercial cleaners some recommend isopropyl alcohol and/or kerosene washing the surface with mild soap and water afterwards. Others say to avoid using alcohol based cleaners especially those containing amonia such as Windex. Anyway, I used a lot of denatured isopropyl alcohol on my canopy 1 1/2 years ago and have been flying for the past year with no ill effects noticed on the canopy.

[bullojm1]

Kerosene worked great for me. I think I recall you shouldn't use anything alcohol based or a thinner such as acetone or lacquer thinner.

[mark schoening]

I think enamel reducer is ok on plex---maybe somebody knows with experience
on this----disclamer: my cobwebbed memory seem to recall I used it to remove duck tape residue, but i'm not 100 % sure.

[129TG]

I have used Naphtha and it did a great job. Did not harm my canopy any and did a great job taking off the residue left behind by the tape. If you are skeptical try a little obscure place or on a scrap piece. The stuff reminds me of the old cigarette lighter fluid, Ronson?, that Dad used in his Zippo lighter.

[Greg Arehart]

DON'T use acetone!

greg

[flyboy1963]

...funny, just yesterday there was a thread on removing overspray from plexi.
since these canopies are worth about a thousand bucks????? pays to be careful.
I see using the internet gives you very little safe information....

some tech data from one of the plexi manufacturers...

MAINTENANCE & CLEANING of PLEXIGLASS

Plexiglass Sheet Cleaning Directions - Washing - Wash Plexiglas® sheet with a mild soap or detergent and lukewarm water solution. Use a clean soft cloth or sponge and as much solution as possible. Rinse well. Dry by blotting with a damp cloth or chamois. We recommend Brillianize or Novus polishes sold on this site.

Do not use: Window cleaning fluids, scouring compounds, gritty cloths, leaded or ethyl gasolines or solvents such as alcohol, acetone, carbon tetrachloride, etc.

To remove tar, grease, paint, dried masking paper, etc., use a good grade of naphtha or kerosene. Users of these solvents should become familiar with their properties to handle them safely. Wash and clean as above.

Polishing - Apply a thin, even coat of a good grade of automobile paste wax (not a cleaner-wax combination) with a soft clean cloth to protect the surface of the Plexiglas® sheet and maintain its luster. Buff lightly with a clean cotton flannel or jersey cloth. After polishing, wipe with a clean damp cloth to ground any electro-static charges which may attract dust particles.

Antistatic Coatings - These coatings can be used to prevent the accumulation of electrostatic charge.

(...such as Novus, Mirror-glaze etc.)

my thoughts and experiences.....

use the mildest solvent possible. Acetone and thinners like lacquer thinner that contain 'hot' solvents seem to affect the glue quickly, but the potential to etch or damage the plexi is high.
citrus based cleaners can be quite agressive....they are just a different type of solvent, but they will still attack surfaces.
try not to get solvent on the cut edge, it is much more prone to damage, crazing etc. than the smooth faces.
try to get the area horizontal, and wet the surface with mineral spirits or a similar 'slow' solvent.
Keep it wet, and try to get the adhesive residue moving with a soft cloth. If you can't, use a soft plastic scraper like a bondo squegee to try to slice the goo off the plexi, and wipe off onto a paper towel.
do repeated applications of the solvent until you have the surface clean.

good luck!

[robpar]

In my Used Car days we used a hair dryer or hot air gun and a plastic scarper for removing bumper stickers, bubble gum, old tape and other stuff. It worked well and did not take long. It goes without saying do not get it hot enough to bubble paint or plexi. The boss did not like any solvents as they could cause a lot of damage. Might work for you.

Bob Parry

[JVolkober]

Thank you for your responses and especially Perry's excerpt from a plexi manufacturer. The information on the Web tends to be conflicting so it is hard to know what the lowest risk solution is. I will stay away from all the hot stuff including alcohol. Will try citrus-based solvent and soap and water. My canopy has taken a bit of a beating already. I've got the scratch removal kit from Vans waiting in the wings. The whole slider canopy has been a yearlong conundrum. Hopefully I am near the end. Engine is due in three weeks and I want to at least get all the canopy parts, including the fiberglass rear skirts done before I put the fuselage up on the gear and mount the engine.