Team, Thought that I would share with you a little trick that I did that worked great. Items needed: Hair dryer or heat gun, Westley's Bleach White, Soft Brush, lacquer thinner, old cotton t-shirt (no lint), 3M Super 77 Spray Adhesive, Small Artist Brush, 12" x 24" square sheet of aluminum foil, 3/4" masking tape and brown kraft paper. All can be obtained at home improvement store. The graphics on my bike are lifting up in some areas and got dirt behind them and won't stick. So here is a good fix: 1.) Bring number plates and shrouds in the house and let them sit overnight to warm up. Make sure that they are clean. I use Westley's Bleach White (white wall tire cleaner),soft brush and warm water. Tell your significant other you are doing the dishes when they catch you in the kitchen sink! Just Joking! Dry them thoroughly and let air dry completely. 2.) Take an old cotton t-shirt and put some lacquer thinner on it and wipe your shrouds/outside of graphics (test a small area first). Don't get carried away with the lacquer thinner and wipe off it off immediately. Make sure that you clean the little old glue ooze from around the graphic edges. Lacquer thinner will take the ink off of most stickers/warning decals, so be careful. Do this in a well ventilated area. 3.) Next you want to peel your graphic back a little to clean the area that has peeled and won't stick to plastic (go slow so you don't tear/stretch your graphic). Take an old cotton t-shirt (no lint) and put a little thinner on it, clean the plastic shroud, fender, number plate that the graphic adheres to. Next, be real careful and with old cotton t-shirt/little thinner rub the back of the graphic to get dirt off/ softening old glue. You will usually not get the dirt discoloration off the old glue. If you have alot of dirt on back of graphic then scrape it off with dull knife first. Your goal is to get rid of anything (sand and formations) that will not make your graphic not re-lay down smooth. Important: If you get too carried away with the thinner/rag on the back of the graphic that you are cleaning, you can rub through the other side of the graphic/color. 4.) Lay your graphic back down and take masking tape to precisly outline outside edge of your graphic on plastic fender, shroud, etc from over spray/brushing. Then take kraft paper and tape off anything that can be be hit by overspray/brushing from Super 77 adhesive. I also tape off the front side of my graphic for any over spray. 5.) In a well vented area, take a piece of aluminum foil and spray some Super 77 spray adhesive on it to make a big wet spot (also, you can test how the can sprays, as well on rest of foil). Now, quickly pull your graphic back that you just cleaned, take your artist brush, soak it in spray adhesive and brush along back edge of graphic seam that is currently adhered to plastic/graphic, this is done to eliminate an air pocket/edge when you relay your graphic. 6.) Take your spray adhesive and spray the old glue behind your graphic and the adjacent plastic part that is taped off (adhesive has to be on both mating surfaces for good bond). Do not get spray adhesive on your front side of graphic or non mating plastic surfaces. For small areas, you can brush the back side of the graphic with spray adhesive and plastic mating surface. Don't get carried away with spray adhesive. just use enough to coat/wet the mating surfaces. 7.) On the back of the Super 77 spray adhesive can. It will give you and approximate stick/bonding time, as well as distance can must be held for spraying. Before relaying your graphic, warm the graphic up with hair dryer/ heat gun ( don't get to hot to melt or burn your graphic). Your goal is to start resealing your graphic and working out any air bubbles. For small bubbles, I use a pin to poke the bubble to get air out. 8.) Make sure that you keep your graphic warm till glue dries (several hours). Check periodically to make sure graphic is seated and no bubbles. 9.) Clean up is little lacquer thinner/old t-shirt to remove glue ooze or little overspray. Hope this helps. Typpyt
You are very patient grasshooper. If your not busy can you come over and do mine? I've got a nice selection of beers for you to sample.
I'm stuck right now! Whoops, got spray adhesive all over me and everything is stuck to me. I went to pet the cats and they are now stuck to me hands. Just found out that live cats make good winter gloves. Basically, bored and very patient this winter (Heard you guys have some good beer up there). Getting real tired of being indoors. You gotta drink the beer first, so they go on straighter. Hate to see Husqvarna put on upside down, sober. Thanx! Typpyt
Thought you'd be interested in a quick fix because #1 Graphics/Backgrounds are getting expensive. #2 Seems like no matter how hard you try to get them to stick and bubble free, an edge always pops up later and gets dirt behind it. #3 If you use a permanent glue it damages your plastics for the next time you go to put on graphics. Thanx!
