Under-trim, badge, & exterior paint stainin removal... Your techniques & products?

[charlesaferg]

You`ve all experienced it, aged cars with that mildew in the space under the trim pieces where your machines cannot reach with your abrasives. It also typically appears between and inside the letters of vehicle badging. Recently I ran into a Saab that had this problem quite severely. While most came off from washing and poking with a small soft bristle brush and cleaner, much of it remained until I finally scrubbed it off.



I`m sure many of you have extremely efficient ways of dealing with this, yes? Now that I`ve been aiming for older vehicles and have run into it on the past 2 neglected white vehicles, it has presented itself as quite the pain to deal with.



I`m curious, what are your techniques to remove this most efficiently?

[Accumulator]

My technique is more effective than efficient as it takes a pretty long time and it`s not easy:



1) Tools: I use a sharpened swab stick (or a toothpick) to force a little wad of cotton wool into the tight spot. I`ll either pull the cotton off the end of a swab or use a woman`s makeup ball. I`ve also done OK with a bit of foam or a MF, but you gotta watch that the stick doesn`t slip off the foam or penetrate the MF and cause marring.



For really *nasty* jobs I`ve taken the swab stick, cut it to provide a flat tip, and flagged the tip with a razor blade. I soaked the flagged wooden tip in #34 for a while to soften it up and I used that all by iteself for the initial passes.



2) Products: I use products that`ll break down by hand, usually 1Z stuff or the old 3M PI-III twins (o5933 and 05937). The new version of Meg`s #2 could be good as it might offer good chemical cleaning along with the potent abrasives (the older rotary-only version, which I wouldn`t use for this, had *strong* chemical cleaners in it)

[imported_themightytimmah]

Disassemble. It`s quicker to debadge and put the badges back on then try to hand polish the grooves.



For trim, I tape it off way deep into the groove, then use the edge of a rotary pad at slow rpms to get in there.

[Accumulator]

Disassemble. It`s quicker to debadge and put the badges back on then try to hand polish the grooves...



*IF* the badges are only pinned ;) Seems like a lot of `em are glued on these days.

[sriquixotic]

I`m trying to remove a badge that has 2 sticky squares bonded between the badge and paint. I tried floss with no luck, should I heat it up a bit? These squares seem to be really strong and when I pull on the badge it pulls the panel with it too.

[Accumulator]

I`m trying to remove a badge that has 2 sticky squares bonded between the badge and paint. I tried floss with no luck, should I heat it up a bit? These squares seem to be really strong and when I pull on the badge it pulls the panel with it too.



Find a way to soak the squares (I bet it`s double-sided ahesive on foam) with 3M Adhesive Remover. You`ll have to soak a rag with the Adhes. Remov. and then hold the rag there...maybe lean a 2X4 against it or something.



Let the solvent do its thing long enough and then the floss will work.

[kevpotts]

Heat does help... try a blow dryer to warm it a little. A hot summer day should be fine though.

[Daniel3507]

when i put new badges on my truck i used a hair dryer, floss, and adhesive remover. the heat really helped to loosen it up