| Author |
Message |
John that newguy
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, December 01, 2004 - 7:48 pm: | |
Has anyone removed the plastic film that covers the original
ceiling panels in the MC9?
If so, what was the easy way to do it? |
Michael Lewis (Puffbus)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, December 01, 2004 - 8:27 pm: | |
Sharp wood chisel, patient wife and lots of encouragement. Rasor blade works too. |
John that newguy
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, December 01, 2004 - 8:48 pm: | |
Ahhh.... egads...
No, not the panel, I just want to remove the film that covers it.
It's a thin plastic, like Saran wrap. I started to peel the stuff off
on the panels that were in the toilet area and found the panels
under the film to be like new. If I can do that to the entire bus
ceiling, I'll have the equivalent to a paint job...well... better...
and cheaper. |
Gary McFarland (Gearheadgary)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, December 01, 2004 - 8:51 pm: | |
Tweesers |
JTNG
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, December 01, 2004 - 8:55 pm: | |
(snicker) |
dana dutkowski (Dana23)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, December 01, 2004 - 8:55 pm: | |
how about that new steamer i sen on tv semms to work good for wall paper think i seen it on ebay for 32.00 thinking of getting 1 myself just am idea |
John that newguy
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, December 01, 2004 - 8:57 pm: | |
Hey.. steamer.. maybe!!
I can rent one from the local rental shop tomorrow!
Tks. |
jimmci9 #2
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, December 01, 2004 - 9:23 pm: | |
try a heat gun.... spreader tip on a small propane torch....but be careful, there's insulation behind the aluminum panels.... i took the ceiling aluminum panels down... i wanted newer, better insulation... |
ChuckMC9 (Chucks)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, December 01, 2004 - 9:28 pm: | |
Hey JtnG, I was going to ask the same question one of these days. Two of my panels were stripped that way when I got it and they look new. But man, getting that stuff off is a bear. I will be most interested with your steamer results.
I can get maybe 1" before it tears. Worse than trying to peel cheap packing tape from the roll when you're trying to wrap your SO's present in a hurry. :0 |
John that newguy
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, December 01, 2004 - 9:45 pm: | |
Jim-
Heat gun... I have one in storage.
I gave it thought initially, but felt the possibility of starting the plastic
on fire was too much a gamble. Not knowing exactly what's on the
other side, was also worrisome. I may give it a try anyway.. now
that you mention it..
After working (didling) in this bus during the Florida summer, the
transmitted heat through the roof didn't seem all that bad. No worse
than the Winnegarbage we owned, but not as good as the rubber coated
roof of the Georgie-Boy.. So I decided to keep the ceiling paneling
as-is, if possible. I may add a rubber roof later, for both insulation
factor and quiet. |
John that newguy
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, December 01, 2004 - 9:55 pm: | |
Yeah Chucks..
After seeing the new looking panel, I figured it'd be a ton less
expensive to peel, than to paint.
And hell... I wouldn't want to try painting over then now, knowing
that there's a plastic film over the panels. It'd be just a question
of time, before the paint would peel off the plastic.
The owner of the storage facility offered to Imron the ceiling for
me for "cheap", if it didn't clean up to my liking. But we didn't
know about the plastic. Imron would probably eat right through
it, leaving peels..
If I can get to it tomorrow, I'll let you know how it goes with the
heat gun. If that works, then the steam wallpaper remover should
work too... and probably better. |
TWODOGS (Twodogs)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, December 01, 2004 - 11:01 pm: | |
try high pressure air |
John that newguy
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, December 01, 2004 - 11:16 pm: | |
I gotta' drive to Colorado? |
TWODOGS (Twodogs)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, December 01, 2004 - 11:47 pm: | |
yeah....cold front coming in |
BrianMCI
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, December 02, 2004 - 8:33 am: | |
I'd have thought the summertime Florida sunshine would do the trick of softening up the vinyl film enough so it could be peeled off. I know it's surely hot enough in summer here in Vegas to do it.
Brian |
John that newguy
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, December 02, 2004 - 12:14 pm: | |
Vegas................ always a gamble... |
John Wallace
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, December 02, 2004 - 12:59 pm: | |
Beleive it or not, the plastic is a protective mask that is put on at the factory after the design is printed on to protect it in shipping. All our alunimum sheets come in with this coating. It is very hard to get off after it has a few years on it. It was intended to be taken off upon istallation. This mask is roller coated by a machine and is easier to take off once you determine the direction of the "grain" and pull with it. The surface underneath it will be like new. I would be very carefull applying heat to this mask as it is not very thick or dense. We have had some success in the past by wipping it with regular paint thinner to soften it up a little. However I would try a small area off in a corner for a test. I couldn't beleive it when I took down the ceiling in my MC-8 and found the mask still on the aluminum. |
John that newguy
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, December 02, 2004 - 7:21 pm: | |
Wow John.... Awwwwlllllriiite!
It's funny to hear that, since there was just a story in a "good
Sam" magazine about someone with an overheating microwave in his RV.
It seems that the plastic covering on the microwave was never
removed upon it's installation by the RV manufacturer. The plastic
protection kept the microwave from operating properly. The coating
was clearly stamped "to be removed"..
I guess MCI did the same thing? After seeing the peeled plastic in
the toilet area, I had thought that perhaps they applied it as some
sort of additional coating to protect the surface against the
repeated washings it may get. It's great to finally learn the truth!
Also nice to know that a little paint thinner might do the trick. I
did notice that where I used "Spic & Span" or "Purple Power", the
material was easier to peel. Being afraid to stain (what I thought
would be) the unprotected aluminum surface, I was reluctant to
continue. So.... I'll now have two methods to try! The heat gun and
the thinner.. but not together, of course..
Those panels are like brand new, underneath that yellowed coating
and I'd love to keep them right where they are.
Thanks for the info! |
TWODOGS (Twodogs)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, December 02, 2004 - 7:33 pm: | |
but......try air first |
CARLGGULLETT
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, December 02, 2004 - 11:34 pm: | |
try a hevy duty hair dryer goodwill usley has tham are
use your wiefs wil also work great removin bumper stickers are whot ever `C GULL 4104 + MCI-5 |
kevin
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, December 03, 2004 - 8:01 am: | |
yes I took mine off and all I did was take razor knife along strips that hold panels up, then just peeled right of . No big deal or problem |
John that newguy
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, December 03, 2004 - 9:11 am: | |
Hey Kevin...
Really? Now I'll -really- have to try that first!
(the wife's been sick, so my bus stuff is on hold)
Karl-
Yeah... I used her dryer on frozen pipes once,
but I ended up burning the thing out. She was
so P'd, she could have melted the ice with
her eyes by glaring at it. I'm gonna' use my
heat gun for this'n.
I'm old and might not make it the year of celebacy
that I'd face....... again. |
kevin
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, December 03, 2004 - 9:54 am: | |
Yes John that was one thing that was simple, my wife even finished doing it. Hope yours is feeling better soon.
my panels look so much better now, much brighter |
John that newguy
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, December 04, 2004 - 10:21 pm: | |
Update:
I tried the heat gun today with no luck. The
paint started to melt, but the plastic wouldn't
budge. I'll get some paint thinner and try that
tomorrow... |
ChuckMC9 (Chucks)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, December 04, 2004 - 10:57 pm: | |
Cooooome Onnn, John! I *really* want you to come up with a magic procedure for this. I tried razor blade brute force, but the blade kept biting into the pristine panel, dinging it.
There's gotta be a way... |
L. R. Taft (Larryk2lt)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, December 05, 2004 - 10:56 pm: | |
Try dry ice. Maybe the extreme cold temperature difference will make the plastic brittle and it can be broken off.
LarryK2LT |
John that newguy
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, December 07, 2004 - 11:40 pm: | |
Update:
I bought a gallon of paint thinner. The guy at the store said
to use it liberally, so I got my next door neighbor to come
along and help (he would have voted for Hillary Clinton
had she run in 2004).
I worked it into the plastic that was applied to the surface
while he recited some mantra regarding the need for increased
taxes to support social programs, government provided health
care, free cash to the needy and other causes that use tax money
to support the turds sponging off those that actually work.
I don't know if I was getting ill from the vapors of the thinner,
or my neighbor's idea of a more socialistik Amerika, but I was
using the thinner in as liberal manner I could.
It didn't work. The originally applied protective plastic was
not removed and it's likely never going to be removed.
My lesson?
It doesn't matter if something's been applied liberally or
conservatively, if it's something that's not desirable, you have
to work as soon as possible to remove it, or be stuck with it.
I guess protective plastic film is a lot like bad legislation.
My neighbor agrees - - proving you can't satisfy everyone. |
Gary McFarland (Gearheadgary)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, December 07, 2004 - 11:44 pm: | |
You forgot to sing Kumbaya, that's all.
Gary |
Marc Bourget
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, December 08, 2004 - 8:20 pm: | |
Anybody try Acetone in a closed box? Don't breathe the vapors |
John that newguy
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, December 08, 2004 - 8:45 pm: | |
John Wallace seems to know about this film and suggested
paint remover as a "softener" to enable the removal. But he also
cautioned that the film was designed to be removed when the
panels were being set; if too much time elapsed, the film would
be -very- difficult to remove.
He was right. The stuff is near impossible to get off. Any
product that's sold in a plastic container may not be of use,
since the film is plastic. I need something to "soften it" enough
to make it pliable, and something to loosen the glue that bonds
it. I guess steam will be my next try, when I get some time.
I've removed my share of vinyl wall covering using a steam
machine, so maybe it'll work with this. The heat gun wasn't
doing a thing.... too dry/too hot (JW was right with that, also).
I doubt painting over the stuff would be good, since a chemical
reaction may develop over time and cause peeling. Latex might
be an alternative.. ?
It's too bad if nothing will work, since the finish is perfect under
that plastic film. |
niles steckbauer (Niles500)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, December 08, 2004 - 9:27 pm: | |
JTNG - How about some out of work fruit pickers - they're cheap and good w/ their hands -
Niles |
Jtng
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, December 08, 2004 - 9:37 pm: | |
Hmm.. maybe after I get the plastic off the ceiling...
Hey wait.. Oh... yeah.. No...
I'll do it myself. |
H3 (Ace)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, December 08, 2004 - 10:19 pm: | |
I experienced the same problem with vinyl lettering on my Eagle but got the residue off fairly easy using cheap store bought decal remover!
Worked great for me but what do I know?
Ace |
John that newguy
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, December 08, 2004 - 11:27 pm: | |
I wish it was just the residue, that'd be easy (I use WD-40)
(Mayonnaise works, too... just don't lick your fingers).
I'm trying to get the original protective film off the panels and
nothing so far has been able to do the trick.
(You know plenty and you know, you know plenty) |
Mike (Busone)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, December 09, 2004 - 12:21 am: | |
I am betting the problem is that the film is very solvent resistant. It is probably polyethylene or polypropylene. If you can find a way to rough up the film so the solvent can get to the glue. Maybe one of those wire dog brushes would work. |
John that newguy
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, December 13, 2004 - 10:21 pm: | |
Mike-
That would probably work, but the "like new" painted surface
under it would suffer. That same solvent will be directly on the
surface of that paint.
Marc-
I went out and bought a can of Acetone. That didn't work either.
Gary-
I sang "Kumbaya" for three hours while trying it all again. I may
have to try a more conservative route.
Dana-
I bought the Shark steam pro. Nice canister type! ($199 model at a
thrift store for $15.00) I suppose the wife can use it to get bird
crap off the floor.... It did soften the plastic enough to loosen
some of it, but not all of it. The plastic shreds and some of it is
impossible to get off without damaging the surface.
I'm going to abandon the effort and work around it. I may end up
painting the ceiling, where needed.
Thanks everyone for the suggestions! Each one was well worth
the try. |
Gary McFarland (Gearheadgary)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, December 13, 2004 - 10:31 pm: | |
Maybe some Ted Neugent, Real Loud.
I did say tweezers.
Just out of curiousity, could you get under it with a srynge and a needle? Put air bubbles in it?
Gary |
Jtng
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, December 13, 2004 - 11:28 pm: | |
No, actually you said "Tweesers".
It's on the ceiling, so I would have to get on top of it; I'm already
under it.
Seriously, the plastic coating is about the thickness of Saran Wrap
(I get $$$ every time I mention their name on a BB). The stuff is
rolled and glued to the surface during manufacture. After too many
years, the stuff has become one with the painted aluminum panel
it was designed to protect. It's difficult to explain, but it's kinda' like
a sunburn, where you can only peel a few pieces off before it merges
back into an unpeelable area... only without the hair...
The idea would probably work, if I could get under it and if it were
thicker... or more pliable.
I'm giving up. THWI
Thanks, tho. |
ChuckMC9 (Chucks)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, December 14, 2004 - 1:35 am: | |
Rats, John. The thing is, two of my big center panels have it removed, and it was clearly removed *years* after the coach had been in service. All else is *really* yellow, so at some point in the last several years or so someone got it off. You can barely see the evidence that it used to be there on those panels close to the mouldings where there are still slivers.
One of these days I'll drop by MCI and see if they can shed some light on it. Or shed some plastic off of it. |
Gary McFarland (Gearheadgary)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, December 14, 2004 - 9:44 am: | |
Tweesers is correct seplling if you've been drinking.
I was wondering if you could get under the edge of it with a air nozzle and blow it off. You've probably tried that.
Gary |
John that newguy
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, December 15, 2004 - 12:07 am: | |
No Gar... But Two Dogs keeps telling me I should.
I suppose I could... but I can't find enough of
a lip to use. It's hard to 'splain, but... well...
it's like sunburn. |
TWO DOGS
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, December 15, 2004 - 7:24 am: | |
harbor freight has a nozzel that has a tiny hole in it...really torques when ya' pull the trigger...cheap too...think about 4.00....If it works...I get to say "I TOLD YA' SO" |
John that newguy
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, December 15, 2004 - 7:57 am: | |
Ok, ok... I'll buy one today and try it ASAP.
(man, can you nag) |
Gary McFarland (Gearheadgary)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, December 15, 2004 - 9:50 am: | |
Yeah, that's what I was thinking to, I have the one with the "Needles" that attach to it.
Be carful with these, I think that what they told us in shop class may be true with one of these.
Gary |
TWO DOGS
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, December 16, 2004 - 10:18 am: | |
not nag.....do it correctly once |