Removing Avery Labels from Lionel boxes

I just leave them on. I have not found a good way to remove them. Besides the label looks better whole than if only half of it came off. 

I have had luck heating the label with a hair dryer and slowly pulling it off.  Once I get it started I blow the hot air so that it is blowing under the loose end of the label.

Heat gun will get it off

There's a guy at the DuPage County show that puts stickers all over his boxes! At least 3 or 4 to a box with big red numbers in marker! Don't know how anybody ever gets those off...

There's a guy at the DuPage County show that puts stickers all over his boxes! At least 3 or 4 to a box with big red numbers in marker! Don't know how anybody ever gets those off...

Hi Bob    I've had some luck with old fashion lighter fluid. Try on small area out of sight first to make sure it won't hurt the box. Hope all is well. Enjoy the Holidays.   Lenny J

Un-Du is in the scrap booking aisle at most big craft or discount stores. It's designed not to damage the sticker or the thing stuck to, and I've never had it leave goo behind when it dried. On a somewhat related note, it does wonders when you've forgotten to tag the Christmas presents in similar sized boxes and it's too late to re-wrap them.

 

--Becky

I ditto that. The hair dryer method may still leave some sticky stuff on the box.

I use The hair dryer method and pull very slowly.

 

Joe is correct that sometimes it leaves some sticky stuff, which I then clean with Goo-be-gone.

 

Good Luck.

I have not tried this!! maybe one of those clothes steamers to get wrinkles out. I took off all the tinted windows on a automobile that way, worked fast and easy, lifted off in one piece and very little residue that also came off on the second try. The tint and the car where 20 yrs. old. A heat gun would not take off the tint.

The folks with the heat are on the right track.  I've been taking all sorts of gummed labels off with a heat gun or hair dryer, there are very few (but there are some) that it won't work very well on.  After removing them, as mentioned, sometimes there is a bit of sticky stuff left.  A trick for getting this off without chemicals is to take the just removed label and use it to "blot" the sticky area, the glue on the label will most often pick up the surface glue after a few blots.  I usually end up not needing any chemical cleaners to get the label off, just heat.  On the slick surface of the typical Lionel or MTH boxes, this usually results in a total removal with no damage or discoloration of the box.

 

 

I too have used the hair dryer trick successfully.  Regarding the tape residue, hold the removed sticker around the tip of your finger and tap it against the area where the residue is.  You'll be surprised how it will remove the residue.  If the old sticker 'runs out of stickum'; try a new label, just don't press it against the box quite as hard.

 

When it comes to removing clear or brown packing tape from that precious factory shipper, try removing that tape when the box is very cold.  It seems to release quite easily and leaves the brown shipper pretty much intact.  This trick works well for those of us in the northern climes, but others will have to become more inventive.

You might try the refrigerator or freezer - however, do this when the wife will be gone for a few hours and won't return home to find the original contents of the frig strewn all over the kitchen...

 

Best,

Dave

Gunner - you type faster than I do 

That's OK Dave, you got the extra plug for the brown tape in.  I have notices that stuff almost falls off after being stored in the attic for the winter.

 

I worked for Avery Dennison and it should be noted the most common types of adhesive for PS labels are removable and permanent. Needless to say, all pricing labels used on boxes should have removable adhesive, but it is not always the case. Even if labels with removable adhesive are used, the adhesive will become permanent if left on the substrate for an extended period of time.

 

I have always removed labels from boxes by putting GooGone on a Q-Tip and saturating the face of the label and leaving it on for a few minutes so it penetrates through. After a couple of minutes I carefully get my finger nail under a corner of the label and carefully pull it back. Once the edge is lifted I place a little more GooGone under the pulled up edge and carefully remove the label by peeling it off slowly. If I encounter any resistance, I will use more GooGone.

 

Any adhesive residue left on box is easily removed with a little GooGone. This method works every time provided the label face sheet is not a coated stock since the GooGone will not penetrate it. Care should also be taken if the box is not coated (post war boxes) since there is always the possibility of delaminating it.

 

Mike

I too have used this method with good success. However reading Gunrunner johns post might try the heat method to compare them both.

 

Dave

Dear Fellow Trainees:

 

Thanx to everyone who responded to my question.

 

I used a Black & Decker heat gun on the lower setting and a Stanley beveled box cutter.  I also wore a protective glove on the hand holding the box cutter because of the excessive heat.

 

If done slowly, there was not residual gum left and I was able to lift the labels off with ease.

 

Again, thanx to the Forum members.

 

Bob Mintz

Since Eastman Kodak film cleaner (CAT 165 6986) is no longer available, Edwal film cleaner works fine for removing most any label I've run across by softening and removing the adhasive without damaging the surface it is mounted on regardless of its composition...paper, plastic, wood, metal, etc.  This stuff is hard to find anymore and rather expensive.  Sure was great back in the day for removing price tags from Christmas presents prior to gift wrapping them.

 

Amazon and B&H Photo Video sell it at $30 for 4 ounces.  My quart has lasted 20 years so far and will probably see me out.  It is good stuff but the Kodak version was wonderful.  We used it for film and slides in the Navy and when I taught photo courses in college before going digital.

 

Richard Snipes

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