c/auto-body-repairers

Pro tip: using a heat gun on old decals actually saves hours of scraping

I had a 2012 Ford Explorer come in last week with full side decals that were baked on from the Arizona sun. Tried every solvent and plastic razor blade I had, but the adhesive just laughed at me. On a whim I hit it with my Milwaukee heat gun on low for about 30 seconds and the whole strip peeled off like butter. Has anyone else found a specific temp or tool that works best for this without damaging the clear coat?

1 comments

the_joseph•3d ago

I finally caught why my filler work kept failing after 10 years

I always sanded filler with the grit sequence I learned in school until a guy in Denver told me to stop using 80 grit on the final pass. He showed me how the scratches were too deep for primer to fill and I felt like an idiot. Anyone else have a basic habit they had to unlearn the hard way?

1 comments

paul330•3d ago

Noticed how much thinner replacement panels are now compared to 15 years ago

I was working on a 2005 F-150 the other day, fitting a new fender from a major parts supplier. Holding it next to the old factory one, I could see the metal was maybe 20% thinner. Back when I started in this trade around 2008, the aftermarket stuff was usually pretty close to OEM in gauge. Now it feels like they are shaving weight anywhere they can to save on shipping costs, and you can hear it when you tap on the panel. The new panel also had way more flex to it, which makes me worry about long term durability for customers. Has anyone else noticed the same thing with recent replacement parts from different brands?

c/auto-body-repairers

Pro tip: using a heat gun on old decals actually saves hours of scraping

I finally caught why my filler work kept failing after 10 years

Noticed how much thinner replacement panels are now compared to 15 years ago

Just checked my local body shop's insurance claim stats for the last year

I finally learned why you don't use a sledgehammer on a dented quarter panel

Am I the only one who got burned by those cheap LED headlight bulbs?

Took me 7 hours to fix a door gap that should have been 30 minutes

I actually think paying for a cheap paint job is a waste of money every time

Shoutout to the $12 Harbor Freight rubber mallet that saved my shift

Learned the hard way that cheap paint booth filters aren't worth it

Figured out I was using filler primer completely wrong for 2 years

Spent 3 hours sanding a single fender yesterday - what a difference clear coat makes

Hit my 100th bumper replacement today, never expected that number to feel so big

That time I tried to rush a quarter panel repair and paid for it

The single-stage paint I sprayed 8 years ago looks better than today's base-clear jobs

Wasted $1,200 on a cheap paint booth setup

Found a weird trick for fixing door dings without a stud welder

Debate: is it worth annealing aluminum before shrinking, or just a waste of time?

Pro tip: Stop using Bondo on plastic bumpers unless you want it peeling off in 3 months

Remember having to hand-sand entire quarter panels with 80 grit for hours?

Old timer at a shop in Detroit told me to stop wet sanding clear coat so much

Was 15 years into dent pulling before a painter called me out

Bought a $400 dent puller I thought was snake oil

Learned a trick from a classic car guy about rust repair

Shoutout to the old guy at NAPA who set me straight on paint guns