Unless someone else is offering the one and only solvent for the cement,

I'd recommend doing the job mechanically with an angle grinder, using a fine paste with no coarse particles.

It might be a little bit tricky and you need a careful handling with no high pressure to the surface - but it should work. By this way I've 'cleaned' a lacquered shell some time ago and it turned out pretty well.

Ralf

Try heating it... it might just rub right off

I would be extremely careful on this...Heat can damage the wrap.

First I would secure what is not covered by stains of old glue.

Second...water sand paper high grain like 1000? (i'm afraid that this will scratch wrap somehow)

Or mechanically...just wrap windshield scraper with cloth and remove the glue..

That contact cement solvent could work well if you just use it sparingly.

I'd be trying that before trying to sand it off - last resort in my books.

EDIT: Might be worth trying a sharp razor blade - this has worked very well for me on all things glass. Just keep it level with the finish and take it slow.

I wonder if using ice topically in spots, would make the contact cement brittle, or even seperate from the finish. This idea just occurred to me and I'm sleepy, so...

But it just might work!

larry

p.s. good luck!

Be very careful. I would not recomend the same chemicals for removeing glue from wood sheels. It could melt and destroy the wrap. Some of those solvents are way to strong for what you are trying to do. Ice may be a idea. Did you try plain water? Some glues will come off with water. I am also wondering if Citristrip might not be to strong. I would test it on a old drum shell or some old wrap or something to make sure it is not to harsh or melt the plastic. You can get it at WalMart.

While I certainly recommend finding a method that would not damage the wrap in any way, I'd consider a very fine sand paper before using any chemical that you are uncomfortable with. If the chemical warps or damages the wrap in any way, you can't undo it. You can always use Novus 2 to polish out fine sand paper scrathes.

But, try some chemicals on the black wrap that you removed and see how it reacts. If it doesn't damage it, try it sparingly on the OBP in an area that won't be seen - behind a lug or clamp - to see how that wrap will react because the wraps may have different composition.

I hope this helps. I wish you the best of luck!

Welcome to VDF!

I would try this. Take a towel and soak it in water with Dawn dish soap then lay it over the shell for a couple hours. Remove and see if the glue will loosen up a bit. I dont think water and soap will danmage the wrap, just dont soak the drum, you know.

JC

Thanks for the tips... I'm going to try laying a damp towel over a section with some soap and see if it softens up.

I'm talking about a complete kit here, so if the solution is something I have to do inch by inch, I'll probably just rewrap them... I need something that won't take me dozens or hundreds of hours.

I know destroying an original finish is akin to murder round here, but if it comes down to it, I may sand the wrap down and wrap over it again... this is an early kit, so of course the wrap is laminated to the shell and rolled into the seam.