What is the best way to remove painted on lettering

[JR's]

What is the best way to remove painted on lettering.

Hey guys, it's been a while since I had to remove painted on letters from a vehicle.
Just wondering how would you guys go about it. Hopefully this old dog could learn a new trick.

Back in the day I would go at it with one of two ways. Tape off the area that does not have paint on it and use
easy off oven cleaner. Sometimes this would yellow the background especially if it was white.

The other way would be a buffer and some compound, cleaner wax. This could burn through the paint on the truck.

Any help is much appreciated and thank you in advance.

 

[Gino]

Wow, there's a request you rarely see these days, huh ??

I never particularly liked the 'Easy-Off' routine. It either discolored light colors or hazed the darker color and if the vehicle was metallic, it really showed up. However, back then, the clearcoats weren't as severe, either.

Last one we did, we buffed it out and then polished it. That was a long time ago. We just don't see many hand lettered vehicles coming in anymore...... that wanna be re-lettered. I'd play it safe and tell them to take it to a body/paint shop.

 

[JR's]

here is the truck.

 

[Gino]

Is that gilded, then hand-painted shadow and outlined, like in the olden days ??

Yeah, if ya wanna do it, I'd buff it out and then polish, but I'd prefer sending it to a paint shop. Take about 20 minutes a door. Gold will make it take longer.

Sheesh, even that little thing underneath is hand-outlined ??​

 

[Billct2]

Yep, what Gino said. Back when I would use the easy off method and never liked the results. Seems like people were more willing to compromise back then.
I often ended up designing something that would hide the old lettering like adding a panel background

 

[Graphics@ToysForTrucks]

Just had something similar come through, we took the trailer to the body shop, to get removal done properly, customer was happy to pay the body shop for the removal.

 

[Texas_Signmaker]

Would easy off work on glass? I just got done removing my 40 something windows!

 

[Gino]

Would easy off work on glass? I just got done removing my 40 something windows!

That very product and method was suggested to you in your thread. You ignored it, so need to ask now, especially after they're all done.

 

[Texas_Signmaker]

I didn't see oven cleaner... Then again I don't see every post and I could of missed it. They added more stores so I'll have more paint to remove next week..oh joy.

 

[Terry01]

Send it to a paintshop, you rub through any clearcoat or top coat and you will be up for a repaint at your cost..

 

[visual800]

if it were me I would go over with razor blade and then hit it with some 400 grit and see what happens

 

[decalman]

Id just cover it up with a couple layers of white vinyl. Then a graphic of wile e coyote. Cheap fix my specialty

 

[Bradley Signs]

That paint looks pretty faded.... Like the others say, take it to the shop..... 40 years ago, it would have been acceptable with a "it's the best we can do".... now... no telling what someone will say or do.