Stripping The Text Off Of A Platinum Preppy

[ParkerDuofold]

Hi Houston,

 

Do you have any lighter fluid (or white fuel) laying about?

 

That's what we used to use to remove label gum in primitive times... I would think it would have a similar affect on Platinum's lettering.

 

I still use it to get rid of all of JetPen's labels.

 

Be well and enjoy life.

 

 

- Anthony

[Houston]

Good thought, Anthony. I have what the Brits call "white spirit". It's pretty good at getting stubborn sticky stuff off. I'll give that a try, first. Thank you.

[Honeybadgers]

That will likely haze over many kinds of plastics. Organic compounds do not like naptha or butane.

 

The only really safe way to remove stickers and stuff from plastic, urushi, etc. is elbow grease and water, maybe a little dawn to keep things slippery

[ParkerDuofold]

Good thought, Anthony. I have what the Brits call "white spirit". It's pretty good at getting stubborn sticky stuff off. I'll give that a try, first. Thank you.

Hi Houston,

 

You're welcome, Houston... ...I hope it does the trick... or as the British say,... "the treat"... IIRC.

 

With HB's comments in mind, you may want to test it in an obscure place, just to make sure.

 

 

That will likely haze over many kinds of plastics. Organic compounds do not like naptha or butane.

 

The only really safe way to remove stickers and stuff from plastic, urushi, etc. is elbow grease and water, maybe a little dawn to keep things slippery

Hi HB,

 

I use Zippo lighter fluid, (naphta), I don't smoke, but I carry a Zippo because you never know when you may want to set something on fire...

 

...but I also use it to remove the label gum from the JetPen stickers and the like... it evaporates pretty quickly... in fact, it usually takes 2-3 applications to get the gum off... I've never had any problems... but I always follow each application with a rag... I never let it sit on the surface very long... maybe that's the inadvertent way I prevent hazing the plastic.

 

 

Be well all.

 

 

- Anthony

[Honeybadgers]

Don't leave a pen in a drawer or other confined space after wiping with a solvent of any sort.

 

I wouldn't risk it on any plastic item I consider valuable. I've seen naptha eat plastic (it's an organic solvent) I'm a firm believer in warm water, a soft cloth, and maybe a jewelry polishing cloth to get off any errant residue.

 

I switched from a traditional zippo to a butane insert for my zippo. Since I don't smoke either, I got tired of having to refill it every week from evaporation.

Edited April 25, 2019 by Honeybadgers

[SoulSamurai]

There are lighters that take zippo fuel but can go for ages without drying out because they seal up properly.

[Bibliophage]

I have a Zippo around. When I think I might need it, I fill it with 90% rubbing alcohol - which I keep around for cleaning computer parts. (well, some 90%, some pure)

 

Unlike a lot of lighters, the Zippos will happily burn with alcohol and not fry your hand. It also doesn't stink quite as badly, and carrying a small bottle of rubbing alcohol is a great idea on long trips or camping. Multi-purpose.

[Honeybadgers]

Or just get a twin flame butane lighter insert for a zippo for like $12

[Houston]

Or just get a twin flame butane lighter insert for a zippo for like $12

 

Yeah...but...won't that melt the plastic on the Preppy?

[ParkerDuofold]

Yeah...but...won't that melt the plastic on the Preppy?

 

- A.C.

[Honeybadgers]

 

Yeah...but...won't that melt the plastic on the Preppy?

 

But it'd also get rid of the text!

[Bibliophage]

Or just get a twin flame butane lighter insert for a zippo for like $12

 

EEhh. nah. That's like saying that I should only carry pocket watches with batteries, rather than having to wind them. I use wind up watches because I can wind them when I need them, and the rest of the time, they rest unwound. With batteries, every time I need it, I have to dismantle the watch and put in another battery.

 

For a butane insert - I have butane lighters. The Zippo (style) is for short term needs, and as I said, I tend to carry the alcohol anyway, so it's a dual purpose. No need for anything under pressure.

 

Mind you, once you used the butane insert on the Preppy, you'd have a neat piece of modern art for hanging off of your rear-view window.

[Janeiac]

 

On 4/21/2019 at 2:03 AM, Brianm_14 said:

Or . . . Couldn't a Dremel Mototool or some other form of a polishing wheel or two accomplish all of this in short order, with little manual labor?

On 4/22/2019 at 6:54 AM, Honeybadgers said:

 

 

You'd get really patchy results.

 

I have removed the graphics from dozens of Preppies with a direct-powered (ie, not batteries) Dremel, a wool felt drum, and microabarasive "green compound" (a waxy stick meant for this sort of thing.) They came out fine-- no melting, no clouding. You have to use a very light touch, keep it moving, and only for brief periods of contacts. I tried with  fuzzy cloth head and that was too strong (caused cloudiness). Rubbing with various chemicals works, but very slowly with much tedious scrubbing. The Dremel-with-compound takes only a few moments.

[A Smug Dill]

5 hours ago, Janeiac said:

The Dremel-with-compound takes only a few moments.

 

These days one could just buy a Platinum Prefounte reasonably cheaply, which is essentially just a cleaner-, better-looking version of the Platinum Preppy with identical internals including the nib.