6 replies to this topic

[TheJack]

So I have tried to use a hair dryer to remove the lacquer of off my dashboard and it didn't do anything at all! I have just tried sanding it with coarse sandpaper and it has made the surface rough but is it rough enough so that a vinyl wrap or paint would stick to it? Or do I need to completely remove the lacquer?

 

If I do need to completely remove the lacquer would it be worth investing in a heat gun or not?

[RedRuby]

Rough sandpaper will be alright to quickly get the thick of the lacquer off but then you need to progressively move to finer sand paper to get a good smooth finish. Not sure if a heat gun will work on the lacquer. If you are vinyl wrapping it just make sure it is relatively smooth and and chips or dents are filled and smoothed, clean down so it is dust and grease free and then vinyl wrap it, no need to completely remove the lacquer.

[TheJack]

Rough sandpaper will be alright to quickly get the thick of the lacquer off but then you need to progressively move to finer sand paper to get a good smooth finish. Not sure if a heat gun will work on the lacquer. If you are vinyl wrapping it just make sure it is relatively smooth and and chips or dents are filled and smoothed, clean down so it is dust and grease free and then vinyl wrap it, no need to completely remove the lacquer.

Great! Thanks

[crf150]

Rough sandpaper will be alright to quickly get the thick of the lacquer off but then you need to progressively move to finer sand paper to get a good smooth finish. Not sure if a heat gun will work on the lacquer. If you are vinyl wrapping it just make sure it is relatively smooth and and chips or dents are filled and smoothed, clean down so it is dust and grease free and then vinyl wrap it, no need to completely remove the lacquer.

Pretty much exactly what I said :)

[Mrt88]

If you have a recurring use for it or if you can find a sample pot then find some aviation paint remover. It's like nitromors on steroids ! And that's saying something !!!
What sort of dash do you have ?

[dklawson]

If you are covering the dash in vinyl, while I would fill and sand any chips, I would not sand to a smooth finish.  If you are binding the vinyl in place with a contact cement then the glue will benefit from having a slightly rough surface as it will provide a "tooth" for the adhesive to lock into. 

 

However, a prudent test would be to applying a bit of the adhesive to the lacquer surface first.  If the solvent in the glue lifts the lacquer you need to remove all the old finish first.

[Mrt88]

Also a vinyl wrap needs a mirror smooth surface. If it feels rough on your hand it will look like hell. Wrap should stick find to lacquer as long as it's smooth.