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162 Posts
The question turns up from time to time and I read them to try figure it out. I had 4 boat-length 1" stripes, kind of multi-colored 4" wide stripe. I also had registration and name vinyl to take off but the stripe(s) were a real b****. It was all old and well adhered.
Here's the best way I found for a big job like mine and, I think, the easiest for a small job too. I used my old, but freshly sharpened, 3/4" craftsman wood chisel. It took a couple of days and then I had to take a couple of days off to recuperate before I started the other side. Then I decided to try one of my good wood chisels. The 1" one because I rarely use it on my wood projects. It was very sharp, you could shave wood with it, and had a perfect bevel. It slipped under the vinyl and peeled it off very smoothly but I had to be careful not to shave the gel coat, just like with a razor. I did the second side in half a day and was hardly tired. I then rubbed out and waxed the hull.
This was not a hardware store wood chisel, but a good quality one with a good comfortable handle. If you have a small job to do, the cheap chisel with a good edge would be an excellent solution.
Here's the best way I found for a big job like mine and, I think, the easiest for a small job too. I used my old, but freshly sharpened, 3/4" craftsman wood chisel. It took a couple of days and then I had to take a couple of days off to recuperate before I started the other side. Then I decided to try one of my good wood chisels. The 1" one because I rarely use it on my wood projects. It was very sharp, you could shave wood with it, and had a perfect bevel. It slipped under the vinyl and peeled it off very smoothly but I had to be careful not to shave the gel coat, just like with a razor. I did the second side in half a day and was hardly tired. I then rubbed out and waxed the hull.
This was not a hardware store wood chisel, but a good quality one with a good comfortable handle. If you have a small job to do, the cheap chisel with a good edge would be an excellent solution.