Q: I found this Norman Bel Geddes desk at a flea market recently. It appears to be in good shape, with one exception: it has been meticulously covered with liner paper! I've begun peeling it off with my fingernails, but I was hoping to find a better solution to help remove the paper, and to preserve the existing finish as much as possible.
Sent by Michael
Editor: Michael- wow that looks like quite a project. Have you tried heating the paper with a hairdryer to see if that loosens the glue a little to make it easier to lift? You might also try something like Goo Gone though that might be more helpful for dealing with the adhesive residue once the paper itself has been removed. We're opening this up to our readers in the hopes someone has completed a similar project in the past.
Readers, do you have any additional recommendations for Michael?
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Comments (10)
Maybe a towel dipped in warm water?
I second the hair dryer. hot dryer focused on a small area and the adhesive will loosen and you should be able to pull it off...
Hair dryer. Works on other stickers, labels & bumper stickers.
Be patient.
Wow. Great find.
Considering the entire pice is covered in contact paper, I do not think a hair dryer is a practical solution. First try and see if the original finish is salvageable. The top and the feet are the places most likely to show wear so I would start peeling there first. Peeling as much of it off with a good scrapper and then by hand to do the more delicate work. I would then remove the residue with denatured alcohol or goo gone. If the finish is Ok, Go ahead and finish peeling it off. If it looks bad, I would stop, take it to be sandblasted and repainted by a professional car painter.
Use Bestine Thinner, You can usually find it at art supply stores. It's rubber cement thinner and in most cases won't damage finishes. You can use it sparingly along with a razor blade. After you get most of it off put some on a paper towel to get the rest of the residue off.
goo gone can actually eat through some plastics...i'd be VERY wary to use it on anything with a finish you'd like to preserve!
Hairdryer...or maybe hot damp towel soak.
Mayonnaise:
I saw it on How Clean Is Your House? A BBC production. They give a ton of "green" cleaning tips. You put the mayonnaise on and rub it. Let it soak in for an hour or more, then start peeling with a plastic scraper.
Hope it helps. Good luck!
Hmm, why would mayonnaise work? The egg protein? The oil? Or the lemon juice/vinegar? I would much rather find out which of these it was and just use that in its raw form; much cheaper and less of a waste of packaging. And I would want to avoid covering a piece of furniture with animal protein (the smell if any residue remained!) if possible.
Don't know the answer to that one, but the ladies used mayonnaise and left it on a dresser that was covered in tons of stickers. It worked.