How to remove decals from your bus conversion
One of the very first things you can do on a bus conversion is remove the decals. It seems like a simple task but those decals have likely been adhered to your bus for quite some time. Here are three different methods you can use to remove them from your school bus.
1. Razor Blades
Believe it or not, a simple razor blade will get you far when it comes to removing decals. It takes a little extra time and elbow grease, but they get the job done. No matter how small your budget, razor blades are only a few dollars.
We recommend using a razor blade scraper because it comes with a sturdy handle that will save your wrists and stop you from taking off a finger. If you already have razor blades and don’t want to spend more on a scraper, you can also wrap some duct tape around the side you will be holding for some extra grip.
2. Heat Gun
Heat guns are great and work fast. You simply plug it in, aim the heat at the decals and they melt right off. The only downfall to this method is that it can leave a little adhesive residue behind so there might be some extra cleanup.
However, heat guns can be used for a lot of different things, such as drying out damp wood, thawing frozen pipes, removing old paint and softening adhesive. That being said, this would be a great tool to have in your arsenal for many reasons because of its versatility.
3. Rubber Eraser Wheel
Finally, the rubber eraser wheel, which is what we used on our bus. One of the main reasons this tool is great is because you can use it with any standard drill. This is a very affordable option and it’s easy to use. You simply put it on the drill and use it to “erase” the decals.
It does take a little more elbow grease, but could also be a great option to clean up the adhesive left behind after using a heat gun. This tool is also versatile because it’s great for removing sticky residues in general. So if you use any adhesives or remove windows that leave a mess behind, the rubber eraser wheel makes for very easy cleanup.
Summary
In summary, all of these are great options. Where some people would prefer one of these methods over the other, we’d recommend having all three because depending on the application, one may work better than the other.
Additionally, they’re all versatile tools that can be used for various different projects in your bus conversion. If you’re interested in seeing the process of how we removed our decals, make sure to check out the video below and subscribe to our YouTube channel for more videos on the bus conversion process.
Disclosure: Some of the links above are affiliate links, meaning that at no extra cost to you, we will earn a small commission if you click through and make a purchase. The products we recommend are all products that we have actually purchased, used in our bus conversion, and found to be worth sharing.
