my old schwinn decals are comnin off help!

[A.S.BOLTNUT]

hey guy got this old 6tees 20" typhoon it has bomber decals { or paint } not sure any ways tryed to clean it up startted whippin it down with a wet rag and the decals started disapearing ive had this happen before dont want it to happed again anybody have a good reciepe to save themm .

 

[rick74304]

Sounds like they are water-slide decals, same as you find in a plastic model kit. The only safe way i've found to clean them is with a damp, not wet, q-tip. As far as sticking them to the bike, some clear coats work with decals, others wrinkle them up. Its kinda a crapshoot.
Rick

 

[A.S.BOLTNUT]

dont think ther decals seems like paint this bike is pretty old and its just the lettering thats comming off. :?

 

[sensor]

ive got a couple of schwinns from the early 50's and those have the water transfer decals (my wifes 62 did also)so id assume yours are also......
you can always get new one from memorylane or if you dont want to worry about them ever coming off again you could look up a local sign painter and have them paint them on(this option may be really pricey IF you can find someone whos work is good enough and will take the job).....
good luck

 

[Quanah]

Hey A.S.BOLTNUT, I have a '71 Schwinn Racer, that someone was throwing away, when I brought it home I took a bottle of Fantastic to it...I watched as the lettering started to disappear with every stroke of my rag, will NEVER do that again! I noticed it and stopped before I did too much damage, but I learned my lesson. NO MORE, NO MORE!

 

[A.S.BOLTNUT]

hey quana i feel your pain man you can understand what i"m tryin to avoid finnaly posted that typhoon i am speakin of on fresh finds check it out ! 8)

 

[Fireproof]

Hello Boltnut,
Old water-slide decals can be tricky sometimes, that’s for sure!
You might want to check with your local hobby shop for some stuff called “Micro Sol” and “Micro Set” made by Microscale Industries, Inc. These are mild solvents that slightly soften decals so they conform to the surface better. If your decals are loose, you might want to test this on a small area first. If it works, carefuly brush it over the decals in one stroke . . .do not touch the decals until they are dry. You might even consider spraying it on using an airbrush with low air pressure. When applying new decals, “Micro Sol” and “Micro Set” usually works great. The decals will go over irregularities much nicer and won’t have the “silvering” effect caused by air trapped underneath them. Hope this helps! Please let us know what happens, okay?

 

[schwinnmesa]

Oh man, I hate it when that happens. I had that happen to me when I was cleaning up some old Schwinn 10-speeds. I just left it alone and washed around it after I accidentally went over a little flake in the decal. To me, it wasn't worth the risk but I wish there was a more easier way.

 

[mybike1]

I have found out that it's best to avoid those pesky decals and/or painted letters all together. Wipe and clean around them, and be carefull when riding in the rain.

 

[CCR]

the chainguards and fork darts were screened on (paint on paint) not decals. ive picked up lots of schwinns that had been left outside to bake in the sun, letters will look good but the paint will just dust off i dont think theres much you could do, the seat tubes and top tubes had waterslide decals, they usually only come off if they get scratched off or cleaned off by mistake.