Gluey subject...

[Misty Meg]

My Portafold is depressing me

It was bought last year and I went out today to continue (for the first time this year) the clean up and taking apart of what others before me have done. Took wood chip panels off the upper sides (not to my taste!) to find a mess of fine glue all over underneath. This will come of if I rub ferociously with a finger but will take weeks (a heat gun will do it too if done VERY carefully - but I don't have the mask "stuff" to do this without an interesting experience due to fumes!)

I am thinking - either weeks of boring hard work and shorter fingers or a cover-up with thick ish (caravan) paper - does anyone have any other suggestions?

Just a bit frustrated so having a vent, (sorry). Going to discuss over a pint (or two) later.... !

[txfsealord]

Hi Meg, If it rubs off with a finger, would it be possible to scrape it off with a wallpaper scraper? It would need to be a narrow one (the wider they are, the more effort to push it, & the more distortion of the panel) or perhaps a Scarsden scraper as used by furniture reclaimers to get old varnish off wood.

Our Annie's roof was plastered with dollops of impact adhesive, under long-haired orange nylon fur! The fur peeled off OK but the impact glue could only be shifted with an angle-grinder with a rotary wire brush mounted on it! One of the most revolting tasks I've ever succeeded in finishing, it took an entire weekend to remove. I very much hope yours is less catastrophic than that.

Steve Lord

[Misty Meg]

Hi Steve - hope you are well.

Due to the uneven surface a scraper isn't going to do it and the texture of the glue is annoying - not dry enough to "flake" and only just sticky enough to roll into little balls, but not sticky enough that you can peel it... Anything like sand paper will just end up a mess.

I think I have to decide whether I want paper (I know you can get caravan paper and clean it gently when required but still don't fancy the effect any damp will have) or paint....

[txfsealord]

I hope you're well also & that the cider is proof against the current chilly weather....

Regrettably, it's good to clean all the old finishes off the upper walls, so as to keep them as light as possible - unfolding & erecting the walls can feel like fairly hard work. Quite apart from the damage the old glues can do to fresh wallpaper. As the 'van usually spends much/most of its time folded, any wallpaper glue has to retain its paper on a 'ceiling' in effect, & they can struggle with this! I applied a stretchable fabric to mine, sold for use in boats, using a contact adhesive sold for wall & roof coatings in coaches. It took ages & I haven't made a very good job of it - I detest decorating anyway. However, it has stayed on. Wallpaper, being not stretchy, will be very difficult to apply tidily over the numerous curvatures which only really show-up when you're deeply committed to sticking the stuff on there!

Because of this, if I ever have to do it again, I'll paint it. Decorating, YUK!

Steve