Cleaning sticker residue off camera body

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steveshea

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Hello,

I recently sent my black paint M4 to Youxin Ye for CLA and asked him to see if he could remove some sticker residue that is around where the Leica logo is located on the top plate of the body. He said he tried using acetone to clean it off, but was unsuccessful. Would his application of acetone remove the original paint from the camera?

Thank you,

Stephen
 
I don't know about acetone's effect on Leica finishes.

If the sticker is still on, I believe WD-40 or naptha (lighter fluid) is a safe way to remove it. Try a small amount on a paper towel in an inconspicuous spot first.
 
I wouldn't use acetone on paint... maybe something soapy and a t-shirt to rub off the glue.


steveshea said:
Hello,

I recently sent my black paint M4 to Youxin Ye for CLA and asked him to see if he could remove some sticker residue that is around where the Leica logo is located on the top plate of the body. He said he tried using acetone to clean it off, but was unsuccessful. Would his application of acetone remove the original paint from the camera?

Thank you,

Stephen
Click to expand...
 
Turtle Wax Bug and Tar remover from any auto store. Safe for clearcoats and all finishes. It's magic and I've been swearing by it for over a decade.
 
I was talking with Youxin and said he only ran acetone on the black paint because it is lacquer and will not be affected by the acetone. He did say that the white paint used to fill in the engravings is enamel and would be affected by acetone, so he did not touch that with acetone. My black paint M4 is from 1969. Is he correct about black paint M4's being Lacquer and not affected by acetone?
 
Sand paper, only joking are you sure it's just residue or maybe the sticker has been on so long it can't be removed.
 
Lighter fluid does not do much on stickers and adhesive residue. Try ethanol. It does wonders and it leaves no marks. In high purity you can even use it on sensor cleaning.
 
There's a good chance it would. I would try a baby wipe, failing that some isopropanol, or white spirit. Maybe even a bit of WD40 sprayed onto a piece of paper, depends where the sticky bit is of course before someone jumps on me for mentioning WD40!
 
Imo lighter Fluid works! Even car mechanics use it to remove Sticker residue from the Body Or Windshilds.
 
WD40, while completely inappropriate for many things, is excellent for removing sticky residue. A tiny bit on a cotton swab is all you need.
 
Far better than WD-40 is a drop of fish oil. Let it set for a good 30 minutes making sure it won't run into anything important. Then wipe it with a cotton bud or two. A light wipe of a cotton bud moistened with Palmolive and water gets the fish smell off.

After being treated with acetone, however, there is a good chance the adhesive has been chemically changed. And quite possibly changed into lacquer.
 
Goo Gone? Apply whatever you use sparingly. Q-Tips. Most isopropryl alcohol has at least some water in it. Most straight up solvents can dissolve plastics.
 
Note that if that thing does not go away by simple means, it is most likely that it has corroded the paint.
If alcohol, ethanol, or lighter fluid had no effect, I would not try anything else, risking a bigger damage to it.
 
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