Peeling stickers without damage

[Alex Eisenhut]

A paper sticker on a plastic (ABS?) game cartridge for the Commodore 64. I want to peel the sticker away from the seam of the two halves.

Is there a way to disable the adhesive so I don't tear the sticker, AND not leave visible changes to the sticker (so vegetable oil is out LOL), AND still be sticky enough to put it back?

I'm thinking heat maybe? But what temperature? I don't to damage my precious cartridge 

[Nominal Animal]

If you cannot find anything that works, and you don't like the idea of just splitting the sticker in two, you could consider replicating the sticker.
Even if you do intend to keep the original sticker, I would warmly recommend you take very high resolution pictures of it (from straight above, so you don't have any skew) before doing anything, so you always have the replacement option if something goes wrong.

[RoGeorge]

Never tried, but I'm tempted to say steam might work, or at least won't do damage. 

[jpanhalt]

Use a hot air gum, like a hair dryer.  Start at a corner to peel.  Apply heat, then slowly peel the label off.  For final clean up of the residual goo, I use VP&P naphtha (evaporates faster than mineral spirits).  With ABS and most other plastics, it doesn't hurt to add 10% toluene or xylenes.  With polystyrene (like CD jewel cases) any stronger solvent will cause fogging.  Even with the cheapest polystyrene, naphtha may cause a little fogging. Butter is even milder as a solvent, but needs to be cleaned.  You can also use another piece of tape (my favorite is 3M making tape) to remove the goo.  Add the tape. press it on, strip off quickly.  Repeat as needed.

[Alex Eisenhut]

Thanks, just another one of my preoccupations with old junk...

https://i.ebayimg.com/thumbs/images/g/sB4AAOSw2L1jDQlL/s-l1600.jpg

It's a metallic sticker. The stupid cartridge has actually become quite pricey so I don't feel like damaging it. I really want to upgrade the ROM to V5 however. Yeah I'd need to peel all the way to the screw hole too. Oh well.

I guess I'll stick to my Retro Replay for now.

[WattsThat]

Sure, paper stickers are easily removed intact with heptane. It does not attack most/common plastics. Most craft stores carry “Un-Du” which is expensively packaged heptane. Saturate, peel, let dry, reapply. Non-porous materials can be removed without damage as well but it takes more time, you lift a corner, get the solvent under it, wait for the adhesive to release, lift, apply more solvent, repeat.

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Un-Du-Adhesive-Remover-4-oz/21997597

Or, if you can find it these days in an art supply store, straight rubber cement thinner is usually 100% heptane.

My original use for the stuff was to remove the foil labels on the back of original my classic family LED HP calculators.

[oPossum]

Some recommended solvents, tools and techniques in this video.

[MikeK]

The trick with envelopes from back in the day was to run the flap over the steam from a tea kettle.

[Alex Eisenhut]

Awesome but this doesn't available up here...

[edavid]

Interestingly, Bestine thinner (pure heptane) is no longer available in Canada:

https://coinstampsupplies.com/product/bestine-solvent-thinner-3-sizes-great-for-removing-certain-stamps/

Do you have access to a chemical stockroom?

You can also substitute gasoline, but it has a stronger odor, plus additives.

[Zoli]

If you have a hotplate, you can try heat up the whole cartridge; 50°C(hot, but not burning hot) is a good start to work with extra care and bare hands. And, as usual, try with other labels first.

[David Hess]

Interestingly, Bestine thinner (pure heptane) is no longer available in Canada:

https://coinstampsupplies.com/product/bestine-solvent-thinner-3-sizes-great-for-removing-certain-stamps/

Do you have access to a chemical stockroom?

You can also substitute gasoline, but it has a stronger odor, plus additives.

Lighter fluid is plastic safe and relatively pure to avoid odor.  It is naphtha made up primarily of pentane and hexane so slightly lighter than heptane.

[Alex Eisenhut]

If you have a hotplate, you can try heat up the whole cartridge; 50°C(hot, but not burning hot) is a good start to work with extra care and bare hands. And, as usual, try with other labels first.

Yeah the toaster oven's reheat function suddenly seems a-peel-ing. Haha, Dad jokes, love it!

[Alex Eisenhut]

65C in the oven for 10 minutes did the trick. Turns out it's an actual metal foil label, it kinks like aluminum foil but it also means I can easily smooth it back out.

[Alex Eisenhut]

Even better, the V5 sticker is just paper and the glue is so dry it just peels off by itself.