How to remove old sealant?

[FC7039]

Around just about all seams and windows my 1950 Flying Cloud has rock hard sealant. I do not know when this was put on; probably somewhere along the way to stop a leak or two. I would like to clean it off before I polish it. I have tried without luck, "Bug and Tar" remover, Goo Gone, D-Solv-It (citrus based), mineral spirits, and denatured alcahol. If you have had any success removing this possibly 50 year old sealant, I would appreciate the advice.

Thanks, Gene.

[CaddyGrn]

Hummmmmm....

We have a 1963 Bambi, to remove the old sealant around windows, etc.(unfortunately much of it was silicone ~ yuk!) we used dental tools and a lot of elbow grease and time among other things. Look at it like a zen experience.

You might post pictures if you can of what you are trying to remove, and where ~ it will help you get specific answers. If you know what the sealant is that will help as well.
Mrs. NorCal Bambi (traveling in S Tardis)

[Silverhobby]

A previous owner (PO) put something like that on my Bambi. I took a small blade screwdriver and chipped it off. It was very time consuming, but worth the effort before resealing.

[Toldfield]

The same guy must have "sealed" every seam on my trailers, too. I bought McKanica Silicone Caulk Remover from Vintage Trailer Supply. It softens up old silicone and off it comes. I use either a wooden shim, like you would use to level cabinets, or a hard plastic scraper. These seem less likely to scratch the aluminium.

[FC7039]

All, Thanks for your replies. The sealant is not in a neat bead. It is sometimes smeared around the seam. Also, though there may be some silicone, it is mostly black and as hard as set epoxy (like JB Weld). Physical removal via anything that would scratch would not be viable as the scrates will not be able to get covered. Last night I went to Home Depot and bought two paint removers, CitraStrip and Bix Tough Job. In a limited test of one window's drip cap, both showed promise. Both are a semi-gel and I let it sit on the drip cap, which I have removed, for about an hour. I need to devise a way to use it on the trailer and keep the gel in place. My plan is to make a "band-aid" type strip with masking tape and a rag.

[Chuck]

you might also try experimenting with a heat gun. I used one that was made for de-soldering printed circuit boards, and has a very small nozzle for directing the heat in a very small area. (the width of the nozzle is about the size of a dime). Its also good for heat-shrink tubing. anyway, I found that it softens old caulking quickly, enabling it to be scraped off easily with a wooden or plastic scraper.

[InsideOut]

We have found that Permatex Gasket Remover (aerosol spray can) works with this sort of stuff too.

Shari