Permanent ink on PVC material??

[ddrdan]

I have a PVC 15' Kaboat. Dropped it on my driveway (in bag) one night after its first trip. Was going to deal with it in the morning for cleanup and storage. It was stolen. Called cops, did report. Idiot thief lists it on Craigslist the very next day.

I still had the seats and the oars in my truck. It was easy to identify because I marked it with my initials in a hidden area and he had no seats or oars. Cops set up a sting in a parking lot ...yada yada ... they drag him to jail. He was such a scum bucket that he brought his 7 year old kid with him. I felt bad when they were taking the kid to social services for holding so I paid Uber to take him home to his mom.

My problem. The idiot thought writing a fictitious name (Juan Sanchez) all over the tubes (6 spots) would eliminate him as the thief. He did it with a permanent red sharpie. It was in an evidence locker for 6 months. The boat was brand new when he stole it. So the PVC (grey color) is still in pristine shape.


1. Can I use Goof Off or any other solvent? My fear is any solvent will leave their own area stains. And then deal with the stink they leave?

2. I really don't want to paint it with the rubber stuff.

3. Is there a color stain that will penetrate PVC cloth surface? I was wondering if regular Rit Clothing dye would work? Or Buy the ink that's in Sharpies and do the whole boat in that?


Thanks for any advise!
Dan

[Fenlander]

Hi and welcome to the forum. I've sorted the title for you.

I use acetone for removing marks like that from my PVC boat. It's totally safe as it's one of the solvents you can use when making glued repairs. The only thing is it's best not to get it too close to any glued joints as it will tend to affect them.

[User name]

Acetone will do it, but if you're too aggressive it can eventually take off the texture and leave the area kinda glossy. Just a little at a time and it should shift.

[ddrdan]

Thanks folks! I'm guessing I can't use the acetone. Two of the spots follow a seam for 24". Tried denatured alcohol blotting it. It gets a lot of it but still leaves a visible remnant. Then tried to get that remnant out with acetone. (Where I could use it) It did very little. I think those stains are set.



Seeing how a Sharpie "Aided" the thief ... lol ... going to call them and beg them to sell me just the ink to air spray the tubes.

[willk]

In your position, I would try some bleach first, and later try Oxalic acid hull cleaner. Can't hurt.

I'd change my name to Juan Sanchez before I'd dye my SIB red...

[Fenlander]

>>Juan Sanchez

You told me that was your name.

[Pikey Dave]

I thought it was Juan Scheet

[willk]

It's the accent. I said:

"What wan sent yiz?"

[Fenlander]

Ahh true, those two are easily mistaken for the other..

[willk]

Originally Posted by Fenlander

Ahh true, those two are easily mistaken for the other..

I recall planning a cruise with friends, via a chat app.

I said to one individual: You can come too, Eve Johanna?

He was like "Who the duck is Eve Johanna?

Me: Say it in a Mexican accent...

[Peter_C]

Originally Posted by ddrdan

Thanks folks! I'm guessing I can't use the acetone. Two of the spots follow a seam for 24". Tried denatured alcohol blotting it. It gets a lot of it but still leaves a visible remnant. Then tried to get that remnant out with acetone. (Where I could use it) It did very little. I think those stains are set.

The seam means nothing go ahead and use Acetone. If glue was used it will take an extremely long time to saturate enough to melt the glue between the PVC layers. It's possible the seam is thermo bonded anyhow.