# Best way to remove baked on blue shrinkwrap from Mann Lake telescoping covers



## dynemd (Aug 27, 2013)

Try heating with a heat gun. Helps sometimes. Then scrape like crazy...


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## whiskers (Aug 28, 2011)

Find out (google) what a cabinet scraper is, how it works, how to sharpen it, buy or make one, go to reply #2.
Bill


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## DavidZ (Apr 9, 2016)

please be careful with a cabinet scraper, I slipped sharpening my blade in my guitar shop and sliced the base of my thumb open a inch deep and 2 inches long. that was after 20yrs experience as a cabinet maker in gramps shop.
They work well, great advice, and they take one on one knowledge to run a burr. this is not something that can be youtubed.


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## Hops Brewster (Jun 17, 2014)

Embrace the 'gator skin. Paint the tops to look like they are indeed alligator hide. And get a pair of matching boots.


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## Tenbears (May 15, 2012)

3M Vinyl and adhesive remover. If it will take the woodgrain off a car without damaging the paint. I am fairly sure the shrink wrap is but child's play for it.


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## JRG13 (May 11, 2012)

Why remove it now??


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## odfrank (May 13, 2002)

JRG13 said:


> Why remove it now??


Pride of ownership. I don't want to look like someone who was either stupid, sloppy or too lazy to have removed it initially.


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## Charlie B (May 20, 2011)

It doesn't look that bad!


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## odfrank (May 13, 2002)

Charlie, you know I pride myself by only owning freshly painted equipment with perfect combs, a pest free environment, and late model filtration equipment.


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## Charlie B (May 20, 2011)

I have to say the filtration system is pretty amazing. I was impressed with your whole operation!


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## aflyer2 (Nov 10, 2014)

OD, 
I had the same problem. Try gasoline soaked cloth. Let soak in the shade for an hour or so and it will blister up and can be removed with a gas soaked rag.


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## Charlie B (May 20, 2011)

I would just let it sit out until it comes off eventually. All that time scraping and soaking could be better spent sitting and staring at your bees.


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## kaizen (Mar 20, 2015)

pride of ownership is trumped by a deal. the problem with scraping it or sanding is you'll burn through the aluminum in a second. I got my stainless steel grill for 200 marked down from original of 500 because they put them on the sidewalk without removing the film and it cooked on. I used a buffer and stainless polish but took off some steel as well.


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## Charlie B (May 20, 2011)

Speaking of pride of ownership, this is the latest odfrank beeyard. What do you guys think of his hive stands?:scratch:


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## Cleo C. Hogan Jr (Feb 27, 2010)

Charlie B said:


> What do you guys think of his hive stands?:scratch:



Hard to say anything about his stands when the only difference between his and mine is the color.










cchoganjr


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## odfrank (May 13, 2002)

Cleo, your apiary definitely is more attractive than mine. Amazing difference between the green lushness of Kentucky and drought plagued California. Here is the photo of the completed apiary. It is a temporary "queen introduction apiary" on my brothers back lawn made with 16 imported Bweaver queens. It is an attempt to give some distance to these nucs from full size colonies during the height of robbing season. I do have about ten full size hives a few hundred feet away. I am not sure how my brother feels about this outside his living room window. He first said "sure bring them over". But once they were there he said "how long will they be here?" I need to find another site for this purpose where I have no hives.




Note to Charlie: None of the bees have called me to complain about the stands.


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## Charlie B (May 20, 2011)

Now that I see that Cleo has done the same thing I think it's fine!


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## Charlie B (May 20, 2011)

Ollie, I have a site you can use but you'll have to lose those "hive stands". Nice flat orchard in Saratoga. Drive right up to the hives.


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## aunt betty (May 4, 2015)

That clear plastic stuff they wrap stuff up with is not shrink wrap. I know everyone calls it shrink wrap but it don't shrink. Shrink wrap shrinks when you apply heat like from a blow dryer. That stuff that they wrap stuff up in at the factories is actually stretch wrap but again...nobody calls it that . IT STRETCHES! lol 
That is all.


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## squarepeg (Jul 9, 2010)

i'll bet a dollar that acetone (finger nail polish remover) will dissolve it.


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## DavidZ (Apr 9, 2016)

not sure if you figured out you issue with the plastic wrap.
I paint it with Kilz, then I paint with a exterior acrylic latex.
tele cover on the right
primed with Kilz it will last a good 2yrs with typical yard wear.


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## Lauri (Feb 1, 2012)

Don't know how to get it off, but I bet I know why they left it on. Had a batch of new covers a couple years ago I couldn't get the darn blue plastic off. Gave up and left it on. Its still intact. Cuts down on reflective sunglare so not all bad. Would prefer silver to blue, but really too busy to mess with it.


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## JRG13 (May 11, 2012)

I've never taken it off.... I think most of it has worn away though, don't see any blue tops out there anymore...


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## Charlie B (May 20, 2011)

Sounds to me like it would be just "busy work" and not a top priority. Sorta like extracting fermented honey.


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