Labels on tubes

[ClassicRock88]

I recently retubed my Blues Jr. with a set of ~2008 Groove Tubes EL84's that I had been sitting on. I decided it was time for the four year old Sovteks to go.

The GTs have a plastic/heavy paper label glued to them that couldnt pick off but didn't think much of. It never occurred to me that a tube company would glue anything to a tube that couldn't take the heat generated in operation.

Wrong.

Five minutes after I turned the amp on the room was starting to look like a bar on a Saturday night and smelled like burnt hair. The amp was purring along beautifully but I could take the smell. I shut the party down, turned a fan on and left. A few days later I thought maybe the glue cooked off and now it's good. Nope. Every time. Turn amp on, five minutes later - smell of burning hair. The labels STILL will not come off. Is there anything I could soak these in to get te labels off that wouldn't have disastrous effects on the tubes or the amp? I don't want to throw these tubes out but I can't stand to play the amp because of the smell.

[mott555]

Maybe soak them in rubbing alcohol or gasoline, if you can do that without dipping the tube's base. I don't think those would hurt the glass, but I'd wait for a second opinion before trying.

[Jwalkin]

ClassicRock88, here's my suggestion: while applying heat with a hair dryer use a razor blade to scrap the adhesive off of the glass

[skinnyj]

ClassicRock88, here's my suggestion: while applying heat with a hair dryer use a razor blade to scrap the adhesive off of the glass

^
This. However the hair drier won't remove all the glue residue. To get rid of the remainder, use an alcohol based, evaporating solvent on a cotton ball or a rag. Nail polish remover or electrical contact cleaner will work. I deal with the same sort of thing when I need to re-label products. I use a paint stripping gun to take the label off, then Solvent A or Mineral Spirits to remove the glue residue.

[ClassicRock88]

Thanks guys! So use a hair dryer and a razor blade (I'm assuming that an Xacto knife would work?) to get the label off and then a rag with high yield rubbing alcohol to get the remainder of the glue off?

Then just set em out overnight to dry I'm guessing.

[Blues_N_Cues]

nail polish remover. anything w/ an oil base will take the glue off too.
mayo works just fine.

[skinnyj]

nail polish remover. anything w/ an oil base will take the glue off too.
mayo works just fine.

I'd stay away from any oil-base stuff, as it requires a longer turnaround for drying. Ironically, you end up using an alcohol solvent to break down the oil residue.

With an alcohol solvent, just wipe with a rag when you are done and you are good to go.

[LiveFreeOrDie]

What a pain in the ass.

[Marshall Mann]

Hey CR, you are not the first to find this out about GT labels the hard way.

Fist off they are not going to catch fire, and over time they mellow out. But if you want to remove the label just apply some rubbing alcohol or mineral spirits to the label / tube when they are cool and gently rub the label off with a soft cloth. I would avoid immersing or dipping the tube in any kind of solvent.

[Blues_N_Cues]

nail polish remover. anything w/ an oil base will take the glue off too.
mayo works just fine.

I'd stay away from any oil-base stuff, as it requires a longer turnaround for drying. Ironically, you end up using an alcohol solvent to break down the oil residue.

With an alcohol solvent, just wipe with a rag when you are done and you are good to go.

never had beach tar on your feet or silicone in your hair eh?