Cabinet Restoration

[brianleb]

I'm running out of things to fix (fixed Street Fighter 2: CE arcade and fixed a Pachinko machine we had laying around), so I'm going to make the SF2:CE look all nice and whatnot.  It's not an original SF2CE cab, it was converted before I got it.

The sides are white contact paper (peeling/missing chunks) with the SF2 Logo Sideart on it (also peeling/missing chunks). I want to redo the sides and I was wondering what would last the best. The sides are made out of 3/4" Particle Board.

I'd like to take the route the uses the least amount of moving, because its currently upstairs and weighs way too much for me to talk my brother and dad into helping me get it downstairs and back up.

Also, does anyone have any suggestions for getting the contact paper off? Most of it peels off nice and smooth and leaves no residue or anything, but I'm worried that some of it won't be so cooperative in coming off. I'm considering reapplying contact paper, and it'll last much longer than the previous application because it won't be kicked, moved, or anything like that.

Speaking of being kicked, the cab has some holes and missing chunks in the particle board. Is there any way to fill, or atleast hide these holes without replacing the particle board?

Thanks for reading this long message.

[daywane]

bondo will fill the holes. dries very fast and sandable, paintable.
as far as the contact paper my first thought is wd40  
but I could be realy playing havick on your wood. I do not know if it is painted under it contact paper. I know wd40 will remove any glue off of metal or glass and cleans off EZ but wood I have not tried this myself.
hope this helped.

[Keith O]

I've heard of some using a blow dryer (hot, of course) to heat the adhesive and make it easier to remove. Never tried it, buy it may work for you.

[brianleb]

bondo will fill the holes. dries very fast and sandable, paintable.
as far as the contact paper my first thought is wd40  
but I could be realy playing havick on your wood. I do not know if it is painted under it contact paper. I know wd40 will remove any glue off of metal or glass and cleans off EZ but wood I have not tried this myself.
hope this helped.

I don't think bondo will be of much use because the holes I'm trying to fill are holes that look like they are from people trying to kick in the machine and steal the change (meaning they're foot sized holes) and another chunk missing from a piece near the control panel that looks like it was just broken off.  As far the WD-40, I'll give it a shot in an inconspicuos place and check it in a couple of days to make sure nothing is damaged.

I've heard of some using a blow dryer (hot, of course) to heat the adhesive and make it easier to remove. Never tried it, buy it may work for you.

Sounds good, I'll try this before I try WD-40, since this won't cost me anything. If the hairdryer doesn't really put out enough heat, I'll see if I can get my hands on a heat gun, as BombProofPlane mentions below.

Thanks for the help guys.

[BombProofPlane]

i think you'll need a heat gun not a blow dryer

[daywane]

bondo will work. put a piece of wood or metal behind it and pudy away. this stuff gets hard as steel.

[D10]

3M makes an adhesive remover that should work on the contact paper as well. I think it was called pin-striping decal remover. You can find it at an auto parts store.

[Bursar]

Speaking of car shops, you should also find that they will sell a type of mesh that you can put across holes in body work for when you're filling them. This might work on your cab and it will hold the filler in place.

[gnateye]

when we were removing contact paper from the cabinets in my kitchen my mother in law told us to use straight amonia to remove the glue, just another suggestion