The basic process of preparing the substrate, gluing a pull tab to the surface, and extracting the damage. This process must be followed to allow for maximum adhesion of the pull tab providing the ability to apply enough force to extract the damage.
01 | Clean
02 | Heat
03 | Adhere
04 | Cool
Allow the tab to cool to 80°F-90°F before attempting to make the pull. A good indicator that the glue is ready for a pull is when the color of the glue changes from shiny to white. To be more precise, monitor the glue temperature with an infrared thermometer. Small tabs will cool very quickly and large tabs may require several minutes to cool down to ideal pulling temperature. Also, steel and aluminum process heat at different rates.
05 | Extract
Use a slide hammer or a pulling device such as the Spanesi Flash to extract the damage. If the tab releases from the panel, apply a small amount of denatured alcohol to release any remaining adhesive. If the tab was pulled too early, the adhesive will string and smear and will typically release pre-maturely. If the tab was pulled too late, the adhesive has become too brittle and will also release prematurely.
