Removing Hard Backing From Patches

[NickARom]

How do I apply them?It seems like there is an adhesive cover you can peel off.Do I peel it off, then apply?

[Brilliant!]

That's tough. That stuff might be heat-activated. It didn't come with any instructions?

[DesertRat]

How do I apply them?It seems like there is an adhesive cover you can peel off.Do I peel it off, then apply?

Is that made by National Emblem? They usually have this hard plastic backing on the back, which has the intention of you NOT putting it on anything. It makes it 'collectible' in their eyes. The MLB patches they make come with a warning on the back of them saying that application of the patch to anything voids its collectability and must be approved by the MLB. That hard plastic is not intended to, but does come off, but you have to have patience in slowly peeling it off a little at a time. If you're not careful, you can damage the patch and the threads around the edges can fray a little and/or the edges may be hard to sew and look ratty. When you get the plastic off, the patch feels like a patch and can be sewn on as you would any other.

[JeffB]

Here are a few methods I've saved from various sorces.

There's only one way to remove the plastic from the back of a patch and it's ridiculously easy: set your hair blow dryer on high and point it at the back of the patch. 1-2 minutes tops and you can just peel the backing right off. Done. Works every time. That's how the pros do it. Keep the heat on it to the point where it's almost too hot too touch. Make sure it's REALLY hot. That really liquifies the glue. If you can't get it all peeled at once you may have to reheat the area that didn't initially come off. No set distance, really, just keep your dryer a few inches away from the patch. I usually set my patch in the sink so as not to heat up the counter top. Sinks can definitely take the heat. Like I said, just make sure you get it really hot. That should do the trick.

Boil water in a small sauce pan. Drop the patch in for about 90 seconds. Use tongs to remove it. Let stand and cool for about 20-30 seconds. Carefully start peeling the backing, but only remove less than an 1/8 of it. Then place the patch back in the boiling water for about another 1-2 minutes. Remove again and let stand for another few seconds so it's not to hot to handle. Go back to the place where you previously began peeling and pull the backing the rest of the wayoff. I then place them on a small cookie cooling rack to dry out. The boiling will not hurt the patch at all and is by far the best way to take off backings. "I've done dozens with 100%success".

Another collector says, "I used an Iron to take it off. I put down a cloth on the board, then some wax paper. Then I placed the patch on it plastic side down. Apply heat to the top of the patch, until the plastic on the back gets hot enough to be tacky. Use pliers or tweezers to slowly remove the plastic backing. ADVISE, the same as the boiling method, you must be patient, it is a consuming process. I think the last one I did took about 20 minutes.

I do this for all patches with the thick backing and it works great and doesn’t damage the patch. If you make a small cut or scratch going across the patch with a box cutter/x-acto knife, then hit it with hot air from a hairdryer while slightly bending it back and forth the plastic will split down the middle and be warm enough to pull away from the fabric of the patch. What’s left is a perfect patch for applying to anything your uni-loving heart desires!

The heat method works because it heats the glue and makes it pliable enough for you to pull off the backing, but you have to do it before the glue hardens again. I would suggest heating the patch somehow (boiling it/clothes dryer/hair dryer etc…) and then putting it in the freezer right away and letting it sit over night. This will seal the glue in place before it attaches completely to the plastic backing. Then it should be easier to pull the thick backing off.

Never, ever microwave a patch. Many of them have metallic silver or gold threads in them and will scorch and burn within a matter of seconds.

I find cutting a slit down the center of the patch backing and starting to peel out to the edges from there works really well for patches that do not have a finished edge and is why I highlighted that method. You are then peeling away from the finished edge instead of trying to separate the backing from the edge itself. It puts a lot less strain on the edge fibers and will keep it looking better opposed to picking away at the edge to get the backing to separate there and possibly making a defect there.

Also, Patience is a Big, Fat Virtue™ Don't rush or force things.

You are going to have to live with your results for years, so make an extra 10 minutes now if needed.

JeffB

[Brilliant!]

Okay I have a question. I tried out the boiling method to take the plastic off the back of my 1998 SCF patch. It worked fairly well but now my patch is curling.

Can I iron it or will that ruin it?

[DesertRat]

Speaking from experience, I had that happen once. I put a heavy book on top of it, making sure I kept it flat, of course, and let the patch flatten out as long as possible. Do that and get the patch sewn on to the jersey asap if that was your intention. If not, ignore that last sentence; keep it flattened as long as you can and hope for the best. I never iron anything.

[Brilliant!]

Can any of you patch-rats tell me what the correct color of the NHL 2000 patch for the San Jose Sharks was? I'm looking for one on eBay but I don't know what color to get it in.

[DesertRat]

Can any of you patch-rats tell me what the correct color of the NHL 2000 patch for the San Jose Sharks was? I'm looking for one on eBay but I don't know what color to get it in.

Black.

[Brilliant!]

Simple enough. Thank you sir!

[DesertRat]

Simple enough. Thank you sir!

I obviously considered myself a 'patch rat'. My source was the invaluable resource, nhluniforms.com .

[benpc21]

Anyone else think it might be beneficial for all of us to start a thread strictly on patches? Things such as a who wore what when (most of which can be found on nhlunuiforms.com) but would help with one off events, the correct placement, and places to find some patches. I've found that looking for patches can be hard enough, if its even harder to find some patches at reasonable prices. I know I've been looking for a Predators "Fang"tastic 5 Years patch for a while with no luck, I'm sure other of you have had some issues, just my two cents. If we find or have stuff we can let others know.

I also found this site at some point, which breaks down the patches worn by all nhl teams in a three part series (using the 3rd you can get to 1 and 2) http://hockey-blog-in-canada.blogspot.com/...h/label/patches

[DesertRat]

I've never been able to find one of those Nashville 5th anniversary patches, so I just gave up on that quest. Those seasons weren't exactly 'fangtastic', so I'm not too worried.

[JustAnothaVictim]

I've never been able to find one of those Nashville 5th anniversary patches...

I could need some of those patches too. Let me know if you find a source

[JeffB]

I could need some of those patches too. Let me know if you find a source

Add me to the list of people looking for those. I'm going to suggest it to someone who may be able to do something about it.

JeffB

[benpc21]

Sounds good, I like it.

[DesertRat]

I'll forward this message for getting those nasty plastic backings, which are even harder to remove now, off...

> IRON TO MELT/SOFTEN THE PLASTIC:

> 1) apply a warm iron to the back of the patch to melt/soften the glue holding

the plastic to the patch.

> 2) may want to put something between the iron and the patch so the glue

doesn't get on the iron.

> 3) not sure how long to apply iron, so start with a little bit and then apply

longer as need be.

> 4) supposedly, the iron will melt/soften the glue and the backing will peel

off easily.

>

> SUBMERGE PATCH IN BOILING WATER:

> 1) boil water

> 2) submerge patch in water for about 30 seconds.

> 3) glue will melt/soften and the backing will peel off.

> 4) we have not tried this method and those that have stated there is no damage

to the patch by putting it in water.

**I tried this, it works, but it had to be submerged twice**

>

> HOLD PATCH IN HOT RUNNING WATER:

> 1) By running the patch under hot water and loosing up the glue, you can

slowly work the backing off the patch.

> 2) Only takes about 5 mins and the backing is removed.

>

> HAIR DRYER/BLOW DRYER:

> 1) Hold patch under hair dryer most likely on hot - don't let one spot on the

patch get too hot.

> 2) Keep testing the backing to see when ready to peel off.

> 2) Guess this is the dry method as opposed to using water, makes sense.

>

> CUTTING THE PLASTIC OFF: (resort to this method last)

> 1) turn the patch over.

> 2) use a small sharp blade, like an exacto knife to make an X or a + across

the entire back of the patch to penetrate the plastic backing ... some patches,

you may have to do in sections depending on its shape.

> 3) press hard enough to penetrate the backing but not too hard to get into the

patch.

> 4) then, hold the patch and bend it to make sure the plastic breaks so you can

then being to peel it ... you may need to cut more than once - would strongly

suggest you start out using less pressure on the blade while cutting and then

see how much harder you have to cut ... better safe than sorry ... on some

patches, the glue holding the plastic to the patch is tougher than others -

there's no way to tell.

> 5) you may have to use a little elbow grease to pull the plastic backing off

but it will come off ...

> 6) you may have to use the exacto knife a little more to crack the plastic

backing from the patch and if so, be very careful ... it is not recommended to

cut around the perimeter of the patch - better to use a little extra elbow

grease when peeling it off then trying to cut at this point.

> 7)whole process will only take a few moments ... don't get frustrated and take

your time ...

Making patch soup works, gang. Do the exacto knife (or one scissor blade) thing in conjuction.

[lafountain]

I used the boiling water method and it worked really well. No issues with the patch what-so-ever.

[JustAnothaVictim]

I used the boiling water method and it worked really well. No issues with the patch what-so-ever.

I used the iron and steam method which I figured out of my own. I had to heat it up more than once to get that plastic thing off the back of the patch. Man, that´s trainee's work I did there.

[lafountain]

While reading on some other boards, a few people brought up removing the hard backing from these patches so I figured I would pin it here so that it was easily accessible for anyone to review. I also changed the title to make it known what the subject was actually about.

[USAz]

I used the boiling water method and it worked really well. No issues with the patch what-so-ever.

I also used the boiling water method to remove the plastic backing of two of those Phoenix Coyotes "Decade In The Desert" patches purchased from National Emblem. I was concerned about the patches curling. So after I removed the backing, I placed the patches under a stack of books. Then I left them alone for 2 or 3 days and they turned out just fine.

[Jordan's House]

I'm kind of new to world of patches, but I'm loving them. Do all patches have plastic on the back? Is it possible for some just to have the glue? I have a few patches (Stanley Cup, NHL 2000, etc.) that definitely have the glue-looking stuff on the back. Does that need to come off too before I sew on my jerseys? I guess what I'm asking is: what exactly should I be looking for? I just don't want to ruin any patches (or jerseys for that matter). Thanks!

[Brilliant!]

Welcome. You've come to the right place! The only patches out there with the hard backing are ones from National Emblem. Most patches come with glue backing to iron on but some come with nothing but an embroidered backing. You'll know the difference when you see it. The glue backing makes it easy to iron onto the spot you want the patch and then have it sewn on for that nice, professional look. You can use just about, if not all of the patches you'll find; whether it be on eBay or an authorized dealer. If it looks accurate, it can be applied. I hope that all helps.

[JeffB]

I also think that the light coating on the back of many patches is a way to seal the threads in place so the design won't ever unravel.

The ones from National Emblem with the hard, thick backing also have a sticker under the plastic with some legal BS warning that says it's a "collectable" and putting it on a jersey will ruin it's value.

Ahahahaha! They fail to mention it will increase the value of the jersey!

[bpcdev]

I bought the Devils shoulder patch from National Emblem with the hard plastic back. I kinda did the "microwave thing" with a few changes.

I basically:

1) Cut the plastic back with a box-cutter , pizza pie style in 8 sections. "Cracked" the breaks so that I had something to pull on.

2) Filled a tupperware bowl with water, then microwaved it for 2 minutes.

3) Put the patch in the bowl, and held it down with a spoon, while pulling the breaks with pliers.

4) You need to pull slowly, and the plastic comes off with ease. At first, I tried taking the patch out, but the glue cooled too fast .... so I left the patch submerged the entire time.

Edited May 16, 2009 by bpcdev

[JeffB]

I bought the Devils shoulder patch from National Emblem with the hard plastic back. I kinda did the "microwave thing" with a few changes.

I basically:

1) Cut the plastic back with a box-cutter , pizza pie style in 8 sections. "Cracked" the breaks so that I had something to pull on.

2) Filled a tupperware bowl with water, then microwaved it for 2 minutes.

3) Put the patch in the bowl, and held it down with a spoon, while pulling the breaks with pliers.

4) You need to pull slowly, and the plastic comes off with ease. At first, I tried taking the patch out, but the glue cooled too fast .... so I left the patch submerged the entire time.

NEVER, EVER microwave a patch. If it has metallic threads, like a Colorado Avalanche 10th Anniversary patch for example, the metal will burn immediately, ruining the patch within seconds.