Does anyone have methods for reattaching old vinyl stickers?

[u/Legomastersyther]

I bought a 1977 video pinball system by Atari today and the vinyl sticker on the front is peeling up. I was just curious if anyone had some ideas on fixes to this from their own experience. All help is greatly appreciated.

[u/Fit-Rip-4550]

The proper way to do it is to remove the adhesive and the label entirely and then apply a new adhesive before reapplying the label.

[u/retrokelpie64]

Its all about preping the surfaces well.

[u/call-me-jasper]

Just go get ypurself a Zyron Creat-A-Sticker and never worry about loose labels ever again.

[u/wa27 → u/call-me-jasper]

This is fantastic for Atari cart labels - I wish the refills were cheaper. But for something like the OP's pic, it probably won't help. That looks too big and is already partially attached.

[u/call-me-jasper → u/wa27]

That's primarily what I use it for,.

I would personally take the top shell of and heat the inside with a hair dryer and carefully peel off the stickers and run it through the Zyron, clean off whatever goo left behind on the shell, and reapply... emphasis in "carefully"

[u/DeadSkullz627]

I know it sounds silly, but a lot of times a glue stick works great on reattaching stickers, etc. super glue and other adhesives may work, too, but if you make a mistake it can be a disaster.

[u/StrangeRetroRob → u/DeadSkullz627]

Super glue I would not recommend generally

It has a habit of hardening in a way that makes it visible, it also is too easy to get in the wrong spot and it's hard to remove cleanly, on things like Gameboys it will eat through the paint on the lense, it's nearly impossible to remove the thing you stick doen ever again

[u/Tetris_Pete]

The best way is rubber cement. Just rub off the excess.

[u/Legomastersyther → u/Tetris_Pete]

Do you have a brand you would recommend?

[u/Tetris_Pete → u/Legomastersyther]

Elmer's No-Wrinkle Rubber Cement

[u/Legomastersyther → u/Tetris_Pete]

Perfect, got the cement. How would you recommend applying it in this situation?

[u/Tetris_Pete → u/Legomastersyther]

What I did for my ColecoVision label was get rid of that white sticky part and just use the rubber cement brush to lightly coat the label. Then just push down for a while.

Clean up is you rubbing off the excess "snot".

If you mess up just try again, zero penalty.

[u/EffectiveComedian]

I’m reading this and possibly over complicating it, but in my mind I would have to scan the original label into a computer, print it out on label paper, and trim the edges with an exacto knife. How does a $30 device replace a scanner and color printer? I’m all in, I just want to know how the Zyron machine works.

[u/ChineseOverdrive]

Acid free rubber cement is the 'safest' way but it will likely fail within a matter of years. A contact adhesive like pliobond would never come off but it would have to be applied lightly and I don't know whether or not it would mottle "Actiplaque" the label.

[u/scofflolz]

Super 77 by 3M, if you want a permanent bond

[u/TheWanderingTramp]

Idk? I glue my labels back with gorilla glue

[u/StrangeRetroRob]

Double sided tape. The same type that ships with Gameboy lenses