How to remove melted Shrink wrap from cover of David Bowie first LP?

This one drives me crazy. The vinyl is unplayed but the shrink somehow melted in spots and would not fully peel off. Any ideas? Thanks for the help

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It's probably not shrink wrap (external wrap for retailing purposes) but that the cover was originally laminated (a very thin layer of plastic applied at manufacture over the printed surface), and the lamination has partially failed to adhere and some has torn away. It's a tricky situation. In many cases you can get the rest of the lamination off so the cover at least looks uniform, if you are patient. Try rubbing with your thumb (not your nail!) at the border of shiny/not shiny towards the shiny and if it starts to come up work slowly from there.

 

Plastic bonds over time, which is unfortunate. You can try softening the bond by heating the sleeve. A temp of no higher than 100 - 105 F might accomplish something.

 

It was definitely Shrink wrap as it had a price tag on it and I was able to peel the rest. Hmm thanks for the input

 

How about a hair dryer?

 

Just leave it on. Why do you need to take it off?

You'll probably just damage it if you try and you'll wish you hadn't...

 

Another approach (which I've never tried, so caveat emptor) might be to put the cover in a sealed moisture-proof freezer bag and put it in your freezer for awhile. The plastic will get brittle, while the cardboard and paper cover won't. You might be able to break the plastic off while it's frozen. Make sure there's absolutely no moisture in the bag.

 

buy another copy with a decent cover but damaged record.

 

This is what usually ends up happening to me when I try to "fix" something. I agree, leave it.

 

Bad luck with this one. I agree, leave it. I think that any attempt to remove it will end in tears. Put the cover in a protective plastic sleeve to protect the pieces which have peeled off. Your cover looks like a cut-out anyway. Look for another better replacement copy.

 

A hair dryer should lift it if it is shrinkwrap - similar used to apply this material. Cover is sub par anyway so would just look out for another copy with a worn LP inside.

 

I'm no expert but if you set fire to it that would get all the plastic off.

 

Now that you mention that I remember I had one like that once too, bought in the UK. The cover had been laminated and when they put the shrink wrap on it stuck to the lamination. I was able to get enough off that it looked right.

 

I sold shrink wrap and shrink wrap machines for many years (Clysar, Cryovac, Reynolon, Weldotron, Shanklin, etc.) The freezer method will NOT work. The record shrink wrap has a lot of polypropylene in it. The hair dryer method has a chance, but you risk damaging the album cover. If it were my record, I'd leave it alone.

 

Do any these methods work for LPs by other artists?

 

Only "Various Artists".