Removing old rotten t-molding?

jeff412

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I picked up a pacman cabinet that has brittle t-molding on it. I want to remove and replace it, but I'm having a heck of a time getting the old molding off. The face keeps breaking when I try to pull it off. Anyone got any suggestions? It's going to take forever to dig it out piece by piece.

Jeff
 
I have a set of dental picks that I got from either Parts Express or Bob Roberts for a few bucks. Harbor Freight also carries some. I think that would be ideal. I've broken pieces off, I know what you mean! Good luck
 
pretty sure it is stapled from the inside edge of the cabinet, only on the front bottom, and the top back, rest should come out okay.
 
pretty sure it is stapled from the inside edge of the cabinet, only on the front bottom, and the top back.

It is stapled in, I removed the t-molding from my pacman a few weeks ago. Easiest way for me was to take a flat screwdriver and light hammer. Drive the screwdriver in perpendicular to the t=molding. If you can drive it throught the "t" part you can grab both sides of the srewdriver and use it to pull.
 
I haven't seen any staples yet, but maybe I just haven't gotten to them yet. I've removed the top and about 1/4 of the front on both sides. It seems to be glued on mine. The problem I am having is that the t-molding is very brittle and breaks everytime I pull on it.

Jeff
 
Yep you were right. Once I got to the part beside the coin door I hit staples. Whoever thought up that Idea ought to be drawn and quartered. I did get lucky though. the right side only had one. I guess they used them all on the left side :). Anyway I use the idea of the dental pick, but I had to grind it flat. The sharp pick just slipped by the t-molding, but after I ground it down it worked great.

Jeff
 
Just be very careful and patient whatever route you choose. I made the mistake of doing that after a night of drinking and ended up doing more damage to the edges of the cab than anything else. Next day I went downstairs and looked at my work and just wanted to kick myself in the balls!
 
+2 stapled on top and bottom
Heat the t-molding up with a hair dryer. It becomes more flexible and less likely to snap off.
 
+2 stapled on top and bottom
Heat the t-molding up with a hair dryer. It becomes more flexible and less likely to snap off.

Tried that too. When I got it, it was sitting in a barn. It had been exposed to weather for who knows how long. The base was about 2 inches thick and as soft as styrofoam from sitting on a dirt floor and soaking up water. The t-molding color didn't even resemble orange anymore. It was like trying to pull glass off. By taking an awl, bending a 90 degree angle in the tip, and grinding it flat on one side, I was able to slip it behind the t-molding and pull it out without damaging the cabinet. It didn't work until I put the flat edge on it. The awl would just slip by the t-molding since it was so sharp.

Jeff
 
I took a rebar tie wire tool also called a pigtail, (at Lowe's and Home Depot for around $5.00)
Ground down the sides and this thing works like a charm!!!!! My Pac-man did the same thing but with this tool I stripped both sides in about four minutes.
 
For the bad ones, I use my router with a tmolding slot cutter. Cuts the spine right out adn the carbide cuts the tiny staples towards the bottom. A little messy but works great.
 
isn't Pacman tmolding stapled in ?

Yes, at the top back and bottom of the cabs. Alot of times there are also some at the curves around the control panel area.
When the t-molding becomes brittle from sun exposure it makes it a real pain to get it off without it breaking and leaving the groove full of plastic. One thing you can do is pre-heat it with a heat gun or hair dryer to give it a little flexability before pulling on it.
 
Ok, just finished restoring my pacman. After months of trying to get the T molding out i found the easiest way for me...when there was only about 5 inches of it left. ugh.

Anyway, use two flat heads, one as a wedge and the other to pry from underneath it. Worked great for me!!
 

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Ok, just finished restoring my pacman. After months of trying to get the T molding out i found the easiest way for me...when there was only about 5 inches of it left. ugh.

Anyway, use two flat heads, one as a wedge and the other to pry from underneath it. Worked great for me!!

Thank you! This is working great for me!
 
Ok, just finished restoring my pacman. After months of trying to get the T molding out i found the easiest way for me...when there was only about 5 inches of it left. ugh.

Anyway, use two flat heads, one as a wedge and the other to pry from underneath it. Worked great for me!!

Great tip! Thanks!
 
+2 stapled on top and bottom
Heat the t-molding up with a hair dryer. It becomes more flexible and less likely to snap off.

Just to necro this thread for value. I had some T-molding that was utterly stuck in a Pac and was brittle as nuts, couldn't get it out of the channel at all. (The outer edge came right off.) I used this method, using a shrinkwrap heat gun (like you'd use when vinyling a cab) and was able to root the t-molding up and out. Worked really well!
 
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