Removal of black silicone from headlight lenses...ideas?

[particlewave]

So, I practically stole these headlights from some guy on eBay. He had them listed for $500 OBO, but there didnt seem to be much interest, so I offered him $300 and he accepted. It was a big gamble being that the headlights had covers on them, and I had no idea what was underneath the covers(chips, scratches, adhesive damage, etc.).

Luckily, there were only attached with silicone, and are pristine underneath. The gamble paid off...
Now it's time to slowly get the silicone off. It comes off clean, but takes a lot of scraping with the thumbnail.
Any ideas on an easier and safe way to get this stuff off?

[Kenny Boxster]

I put mine in the oven on wood to get the silicone seal off, but a heat gun may also suffice.

[particlewave]

I did the oven trick to get the covers off, but it was still tough after 12-13 minutes at 200 degrees. That stuff is hard and really on there...seems a few years old.

I've decided to just go the old thumb nail route. It's slow and a little rough on the thumb, but works well. This is what I got after 5 minutes of scraping.



Thanks for the advice
Not a bad deal for $300