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RE: Part vehicle wrap demo
Hi,
Rob hope this is ok in this forum but couldnt find another where i could post pictures for help!!
Having read your part vehicle wrap demo (sun tanning van) ive had a go myself and hit upon a few issues, was hoping some one could offer advice.Attached are some pictures of my attempt, but ive found the vinyl seems to have reached its maximum stretch????
As you can see its mostly ok until i try to do the final bit, the vinyl holes or tears and seems to shows “scratch marks” where i have applied it.
I was using a cast film, is this particular recess out of its capabilities or is it in my application method? Find i get bubbles in the corners maybe just practive needed?!!!!I am still unclear of difference between a wrap vinyl and a cast vinyl? Would a wrap be more suited to this work?
Any advice appreciated.
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7 Replies
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quick reply here…
what type of vinyl are you using & grade of cast?
are you using a heat gun?
is the romm your fitting in relatively warm?
what are you applying with a squeegee? if so what type>?ill reply again later…
as for forum, stuff like this should be posted in “show us your stuff” not to worry ill move it later 😉
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Rob,
Its Calon2 by Arlon 50 micron.
Using a hairdryer
Room is warm at 18 degrees
Applying with thumb using a cotton rag.look foward to you reply.
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If I might just add my 2 cents here dtg, you may have pulled it too tight over the recesses in the first instance.
I find with Calon, that you need to work into the recess as far as you can without heating and stretching too much giving you the least amount of tape to have to stretch in the final stage.
Once into the recesss, heat the vinyl (I use a paint stripper heat gun) to shrink back the creases as best you can, then move on to the next face. If you use the blue Spandex/Avery squeegee with the felt edge, it will probably give you the best result, leaving the ‘finger’ treatment for the recess themselves.
I stand corrected if Rob thinks I am wrong, but that is how I see it from the photos.
Hope it works out mate. I am sure Rob will point you in the right direction. It is a learning curve at best.
Cheers
Shane -
thanks dsi as i say any advice appreciated as this is my first try at using cast vinyls, i applied it so it had a slight radius (as per the demo) i didnt work it in as far as i could without heating, so your ideas may explain why i have encountered the problems with this type of vinyl. How would you work the vinyl into the recess without heating at the corners? Would it not creaseup alot?
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Mate, keep going as far as you can, pulling the vinyl tight so as the creases pull out as you apply. It takes a bit, and a second person is ideal, but I do it on my own sometimes. The key is not to rush. Once you feel you can not go any further without creasing, gently heat the cast until you see the surface tension change. This is similar to robs description in the demo. You’ll notice the surface will become smoother, and you can keep working the vinyl again.
Again, slow and steady, think ahead, and not too much heat.
Hope that is clear…. 😮
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Firstly
Listen to Shane’s advice, as its good. He also has an edge over me, I have never ever used calon, though I have heard of it.Based on what I can see in your pictures:
For your first go. You have done well applying into this tri sort of angle recess. Not an easy recess by any means. So your technique is correct I think…If you look close at your vinyl, you will see whitening of the vinyl.
This can happen for several reasons. Most common ones are:-You have over stretched the vinyl, no more give & so discolours and gets very tight, ready to pop.
You need more heat! Applying more heat sometimes brings the colour back… but again; you may have pushed the vinyl to its limit.
The rag you are using to apply, check it is soft 100% cotton. Any nylon fibres etc can cause faint scratching of the vinyl. Which is visable from certain angles…
I don’t like doing this, but it does work much better, wet your cotton rag before wrapping around your finger. Glides over the vinyl much better. It also prevents scratching.
Many folk use hair dryers, ide advise a paint stripper. All you have to keep in mind is to gently wave it side to side and don’t pause over any area or it will blow a hole in the vinyl. It makes the vinyl far more elasticated & easier to apply. But watch you do move to fast or you will cause creases which cant be removed, I call these (cages) rib cages.
A common problem for this sort of result is not enough heat, you push the vinyl in nd ever so slightly it pops back a little because its tight & cool leaving whitening lines… seen in pictures”
You asked about other wrap materials, well that demo is pretty old now. Back then ide only suggest mactac – macfleet & KPMF for temp wraps with gradual curves/recesses. But these days there seems to be many wraps on the go. Oracal have lauched a new wrap that has had great reports so far. I hope to be product testing this soon.
Grafityp offer another great 2 part wrap, which I have already done tests on, though part 3 still to come.
Hexis and a few others offer wraps, “I could be wrong” but I think these could be rebrands of the more popular ones on the go. Avery offer EZ apply. ive heard it’s a great material to work with, but to be honest, with the cost of it, it better to fork out how to learn to apply/wrap correct up front and save for years to come using alternative wraps. At the end of the day, why pay fortunes for the vinyl “to help” you apply without bubbles when a few weeks practicing and a good course will do the trick just dandy.Let me know your thoughts and ill reply again a little later.
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thanks rob, some useful pointers there, i have had another go on a simpler recess and took on board dsi’s points and worked it further into recess before heating and stretching too much.
And im very pleased with result, however on corners in the bottom of recesses i seem to get small bubbles sometimes?
Is it just practice needed? If i push it into corner with nail it goes fine but tends to score the vinyl, if i do it with finger and cotton rage it seems to not put enough concentrated pressure in the corner to rid the air.Lastly if you were to cover a whole panel say on a sprinter how would you let the air escape as effectively it has no where to go as the whole panel is sealed?
thanks again for advice.
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