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Cleaning surfaces
Hi,
Does anyone have any suggestions as to what to clean car panel work with before applying vinyl? I’ve tended to use white spirit, but wanted to check this is right? I have a job this evening, I need to flood coat a car bonnet, but I’ll need to make a join as the material is only available in 610 width so I want to make sure the vinyl is stuck down well, so it doesn’t peel at the join. Oh and in order to get a good join in the two pieces, should I do one piece wet so I can line the pattern up? (It’s 5 year carbon fibre vinyl)
I can’t answer any questions until I get home, I’m just about to leave Wellingborough and won’t arrive home until after 6…
Thanks in advance,
Adam
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14 Replies
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hi,
We just use Panel wipe, I normally get it from a motorfactors or paint shop, seem to work a treat.
Cheers
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I use meths (on some paper hand towel).
I wouldn’t used white spirit as it’s really ‘oily’ and stays on the surface.
I might try some panel wipe though
Dave
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there are different types of panel wipe…slow drying and fast drying…i use the fast drying but i can never remember the name and no. of it 😕 i’ll find out tomorrow 😀
nik
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I’ve got some panel wipe in my unit, I’ll try that….I’d probably have used that after the white spirit anyway! Going to do the job now 🙁 worried about this! never done anything this big in one piece before!
Thanks! See you later
Adam
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I use isopropyl alcohol.
What on earth were you doing in Wellingborough? You should’ve popped in. (And brought me some Hobnobs!)
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quote Andy Gorman:I use isopropyl alcohol.Bet you can say it 3 times quickly though!
Spit and polish is rumoured to be good…..
Peter -
I can’t say it once neither can Peter :lol1:
Lynn
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Adam what did you do and how did you get on?
Just curious – hope it went wellJohn
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I just use the fast drying panel wipe also, about £10 for 5 litre tin, works a treat, i always wash panels off first with fairy liquid and water, then panel wipe just before application
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Hi all, what a nightmare that was! 😀
I panel wiped the bonnet, after the owner had cleaned it with a clay bar. The paintwork was really smooth! I decided to go against my own wishes and did the job wet as I was worried about the curves on the bonnet. Plus, when I fitted the second piece, doing the job wet helped by allowing me to line up the carbon fibre pattern.
The job started off well enough, but I quickly found that the 5 year carbon fibre vinyl creases so easily! I got 2 or 3 horrible (to me anyway, customer seemed OK with it) creases in the front edge of the vinyl as it curved in 3 directions. I warmed the vinyl with a heat gun and shrunk the vinyl as best I could to help it conform to the shape of the car.
I told the bloke I’d do the job again, as to me, it looked awful. He said he’d try to pull the front edge flat on Saturday as it’d have had time for the water to come out. He sent me a couple of text messages on Saturday to say he was having problems getting the vinyl to stick, but then in the afternoon he text me again to say the sun had almost removed all the creases and the job looked really good. I’ve yet to see the car since the sun’s done it’s job!
Having said all the above about how hard it was to get the vinyl to conform, the second piece (across the top 1/4 of the bonnet) went on like a dream, and the curves were even nastier! I can’t think how to describe the shape! The bonnet was mainly a convex curve, but the last inch or so at the top was concave and curved around the windscreen! Yet that was the easiest part to fit! No idea how though!
Having said all that, does anyone have any suggestions on how I could have done this dry? The vinyl was cast so should shrink in 2 directions, but I was unsure where to start off! Centre? or one side? Then how do I work with the shape? I had enough "fingers" in the vinyl when I did it wet, so how could it be done dry?
All answers on a postcard 🙂
Thanks
Adam
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Oh and Andy, I was in Wellingborough as I was working at Budgens all week in my day job as an IT Support Engineer. I’m in Leeds this week (except tomorrow when I’m in Manchester for the morning and Wigan in the afternoon). I had wondered who was about in the Wellingborough are, but had no idea how to look anyone up! I don’t know where any of you guys are, but those who’ve been here longer than me all seem to know each other and where you are from! Guess it comes with time!
I’m back in Wellingborough from the 31st of July to the 2nd of August. PM me your address if you like and I’ll bring you a couple of packs of Hobnobs! :lol1:
Adam
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I too would be interested to know the best approach for this sort of job. Not asking for a complete How To guide, just a brief pointer!! 😛
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quote Andy Gorman:I use isopropyl alcohol.Me too
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Adam, I find it easiest to premask the vinyl for a start, as it will give it a backbone, and reduce the chance of creasing in the initial application.
If you do it in 2 pieces, start for the centre of the bonnet and work toward the wheel arch. You should always try and start on the flatest area first.
If you start on a curved surface, you will introduce creases early into the application. By starting on a flat surface, creases will come toward the end of the job, and not the beginning.
when you get to the poit that the creases start, pull off the application tape (medium tac) being careful not to stretch the material too much.
Then, with your heat gun, work down the curves slowly, with a felt squeegee.
It is a bit harder to explan than actually doing it, but once you have done a couple, it is not so daunting.
Interestingly, I find doing the right side of a vehicle easier than the left side. Never really worked out why, but if I am going to come to grief on a vehicle, it will always be on the left side.
It also takes me longer to do the left than the right. Not sure why, but happens nearly every job, especially if I start from the back of the vehicle on both sides.
I know… I’m strange… 😳
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