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application tape lesson
Sunday i had a merc vito to flood-coat the panels and apply graphics and lettering.
The side panels went OK, I used some cheaper than usual application tape and it did the job; then I tried to coat the back.
The curvature wasn’t that much but It just kept bubbling and fluting, a real nightmare, and the clock was ticking away.
five times i tried it, and I even tried it wet for the first time and that was a real mess.
Finally I thought I had exhausted any method variation, and was about to throw the towel in when I though i would have one more go with the thick plastic clear stuff I thought was only for inlaying and stuff like that.
It worked.
I am now wondering what would have been the best application tape to have used in the first place, something thick i am guessing.
What other tapes, and for what purposes, and why, do other vinyl, and graphic fitters use please?
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22 Replies
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I don’t have a preference for plastic or paper, but the plastic one is first choice if I’m not going to use it within the next day or so as its designed to keep longer than the paper ones once applied to the graphic. Ideal if you are making decals and posting off for a DIY project.
If I’m going to use any paper app tape, I always use a good one. You get what you pay for in app tapes. I never skimp on that, I use Rtape or transferite exclusively.
I NEVER use the Poly app tape as the high humidity here renders it useless after about 30 minutes out in the heat transporting in the back of the van to the job.
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Shane which is the poly app tape you refer to
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quote michael potter:Shane which is the poly app tape you refer to
http://www.ags.com.au/store/item.asp?Ca … &SKU=PT160
I think Oracal do one too (MT95)? I may be wrong, I’m sure someone will correct me there
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http://www.uksignboards.com/viewtopic.p … 512#243512
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i only use the paper app tape. i hate the plastic clear stuff… you can buy both from europoint/oracal but i keep to the paper.
the clear stuff doesn’t snap easy, you have to actually cut it. it just doesn’t work the way i want it to… it is great for multilayer work if you don’t have a good alignment system. but that’s as far as it goes "for me".
my main issue is that i hate the way my squeegee glides over the surface… nylon or felt squeegee…
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I use (paper Hi-tack) R-Tape exclusively too. Good stuff as well!
I have a roll of clear here for the one-in-a-year-job that I wish I had some for.
Get it from William Smith for a good price – I’d NEVER resort to saving £10 or even £20 on a roll for some cheap, useless tape. The time you spend ‘fixing’ far outstrips the money you spend initially.
Years ago, I used to have whatever crap was cheap foisted on me regardless – all to save a couple of quid…or "you can’t have any until next month"…have you ever tried RE-USING application tape 🙄
Sorry I digressed… 😀
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Hello,
I’ve been using application tape supplied by Robert Horne Group and haven’t had a problem with it. But they have recently changed the brand and the price has went up too. I got a roll of it but it seems to be of poorer quality than the old stuff I’ve used. It creases a lot easier and doesn’t seem to have the same ‘tack’ even tho they are both medium tack papers.
Can anyone suggested a reasonably priced supplier? I’ve looked at the Metamark stuff which seemed well priced, you get the 1220mm roll slit to whatever sizes you want for no extra.
Anyone got any advise?
Cheers
Jonny -
who makes the R tape ? i thought i was buying some a while back, it obviously wasn’t what i thought it was, rubbish! i last bought oracle paper, was pretty good, have some unknown stuff at the mo, seems ok too
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Hi Jonny
Just use a hi-tack. There’s no real advantage to using a medium (or a low)tack…and it varies a LOT in strength. (From won’t stick to nearly won’t stick 😉 )
If you are a ‘paper’ man – I can heartily recommend the Hi-Tack R-Tape i use. I go through a lot of of it, and have no complaints.
Also get free slitting.
I’m not posting what I pay for it, but it’s a fair price for a very good product. There ARE slightly better ones available – but I’m not paying nearly double in some cases for the privilege.
HUGH – William Smith distribute R-Tape – they use their own stock code for it though (WS75 I think) – but every box I get comes in R-Tape packaging & cores
http://www.williamsmith.co.uk/index.cfm … N=79458481
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Hi David,
Thanks for that. I think I’ll have to order some of this R-Tape, because I really can’t get on with this other stuff.
Interesting what you say about the tack of the paper though. I’ve a good friend who’s been in the trade for a number of years more than me, he actually took me up and showed me how to successfully apply livery to a Oil Tanker, not often you get one tradesman showing another, but we are both at opposite ends of our little country. Anyway he told me that Medium tack was the best. Can I ask you, do you fidn the Hi-Tack stuff releases ok once its been applied to the surface that it was applied to?
I’ve some of the plastic stuff here, which I use for applying the layers on shadows, etc but I’m not keen on it. Paper what most of my work is done in though.
You say William Smith is the distributor for the R-Tape, do you have contact details for him or where would I find them? EDIT Just seen you posted a website link. Also whats there delivery time like?
Also on the topic of R-tape which version of Hi-tack do you buy David? Or do I just tell them that I want the hi-tack R-tape app. paper?
Sorry for so many questions.
Thanks
Jonny -
quote JonnyAnnett:Hi David,
Thanks for that. I think I’ll have to order some of this R-Tape, because I really can’t get on with this other stuff.
Interesting what you say about the tack of the paper though. I’ve a good friend who’s been in the trade for a number of years more than me, he actually took me up and showed me how to successfully apply livery to a Oil Tanker, not often you get one tradesman showing another, but we are both at opposite ends of our little country. Anyway he told me that Medium tack was the best. Can I ask you, do you fidn the Hi-Tack stuff releases ok once its been applied to the surface that it was applied to?
I’ve been using hi-tack for, oh, 12 or 13 years…so not an issue for me! It’s more about good peeling technique (flat to the surface not upwards).
quote :I’ve some of the plastic stuff here, which I use for applying the layers on shadows, etc but I’m not keen on it. Paper what most of my work is done in though.You say William Smith is the distributor for the R-Tape, do you have contact details for him or where would I find them? EDIT Just seen you posted a website link. Also whats there delivery time like?
Sorry for so many questions.
Thanks
JonnyDelivery time – next day if ordered before 5pm…by courier. They have NEVER screwed up an order of mine – or missed a delivery.
ps. I’m pretty sure it’s the WS75 I get now. (Paper Hi-tack) It was the P200…but I think they dropped it.
If you want I can check tomorrow exactly what I get & post it up.
Also tried various others such as Perfect tear, Transferite… application tape is a REALLY personal thing. It can come down to whether you like the smell or not 😉 , how it resits curling, grab…
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Jonny have you tried perfect tear ??? tried R-tape and many others can’t get on with them, can’t get on with clear at all
Lynn
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I have only used the tape from Europint, medium tack and I get on very well with it, I also use clear now and again and I quiet like it, it does take a bit of getting used to due to the easy glide of the squeegee but it’s not that bad.
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Hi Lynn,
No I haven’t. The tape I was using before was unbranded so its nearly impossible to track it down again. The roll I’m using now that is giving problems is branded as OV Tape or something along those lines anyway.
What sort of money is the perfect tear stuff, similar to R-tape? Who supply it. I suppose it’s all down to personal preference at the end of the day and I’ll have to try them and see which one i perfer.
David,
Thanks your a great help. Yeah, I was doing the upwards technique of peeling before Bazza showed me how he does it and it works so much better.
If you could check that for me that would be mega.
Thanks
Jonny -
ours comes from Cherwell 01280 840297 not sure of the price without rumagine in the file cabinet 🙄
Lynn
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I think with app tapes you have to take into account their bench performace aswell. PerfectTear and Conform both lay flat and don’t curl but neither has a proper pressure sensitive glue. If you are doing 3-4 metres of cut vinyl and part of the tape drops down and sticks somewhere in the middle you’re in trouble.
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Flood coating the side of a van in a plain colour?
My boys wouldn’t use application tape at all.
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quote John Childs:Flood coating the side of a van in a plain colour?
My boys wouldn’t use application tape at all.
Just re-read the original post and spotted that too…no tape needed for flood coats, if fact, it’ll be easier without tape by miles.
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I’d use app tape on large flat panels I find it easier to work it. But any slight curves no app tape at all. Using something like an Avery 900 I don’t need a lot of heat to get around curves etc I can work them out. I find having to tear off the app tape when you want to heat it a pain in the bum.
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Hi Guys,
I spoke briefly to Robert Horne Group yesterday and they told me that they will look into getting some of the application tape I was using before, via tracking the stock codes. But anyway I ordered a roll of Metamark 4075 application tape from Trimwell to try it.
I’ll just have to keep trying until I get a brand that I like and stick with it.
Cheers for your help, very much appericated.
Jonny
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quote JonnyAnnett:Hi Guys,I’ll just have to keep trying until I get a brand that I like and stick with it.
Jonny
😀 😀 😀 😀
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Got the application tape yesterday. Looks like I got M2000 though. Seems to be good enough stuff. Have yet to test it on a large job but it definately applies to the vinyl a lot better.
Jonny
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