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Got my first ever wrapping job next week
Wish me luck!!
I have spent a couple of months experimenting on my own van (in non production hours!) and hopefully I have a technique together.
I have also explained to the client (who is a friend of mine) that I have never wrapped a van before and his is a trial, which will be done at a very good rate, just for the experience. If I don’t make money on this but break even I will still be happy just for the experience.
If anybody has some final advise before I put myself to the sword it would be most grateful. I am hoping I have covered all avenues.
The job is two sides and a back of a Vauxhall Combo van.
Roll on Tuesday, I am apprehensive but very excited. I love a challenge
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18 Replies
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Good luck with it craig! doing the front of my van next week!
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When you say "wrap" I presume you mean a digi print?
Make sure you use a "proper" wrap vinyl, and suitably laminated.
do it dry, and in a warm environment.
you will probably need a second pair of hands, who also, should know the basics of fitting a wrap.Peter
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Thanks Ian
I will post pictures if all goes to plan.
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Digital thermometer…
takes the guesswork out of heating those recesses to the recommended amount.
Certainly something to invest in if wraps become a regular feature of your work.
(I had a rep in last week who regaled me with tales of a recently attended wrapping course – to better understand the product being sold. A week or so later they had a customer complaining of vinyl always popping out of recesses. "Do you heat it to the recommended temp?" "Yes" "Do you check it with a digital thermometer?" "Yes"so…turns up lto find him…heating it with a HAIRDRYER and no thermometer in sight…) 🙄
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good luck craig 😀 will you be able to take stage by stage pictures?
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I’m not sure if a digi thermometer is any good, or an insurance that all is well. The guy who instructed me, didnt see the need for one, just heat the vinyl to very hot, with a proper heat gun.
Our friends in the states appear to prefer an open flame to de-memorise the vinyl, and of all the demos and videos I have seen over the years, I have never seen a pro wrapper using a thermometer.Peter
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Best of luck Craig
How many trial gos did it take before you got the confidence to have a real go? Would love to see a step by step.
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Yes Peter it is a digital wrap with laminate. I am going to use the Mactac vehicle wrap with the correct laminate. I think the overall thickness of the wrap will be 80 microns
At the end of the day if it all goes t1ts up the client is a friend of mine and I can say ‘sorry’. This is no problem.
Then it is straight onto a wrapping course and learn.
I do think the vast majority of work on vehicles we are now doing is slowly going to turn towards wraps and digital printing of varying sizes, so this experience is the start of a long learning curve.
Maybe this wrap has come too soon and I am not ready, but I am ready to meet this head on and learn from my adventure 😀
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I will make a step-by-step (blog Thingy) if you want, but if it all goes wrong it could be like the Rocky Horror Picture Show with a lot of additional bad language. 😀 😀
Thanks to you all for your comments…..INTO THE BREACH!!!
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quote Peter Normington:I’m not sure if a digi thermometer is any good, or an insurance that all is well. The guy who instructed me, didnt see the need for one, just heat the vinyl to very hot, with a proper heat gun.
Our friends in the states appear to prefer an open flame to de-memorise the vinyl, and of all the demos and videos I have seen over the years, I have never seen a pro wrapper using a thermometer.Peter
Never seen one used either – but as you say, a nice assurance that ‘all is well’ for the uninitiated.
I still use the COLD / WARM / HOT / OOCHYA ******! method
…so far so good…
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quote :I still use the COLD / WARM / HOT / OOCHYA ******! methodwhen the paint moves thats er to hot 😉
i found a temp meter helpful to learn with
chris
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quote Chris Wool:…when the paint moves thats er to hot 😉 …
chris
Funny story there – a customer of mine dropped off his van for a strip & hung around for a bit and saw me starting on his white transit so duly picked up the heat gun and had a go on the other side of the van amidst my "just warm it for a second…" Nah, using it as nature intended…big, brown scorch marks on the doors 😳
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IR gun is useful when your learning. But you quickly learn when using your heat gun how to get the vinyl to 90 degrees. We’ve got an IR gun and I don’t use it that often anymore.
Remember to pop all your bubbles before you go over with the gun or you run the risk of popping your vinyl.
Also change your blades constantly when your trimming. I found applying the vinyl was easier then doing cuts especially on paint work.
Other tips visualise which way your going to work the vinyl before you start. If you have a helper let them know which way your going to attack panels and think of any problems that will arise before you get there with the vinyl.
Take your time even if you scrunch the vinyl into a ball you can nearly recover from it.
Also when heating don’t pull on the vinyl you’ll stretch it. Just hold it and heat to settle the vinyl back into a flat sheet.
You might already know all this but these were things I had to learn quickly when I started out.
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Good luck Craig, I have to redo a wrap before the end of the year, as the "professionals" made a complete mess of it!!!
I was advised to get someone in who knew about wrapping so I did, Dynamic Digital, they made a complete mess of the first side which needs to be redone before the customer will pay me.
I have decided after watching the ‘experts’ that I can do a better job, and besides I am already out of pocket after paying for a reprint.
Cheers
Dave
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hi all,
ive just completed the wrapping course at b&p lightbrigade only yesterday (wed) on a 2 day course -having been doing vans for 20yrs I’ve always stayed clear of working to hard and always designing vans so its easy to apply – with the occasional cast job on a few recesses
When i bought the grenadier 2 they threw in a freebie course which i took up – first day of wrapping was an experience with all 10 of use having loads of bubbles and wrinkles – but i must say after the 2nd day i completed the rear and side of Astra which i must sat would be passable to any client and now feel brave enough to sort my own van out
But i know for a fact i wont be doing it for a living (to must hard work and hassle)- Now sticking to banners and simple fast earning jobs
Overall the course was very useful and taught us a few tricks in which i know will come in helpful in the future
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I would recommend a digital thermometer, not so much for pre heating the vinyl but i think its very important to post heat the vinyls to the necessary temperature. This erases the memory from the product.
Take your time and never rush these things, be methodical.
Good luck.
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Colin, how did you rate the course overall? How many instructors were there for the ten of you?
I am asking because I recently did grafityps course, and they have a maximum of 4 people to one instructor, and after the course, I can understand why.
What materials were you using out of interest,Peter
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Hi Peter
it was intended for 8 but a customer insisted if he bought a grenadier that he and his 2 colleagues attended the course
its was a bit cramped with only one instructor but he was very good and always hands on
they teamed us up in pairs to start with which didn’t seam to work first of all because we all has different was of doing things
but after while wasn’t too bad – -there were 2 vehicles one escort van and an Astra estate but only 5 heat guns
overall i wouldn’t pay the £350 which some did
but i did come away a lot more confident
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