Advice needed wrapping the roof of a car please?

[Neil Davey]

Can you tell us what vinyl your using?

[Steve Seddon]

yesterday i was using 3m and the previous roofs had been kpmf but im going to start using hexis now

[Gill Harrison]

Hi Steve

Which 3M series have you been using??? I ask as 3M’s 85 series which would generally be chosen for a roof has 3M controltacCV3.

The Controltac is an adhesive technology which if you viewed under a microscope would show microscopic glass beads…..these beads hold the adhesive away from the sub-straight until pressure is applied making it pressure activated instead of pressure sensitive….it’s benefit is that the vinyl is totally repositionable until you decide your happy with where its placed and then apply pressure which crushes the glass beads onto the adhesive. 

The CV3 part if the adhesive system is 3M’s Comply version 3……..or in more straightforward terms their bubblefree technology version 3…..unlike many other bubblefree adhesives which are cross hatched or have a snakeskin type appearance,  3M’ version 3 is tiny horizontal indentations in the adhesive.
An important factor when using any bubblefree adhesive from any brand is you really shouldn’t be fitting wet….the air channels  will hold the moisture no matter how much pressure you apply…then in winter the moisture could freeze.

This UKSB Signextra link will explain it all much better with a 10 min video part of which teaches you the basics of how to use the 3M 85 series 
https://www.uksignboards.com/viewtopic.php?t=51685

Hope it helps

Gill

[Matty Goodwin]

Hi Steve

Good advice from Gill. Even using vinyl which isn’t bubble free/air flow a wrap can not be done wet properly.
Any wet application will ‘fail’ over time if over any serious curves or recesses.
It seems your trying different materials to achieve a good result, which is good, but the end result is down to the application, not necessarily the material!

Have you got wrapping experience besides this roof?

Matt

[Robert Lambie]

quote Steve Seddon:

yesterday i was using 3m and the previous roofs had been kpmf but im going to start using hexis now

I am trying to give constructive criticism here, Not trying to sound rude here Steve, so please don’t take offensive. But the fault here is not the vinyl, it is your knowledge and limited ability to apply the vinyl that is causing you the issues.

Never ever apply a wrap wet… in fact.. for any vinyl work! (just my opinion)

If you cannot successfully apply , lets say, a square metre of vinyl onto an almost flat surface, then you should NOT even be considering trying to wrap, let alone charge someone for doing it.

Watch the video as Gill suggests, read other threads on here where folk have problems. absorb the advice others are giving and learn from it. invest some money in going for a wrap course, go on several if you can afford it.
by the end of this you will be armed with the "basic knowledge" of the process, the materials that should be used and so on… everything else comes with "practice" and lots of it!

before i forget… "pricing" you will need to work out a structure on how to price for vehicle wrapping. no point learning and investing time and money in this aspect of the trade and devaluing your knew talent before you even get off the ground, never mind damaging the value of the trade on the whole.

if all this sounds a bit long winded, time consuming and expensive, then sorry… but thats the cost of "crash course wrapping".

i could go on and on… like i said, just trying to be honest and clear with you on this. your vinyl is not the fault here.

[Steve Seddon]

quote Gill Harrison:

Hi Steve

Which 3M series have you been using??? I ask as 3M’s 85 series which would generally be chosen for a roof has 3M controltacCV3.

The Controltac is an adhesive technology which if you viewed under a microscope would show microscopic glass beads…..these beads hold the adhesive away from the sub-straight until pressure is applied making it pressure activated instead of pressure sensitive….it’s benefit is that the vinyl is totally repositionable until you decide your happy with where its placed and then apply pressure which crushes the glass beads onto the adhesive. 

The CV3 part if the adhesive system is 3M’s Comply version 3……..or in more straightforward terms their bubblefree technology version 3…..unlike many other bubblefree adhesives which are cross hatched or have a snakeskin type appearance,  3M’ version 3 is tiny horizontal indentations in the adhesive.
An important factor when using any bubblefree adhesive from any brand is you really shouldn’t be fitting wet….the air channels  will hold the moisture no matter how much pressure you apply…then in winter the moisture could freeze.

This UKSB Signextra link will explain it all much better with a 10 min video part of which teaches you the basics of how to use the 3M 85 series 
https://www.uksignboards.com/viewtopic.php?t=51685

Hope it helps

Gill

im not sure what 3m i was using the person who’s car i did the roof on bought it from a car show Gill

Matty, ive doing a few car parts with 3m carbon fibre in the past thats the only thing ive doing with the wrapping

ok robert with me being new to this i got told to do it wet off somebody who did their roof, im going to go on a wrapping course when i time off, plus ill give it an attempt to wrap a roof dry as well, as my wife wants here car doing and i want mine doing, i just want to achieve the best result in the job thats all,

[Matty Goodwin]

Fair play to you Steve.

Do the course and practice, practice practice!

Your own cars is the best place to learn, as you havn’t got any money to loose. Not sure about the wifes tho!!

Good luck mate

[Anthony Woodsford]

as matty said

ive had people come to me asking why they cant wrap a whole car when they’ve done interior bits in di-noc….

its not as easy as it looks on you-tube.

its just, practice, practice, practice

[Steve Seddon]

i knew it wouldnt be easy, and thanks for the tips and advice 🙂

[Steve Seddon]

ive done a roof and bonnet today dry and i was amazed how well i did with it, thanks to all the tips and help

[Robert Lambie]

good to hear you tried it dry!
never ever venture back to trying to apply a wrap wet. if you struggle with dry application, move to air release wrap systems that are warranted for wrapping, before ever considering wet.
i say warranteed because there are lots of air release films on the go, but not recommended for recessed areas. there IS a big difference.

two wraps ide recomend is the brand new ones by 3M and Avery, though i am waiting on my Avery sample arriving, i have tried the 3M stuff and its excellent. very forgiving and easy to apply, actually… too easy to apply!
I say that because these films, although easy to apply, need a very regimental application procedure to them. too long winded to go into, but if looking to use, make sure you follow the technical guidlines by the book.

yes, these films are a fair bit more expencive than most, but where you shell out on media costs, you will save much more on labour. add to that the fact your using two of the best brands in the game and can be sure they arent going to fail, well you cant really loose long term can you?

[Steve Seddon]

well i did a bonnet dry again today and it was a dream to work with and im starting to get the hang of the wrap, im still going on the course soon so i can get better and better at this stuff

thanks for the help guys

[Jim Airey]

i agree with rob! wrapping is always done dry!!! water is a wrappers worst enemy!!! dry dry dry!! worth trying this in future! if you tape the vinyl at one end to the car so that the vinyl stays pretty flat, fold back the wax paper at the other end and tack it on, then slowly peel the wax paper back a little at a time taking the air out with a squeegie as you pull the wax back! remember you only get a bubble with trapped air so doing it this way virtually eliminates the chance of bubbles
good luck
jim

[Steve Seddon]

well ive learnt a lot when i did the wrapping dry and i would never go back to wet again, thanks to you guys and girls 😀 its also speeded my jobs up to, im going to find out how i do on carbon soon

[Nicola McIntosh]

quote Jim Airey:

you only get a bubble with trapped air so doing it this way virtually eliminates the chance of bubbles

if your technique is correct you should never get bubbles the squeegie does all the work 😀