another airbubble problem: frosted effect on glass

[Warren Beard]

quote Angelique Muller:

Should I apply wet? 😮 Thanks

Noooooooooo

what type of shop is it, I think moisture can cause this sometimes if I remember correctly.

Warren

[Angelique Muller]

It’s a food place … lovely and warm in there from all the fridges and freezers…… How would that work with moisture? It was a cold, wet and damp day when I applied it…. Does that have any effect?
I cleaned the window (methylated spirits) and dried it nicely before hand?!?!?!

[Peter Dee]

Hasn’t it disappeared over a few days?
Glass is always cold, even on a warm day so it might take a while to settle down.
Check your squeegee for nicks or wear.
Sometimes squeegeeing (is that a word?) too vigorously can cause it.
Pricking etch can make it show up even more unless it is sparkle etch.

[Neil Davey]

I wouldn’t apply wet as Warren says, unless there’s no application tape to remove, then you would be OK.

Are the bubbles all over or is there a pattern to them ie horizontal, vertical or patchy?

Are you using a lint free cloth to clean the glass?

The trouble with meths is that it does leave a residue which you should clean off with a clean cloth.

Neil

[Chris Wool]

Ive found that wiping the glass clean is not enough. i also use a scraper. you will be surprised how many particles are still on the glass. it will look the same as air.

chris

[Angelique Muller]

I did the work just before christmas, and I had hoped they would disappear…. It is the frosted sparkly effect, so pricking it hasn’t made it worse.
The bubbles are all over… not in a particular pattern.
I used a clean lintfree cloth to clean the window after I had rubbed the meths off with a tissue………….

[Neil Davey]

Chris has a good point, I also use a window scraper. But, I think even if you didn’t you probably would have felt any particles that may have been there and cleaned them off.

Can you post a pic?

[Angelique Muller]

eeeh… sorry no pictures… I did not have my camera on me (and I don’t think the camera on the phone would have picked up on the detail…..)

[Martin Grimmer]

Angelique,

I applied some Oracal etch dry on my shop window – there were quite a few bubbles on it – too many to count – again popped a few but not all. It took a while – maybe 2 or three months and maybe only when there were big temperature differences – but there are none now.

If they are happy with it just leave it I would say – hopefully will just go.

TBH if I did my window again I would do it wet. Have done plenty since wet with no problem.

Martin

[Angelique Muller]

Last year or so I did a whole window with some foil I bought a hardware shop. I applied that wet and it took a couple of months to settle , but now there is no bubble in sight…
So maybe I should be patient……
I do feel that the window was clean (I remember the first one I did I used a scraper first…. but it was so clean that I did not bother using it on the second window…
I know the customer is happy with it and that I could leave it,… it’s just that I am not… and I don’t want potential customers looking at it…thinking it is really bad work….. 😮

[Glen Mathers]

Nearly all my etched windows are done wet, no bubbles at all, ever.

[Steve Underhill]

Scrape thoroughly with a stanley blade, or suchlike.
Wipe clean with app fluid or alcohol cleaner, then scrape again, then clean again till your cloth or tissue etc is totally clean.
I fit dry, but whatever works for you.

[Jayne Marsh]

I always apply window etch wet and have never had bubble problems when done that way. I did 24 large areas recently and not a problem, except for the one or two I did dry 😳 So I ripped them off and redid them wet with no further problems. They dry nice and tight with no bubbles. I always use rapidtac as this makes the application tape easy to remove. After squeegeing the graphics flat and removing as much of the rapidtac as possible I then spray the application tape (paper type) with Rapidtac and leave it for a few minutes to soak in and it then will peel off really easily.

[Shane Drew]

I do full sheets wet I must admit, simply for speed… no app tape, just lick and stick. Lettering I always do dry.

I think you just need to wait. Cold surfaces will not breath as much as a hot surfaces, so I’d not sweat at all. If the customer is happy, I’d leave it at that 😉

[Angelique Muller]

Thanks for all hints/tips/advice.
I will leave it and hope that it will improve soon (but with the terrible weather at the moment I don’t see that happening).
I suppose next time I will try and apply wet……

Thanks again