can i laminate 2 year chrome vinyl with 7 year clear?

[Jayne Marsh]

Hmmm that will be fun, Ive tried hand laminating vinyl before without too much success, in my case it was with matt clear onto a gloss vinyl to try and take the shine from it for exhibition purposes, I got away with it but I was entirely happy with the finished result, as you say squeegee marks were the problem. I think that you would have to laminate it on to get an even finish.
You would also have to contend with having to cut two layers of vinyl when you cut anything on your plotter.
It’ll be interesting to hear if anyone has done this successfully.

[Paul Rollason]

Hi Dewi

See if you could get the supplier of the vinyl to laminate however many metres you need then stick it in your cutter

it’a long shot, but it might just work

paul r

[Chris Wool]

a friendly laminator or dare i say do it WET i would and do

Chris

[Mark Shipley]

Hi Dewi,

I have got satin laminate loaded at the moment. If you want to try laying down some gloss onto chrome, I’ll give you a shout when I’m working with it again in few weeks time.

Mark

[Bill Dewison]

Thanks for the comments guys, and thank you for the offer Mark 😀 I’m just trying to be a smart @rse, doing it inhouse, ideas always sound easier in my head than when I actually do the practical. :lol1:

I’ll have a lash at it, see what it turns out like. For cutting, the chrome is a very thin film and 751 is quite a thin vinyl, so I was figuring of setting up the cutter to cut 651 material and see how it goes. If it buggers up, I’ve got a new blade, and the one I have in at the moment is due a change. It’ll be a laugh at the very least 😀

Chris, doing it wet?!? 😮 Won’t the backing paper curl and deform on the chrome?

Cheers, Dewi

[Nigel Fraser]

Dewi, you are going to have fun with that 😀 Why don’t you just use a 5yr chrome instead and save yourself the hassel ?
The first problem will be that you will find that you get a much reduced “mirrored” effect and can see the texture of the adhesive/laminate vinyl. The next problem is as you say if you get the silicone paper wet it will curl/warp and possibly start to delaminate too.
The next problem may be that most cheap chrome seems to start to fail at the edges and spread in from there so unless you seal the edges you might not really be increasing the life much anyway 😕

In short I’d say your ever so slightly mad to try it 😀

Nigel

[Chris Wool]

not if you are sensible ?? i do this so that i can print on it its not a problem git on with it – you will love the results

Chris

[John Harding]

quote :

not if you are sensible

yeah but this is Dewi 😀

John

[CAT]

Good luck with the laminating if you are doing it by hand, done loads in the past,the larger the area you need to laminate the harder the job.

[Bill Dewison]

Main reason for trying it is because I feel the need Nigel 😮 :lol1: Not had any wacky window graphics in, so I thought I’d have a lash, if it works out right I get some very reasonably priced chrome vinyl that’ll last a little longer… if it doesn’t I waste a few quid of vinyl, I waste more than that just practising stuff.

A while back I tried cutting magnetic sheeting in the PC60. Terrible results, it didn’t blow the machine up or wreck the blade, but at least I had a go and if it had worked, I’d have some unique magnetics for the shop 😀 Someone has to try some of these things, and as John says, I’m anything but sensible 😀

Lets hope I get some wacky window graphics to occupy my mind though as Mrs Dewi’s car is just begging to be wrapped in pink vinyl and have flower power decals all over it :lol1:

Cheers, Dewi

[CAT]

Don’t blame you for trying, who knows something might come out of it?Never heard of anybody trying to cut magnetic the way you have tryed before,you’ve got some b@>>$ I will give you that.

[Marekdlux]

Can you not cut magnetic on a plotter?
We use a gerber gsx cutter at work with our gerber edge. It cuts the gerber brand magnetic just fine. Is that only for that type of magnetic?
-Marek

[Andy Gorman]

Dew,
One way that does work (cos I’ve done it) is to get hold of an old rubber wheeled mangle. Works a treat. Just hinge with tape and roll it through. Perfect application every time. You just need to find a mangle. Auctions are good places to look. You should be able to laminate 4 metres no problem.

Southerner.

[Robert Lambie]

laminating mirror? it must work as this is what hexis told me on their stand at signuk. (ok, so i was nosey after reading some replies in past thread on the 5 year chrome vinyl :lol1:) i confronted the guy on what was different about this chrome to others & what made it live so long, as it were 😉 his reply was, well this is basically a decent chrome “laminated” but will not conform any different as it is still the same polyester foil. my thoughts are with nigels reply on it deteriating at edges working in? most will know that foils seem to delaminate from the adhesive, rather than the face getting warped? unless it is a coloured chrome. in this case it was NOT. So you laminate and apply as normal. nice finish and chrome stays shiny longer. BUT… as before, it will still come away from the adhesive i would think?
i have found that applying the chrome ontop of vinyl helps increase the adhesion and increases the life. sooo…. lets say we apply the laminated chrome ontop of a outline of regular vinyl onto a van. ide “guess” you would have a descent 5 year chrome? 🙄 thats unless the overlaminate of clear helps keep the edges of the foil down?

soooo… now that i have rambled on…. :lol1:

i think its a good idea to have a go dewi. at least this way you get to just use it as you need it, but if say on a big job its probably better to buy in the more expensive stuff?
i recon you could do it dry 😉 … GO ON SON, YOU CAN DO IT! :lol1:
My only concern about trying to laminate a fairly large bit of chrome is that you may see your squeegee pattern swipes in the chrome mate. but hell, ide see how it went. ide advise taping your vinyl to the table though as it will lift the vinyl as you apply.
re-cutting… do some small test cuts.. slow increase pressure. it should cut fine. when you do a cut and it returns to origin point. try weeding it on the machine.. if its NOT weeding great. just start the cutter again for a second pass on the text. its sure to free any raggle bits.

just a thought.. you have number plate mangle? as has been said… you could try running it through that? just keep the carrot well away when doing it. 😉

[CAT]

Big g good idea, an old rubber mangle, should have saved my grans, new it would come in handy one day.

[Nicola McIntosh]

i have heard ed speak about a guy near by, who has used a rubber mangle for years, so they must work 😛

nik

[Bill Dewison]

Being the quiet sensible type 🙄 I’ve sold some decals to a motocross group in chrome, so now I’ve got to do it on a big scale. Had some great ideas here and thank you to the chaps who’ve phoned me to give me some tips and advice. Very much appreciated! 😀

If Hexis can do it though, I’ll have a proper lash 😀 I do have the number plate rollers Robert, but carrot isn’t allowed near it 😉 Imagine the mess :lol1:

The cutting isn’t worrying me as it was, if I laminated it correctly it should cut okay as this is what all you print/cut boys/girls do all the time isn’t it? Print it, laminate it, contour cut it?

Only one way to find out, I’ll whizz in the shop early and do it. Make or break 😀

Cheers, Dewi

[Robert Lambie]

quote Dewi:

but carrot isn’t allowed near it 😉 Imagine the mess

eeek! 😮 yes.. just imagine, fingers crossed mrs d likes carrot cake 😕

quote Dewi:

I’ll whizz in the shop early and do it.

hmmm mind wipe up after yeh eh? 😕

[Nicola McIntosh]

:lol1: :lol1: :lol1: nutts 😀 (ha-ha) 😉

nik

[Bill Dewison]

Right, its done 😕 Not good!

The laminating by hand went without a hitch, the clear overlayed onto the chrome and left the silvering as I expected it would. A couple of light runs with the heat gun and a swift rub with a soft cloth, one nicely laminated piece of chrome! 😀

Then for the cutting. First cut, not enough pressure, second cut, brilliant and it weeded like a dream 😀 So, having a short sticker run to get out within the hour, I set about cutting a few rows. Problems straight away 🙁 The cutter only went through the clear, and scored the chrome, so I increased the pressure. Straight through the clear, through the chrome and horrible screeching noises started to eminate from the plotters general direction 😮

Luckily Caroline was in a good mood, so she took the ones that didn’t cut properly and managed to complete the job with a hand knife, but I think I may need a new plotter blade in the machine now 😳

Not one of my greatest ideas, admittedly, but I do have a cunning plan! 😀 I can market the UKs only one off supply of screwed up bits of laminated chrome, maybe a length of string attached, as toys for kittens 😀 Oh, the silver lining in every cloud! :lol1:

Cheers, Dewi

[Andy Gorman]

The problem with hand laminating is that you will get tiny discrepancies in the thickness across the sheet, due to inconsistent pressure causing small amounts of air to be trapped under the laminate. I always thought the best way to prolong the life of chrome was to apply it over the other material, not under.

Anyway, you’re bloody useless!

Southerner.

[Bill Dewison]

quote big G:

Anyway, you’re bloody useless!

You’re telling me! 😳 I was so confident it was going to work, I merrily danced and pranced like a big northern jessie whilst it was cutting, ever so pleased with myself 🙄 That’ll teach me to be a smart ar$e! 😕

Cheers, Dewi

[Andy Gorman]

Do you think it would cut better with 2 or more cuts with less pressure? I assume the blade was experiencing too much resistance from the thick material. Don’t forget , you’re cutting through 2 layers of adhesive which will put up a bit of resistance. Maybe a 60 degree blade would work better? Maybe…….

[Robert Lambie]

:lol1: :lol1: :lol1: :lol1: nutters… both of you 😉

[Bill Dewison]

Not sure to be honest G, it seemed to cut so well to begin with, but you’re definately right. Because I couldn’t give it an even pressure over the entire surface, it needed different pressures for different areas. You could be right though, a couple of passes at a lower pressure would probably do it, but a 60 degree blade? I’ve only just learnt about the one I have, and thats only because I knew I was going to try something insane and bought a spare blade just incase 🙄

Btw, any call for chrome kitten balls in your neck of the woods? I’ve got a few going cheap :lol1:

Cheers, Dewi