can i use 651 for blacking out car windows?

[Martin C]

I’ve never done Vehicle Windows but have done plenty of shop fronts with a mate whose company specialises in film work. Everything is done on the inside…..and wet. On Black it may take a few days for the glue to clear but will look ten times better than on the outside I would have thought?

[Mike Brown]

Personally I might use 751 to avoid shrinkage or wrinkling…it’s gunna get very hot in the summer being black vinyl and all. I think I’d put it on the inside rather than the outside – trickier, I know, but if someone is also considering the security implications of having equipment in the back – then vinyl on the outside can always be pulled away to reveal what’s inside!

I’ve done a landrover discovery before and it was quite involved (never enough room when you’re working inside ’em) – if it’s for both rear side and tailgate glasswork then I might be inclined to charge £100 per vehicle for an order of three vehicles? – that’s still only £30 odd a window…

One way of doing this is to tape up plotting paper over the outside of the windows, take a tracing of the window shape, the transfer this to the vinyl – remembering to both allow an extra 20-30 mm all round and to MIRROR the shape too!

then:

Cut them out, don’t ‘back’ them, clean and wet the window (using a hand pump spray bottle to give a drenching fine mist – warm water with a dash of fairy’), take off the backing paper and thoroughly wet the adhesive face of the vinyl (and your own hands), lay the vinyl on the glass, squeegee out using a felt squeegee, stick just a couple of ‘tabs’ of masking tape at the corners to stop it peeling off in your absence, come back the next day, warm in around the edges and trim with a new scalpel blade…that should do it!

hope that all helps a bit – I’m sure others will have some tips too…

more soon

mikethesign

[Martin C]

One thing I’ve learnt is never trim right up to the edge. Leave 3 or 4mm all round as you cannot reliably clean right up to the framework (especially so on painted window frames). Saves going back when they shrink a little and peel because of that speck of dust or flaking paint you didn’t see. I assume the same would apply for Van’s.

[signscript]

did one last year for a friend in london. Freelanders couldnt be easier, the rear door opens the glass has no frame to worry about, and its no too curved either, i dont think youll have too many problems with this one mate!!

[Timmy Mallet]

I only have to do the side windows so it looks like a van…..

Done it last night in the dark took me 2 1/2 hours so not to bad……

Timmy…..

[Martin Pearson]

We do a few of these for builders etc it doesnt really matter if you put the vinyl on the inside or the outside, the outside is a bit easier but as mike says if security is an issue then on the inside is more secure. looking at it you shouldnt have any problems Timmy as these windows dont have a rubber seal, sometimes its difficult to get a decent cut around a rubber seal. As Robert has already said make sure you use a new blade as this makes a real difference.

[Robert Lambie]

looks spot on to me timmy.
the good thing is i wanted to see how the rear windows of a jeep tinted would look with a british racing green paint job. now i know.. i can get my own jeep done. 😉

if you applied it on the outside you would loose that glazed look from the glass and i think would spoil the look of the vehicle. if applied outside it would look like painted panels rather than a tinted glass… 🙄