can my graphtec cut this material?

[Peter Normington]

I would imagine your graphtec will do the job without any problems.
it looks like a stronger version of the stone chip that 3m do, you may need to get a thick material blade to make life easier though John.

Have a look at the products from hexi and Print One though, they could be similar, and maybe cheaper

Peter

[John Cooper]

Thanks Peter.

This product is from 3M.

I’ll take a look at the options too.

I wasn’t aware of the blade option you mention so thanks for the info.

John

[Steve Morgan]

John,
I fitted some of the 3M material a couple of weeks ago. It is very thick and has a slightly textured, matt surface. It’s like applying a piece of lino although it does conform with a bit of heat.
You might find that one of the more common paint protection films will do the same job with the advantage of being slightly cheaper and gloss finish. Hexis sell a good product.
If my memory serves correctly the 3M product should be called ‘leading edge tape’ and was developed to protect the leading edges of helicopter rotor blades operating in dusty climates. Porsche used it on production cars in the 70’s, however it might be a bit higher specification than you need.

Steve

[John Cooper]

Thanks for the info Steve, very interesting.

Yes it is correctly named ‘leading edge tape’ but has become commonly referred to as helicopter tape.

I have used some on my Atom and withing the Atom fraternity ha been accepted as being the best and many only want the best – if you know what I mean!

I guess this takes me back to the original question – will the Graphtec be able to cut it? I didn’t know there was a special blade for thick cuts so I’ll have to check this out.

If I can create some pre-cut helicopter tape to make the job of applying it to the suspension & steering exposed parts easier, I’m certain I could flog it to most Atom owners. 🙂

Cheers

John

[Chris Wool]

one of the main reasons this tape is sold for leading edges is its ability to with stand extreme cold without shattering. (wind Chill)

for this use i would use oracl 220hg which is quite thin but really tough and sell them a new set every year.

the grit will mark the tape and look poor after that time any way so new now and again will keep it fresh looking.

chris

[Adrian Page]

KPMF frosted window film is pretty tough stuff. You might try an experiment with that.

Adrian

[Alex Pirozek]

John,
I’ve cut the 100mm wide 3M abrasion tape which is used on leading edges for protection from stone chips etc. its roughly 170 microns thick and has a rubbery feel to it. It has cut fine in my ce3000 mk2 with the std blade with no problems at all.

Hope this helps,
Alex.

[John Cooper]

Thanks for all the replies, all very helpful and many options to consider.

Thanks Alex for confirming the tape can be cut with a Graphtec.

Cheers

John