Chrome vinyl supplier required please?

[Robert Lambie]

i buy mine from europoint, minimum order 5 metres.
there are many suppliers of this stuff, shop around… some cheaper than others and some crap being sold too! most 1-2 years max life. there is some available for a longer life but you will pay upto £55 a metre for it!
applying this onto vinyl before it is fitted will probably give your customer more hassle… having said that, this stuff is murder to apply if, you havent prepaird the surface 100%. e.g. a little bit of dust will look like a mountain under chrome film.

[Cheryl Tissington]

Hi
thanks Robert. I spoke to Europoint on Friday, but they only do the 2 yr vinyl.

I’ll have to make some calls on monday.

Cheers,
Cheryl 🙁

[Jill Marie Welsh]

Cheryl, Rob is right.
This stuff not only is a pain to cut & weed, applying it is no picnic either.
Most of it has a very limited lifespan.
Some of it is not even for exterior use.
Truckers & HillJacks around here love it.
When I am forced to use it, I buy Gerber brand.
Love….Jill

[Peter Normington]

How much do you need cheryl, I got some left over from a job, If youre going to the show next week could let you have a bit.
Peter

[Robert Lambie]

hi cheryl
yes they only do a 2 year, but its a decent two year… like i said. some real crap out there… oracal should be re-launching a new chrome 5 year again soon. not sure why the second launch but there you go…
like i said,unless your paying top dollar at around £50 a metre, you can forget longer than 2 years… 😕

[Nigel Fraser]

…wow it’s the chrome vinyl topic back again! Anyway you’ll find that hexis do a 5year outdoor chrome pvc film and I think metamark do one too from memory. The Hexis stuff is about 11-12 quid a meter for 610 width I think no minimum order qty.It will be good when europoint can get the a conformable chrome back on the market.

Hope that helps !

Nigel

[Cheryl Tissington]

Hi everyone,
thanks for your help. Very much appreciated.

Its always a pain when they insist on what they want ! I tried to steer him towards silver, but no…it must be crome ! 🙄

I applied crome graphics to my own fleet of driving school cars a couple of years ago. They looked incredible ! Crome & red graphics with red L-plates on metallic black vauxhall corsa’s. I didn’t matter about the life of the vinyl because we change the vehicles every 18 months anyway.

Supplying it for a customer is different however.
Mind you, its a pain to get off !

Thanks very much for the offer of help Peter, much appreciated, but unfortunately I’m going to need it before the show.

I’ll make some calls on Monday and go and get some from somewhere.

Never beaten, just slowed down a bit !! :bike;

Love from Cheryl

[Andy Gorman]

Cherwells told me that they now do a 5 year Chrome. Brackley 01280 840297. About a tenner a metre at 610mm.

[Robert Lambie]

ide be interested to see who is the actual originator of this vinyl (5 year chrome) and what the guarantees are? my guess is that its NOT “Guaranteed 5 years” and that it is a re-branded film. i could be wrong of course but if they have this life and its genuine, why no song and dance? 😕

[Cheryl Tissington]

Hi there,

I actually entered a search in the forums on Friday and found one of your previous postings about Cherwells and the crome vinyl.

I called them on friday and asked if they did the crome, they said yes !

At the time, I was so happy that they said yes – I forgot to ask the life span :doh:

I received their brochure this morning, but it only had the 2 yr crome & the reverse mirror vinyl.

I’ll call them again first thing on Monday and ask. They’re only a 30 minute drive away.

If & when I get some, I’ll post a note about the supplier for everyone on the vinyl forum.

Thanks for your help

Cheers,
Cheryl 🙂

[Andy Gorman]

They told me (about 2 weeks ago) that the material had just come in. I saw a sample and it was thicker and tougher than the ‘normal’ polyester chrome I have used. I think he said it was R-Tape’s.

[Cheryl Tissington]

I’ll be on their doorstep on monday morning !

Cheers,

Cheryl 😀 :bike;

[Robert Lambie]

sorry, im maybe missleading here… what i mean is the smaller suppliers do NOT make/originate these vinyls. they simply buy in a chrome with a different release liner (or blank) to sell under their name. andy, as you worked there, you maybe know of this mate… fineline converting offered this service to vinyl suppliers. i had a long chat with a hexis guy at sign uk and he insisted that this is what “they” do but with slight modifications on the adhesive etc
originators i know of in europe, “the big ones anyway” are companies like mactac, oracal, avery, etc

i guess its like the versacamm, how many companies are selling that, but with new badges/name and spray painted covers?

if i bought enough.. i could probably have vinyl with uksignboards.com branded onto the back of my vinyl. :lol1:
still doesnt improve the life etc though… 🙄

[Andy Gorman]

You’re dead right Rob. Unfortunately, I was in too much of a hurry to ask more questions. If they do have a long life chrome at the price they are talking about, I’m suprised we haven’t heard of it.

Someone in the States was flogging one about 4 years ago but the price was absolutely phenomenal. It would be a pretty major product release for a reasonably priced 5 year chrome to come out, don’t you think?

[Mrliquid]

Hi Cheryl

I have heard of a vinyl called Coburn. It has suppose to be a 4-5yr chrome but I don’t know of anyone who has used it or what it costs.

Sorry I don’t have anymore info.

Cheers
Paul

[Shane Drew]

I have used coburn material from R-Tape (supplied here by Australian Sign Supples) and it is brilliant. Just be aware that only some of the coburn chromes are 4-5year, and some a 2-3year. You need to clarify which is which. It cuts and weeds very well. Check out the ‘ice’ look chromes, really impressive! They weed well because they are not made from polyester from what I understand, but are more like a thick cast film.

Cheers

[Jayne Marsh]

I used some chrome vinyl on a shop sign two years ago and it still looks good today. That was from Hexis and so far stands up to all weathers………the sign is in the main street in Llangollen, loads of passing traffic and bad weather.

[Cheryl Tissington]

Hi,

many thanks for everyones input on this.

I think I will probably end up using the 2 yr one.

Like JEM, I used it and it still looks good today. Our driving school vehicles are washed on a daily basis & out in all weathers.

After a while the vinyl takes on a sort of burnished look which is quite effective but the shine & effect is still there.

Theres one thing I’m sure of, I know for a fact that it wont peel or come off easily !!

Cheers,

Cheryl 😀

[Robert Lambie]

if you use a decent 2 year chrome and fit it ontop of some regular vinyl it increases the life a fair bit. ive done it on a good few signs etc and still going strong.

spandex do a 5 year chrome from memory, like i said though costs an arm and a leg. 😕 ide advise asking whats what first though… just so you dont end up with the short life stuff.

coburn may well do the 5 year too, they are a massive company specialising in foils and the like. i bought various coloured chromes & prismatics from them a while back. i think you will have more problem with “coloured” chrome though, the colour seems to washout on foils outside.

[Bill Dewison]

quote JEM:

the sign is in the main street in Llangollen, loads of passing traffic and bad weather.

I’m going to look out for that one, I pass through there quite often 😀

I’ve been using Europoints 2 year chrome film, but I’m interested in the stuff being sold by Cherwells. Are you planning on buying any Big G? If you do, or anyone else for that matter, could you let us know what its like to cut and weed? Apart from the recent change in magnetic sheeting, Cherwells have always sold me top notch stuff, so until I get to try the 5yr stuff from Europoint, seems like the best option.

A little off the subject, well totally, but does anyone know where to get the really thick felt squeegees? Cherwells only sell the thinner variety and after going through 6 in a week at £2 a pop, I think I may need a more heavy duty and hardwearing solution.

Cheers, Dewi

[Martin Pearson]

Dewi, Graphityp do the thicker type felt squeegees, I’m not a great fan of felt squeegees myself, I tend to use things like the omega squeegee from dorotape or wrap an ordinary squeegee with velvet.

[Cheryl Tissington]

RESULT………Cherwells have a limited stock of 5yr – 610mm external CROME. £9.90 m

Big G – You’re a smasher xxxxxxx

love from Cheryl :2thumbs:

[Shane Drew]

quote Dewi:

quote JEM:

the sign is in the main street in Llangollen, loads of passing traffic and bad weather.

A little off the subject, well totally, but does anyone know where to get the really thick felt squeegees? Cherwells only sell the thinner variety and after going through 6 in a week at £2 a pop, I think I may need a more heavy duty and hardwearing solution.

Cheers, Dewi

Dewi, I wet the thin felt squeegees and they swell and go a bit harder. When they dry, they have a bit more ‘body’ but they are always thicker. Hope that is of some help.

Cheers
Shane

[Robert Lambie]

ill have to have a go at the cherwell stuff too… im plain nosey when it comes to vinyls 😉

dsi, good tip mate, i actually have done this a couple of times (by accident) wetting/soaking the squeegee then letting it dry out. it does give it more body.

dewi the thickest one i know of, (but is a tad too thick) is the ones from KPMF, but if you like the £6.50ish price tag, go for it 😉 :lol1: :lol1:
i have been playing around with the new oracal ones, seem pretty good and decent thickness also. “not the thin type at all” thicnk these are about £3ish so not the cheapest, but guess we are gonna get what we pay for…
mactac did 2 thick and thin… thick ones were much better! but seems “according to amari” only the thin ones available now. 🙄

[Brian Little]

Cheryl why not do the lettering in chrome….but out line it with a longer life vynil just overlaping ive done this a few times recently…..who knows it might work as the edges are the first to go ……just a thought 😀
Brian

[Martin Cole]

I’d go along with Brian,
When ever I use chrome I always put it on top of a longer life vinyl, I have exactly that on my own van, looks so much better with an outline or shadow in my opinion any way. By the way I use the chrome from Victory Design .