Cleaning car body before wrap

[Jason Xuereb]

Sorry don’t understand your question. Clean down his vehicle from what? Dirt? Old adhesive? Mud? Tar? Teflon Protection?

[David Rogers]

So – at a guess.

He’s got the graphics from somewhere else (cheap).
He’s got some cellulose thinners lying around (nearly free).
He’s expecting you to apply the graphics (presumably cheap).

…and wanting a perfect job done…

If he won’t fork out for £8 worth of proper thinners to do the job – refuse.

It’s YOUR ass on the line if you trash his paintwork. He’s not a fitter so what would he know about pre-application prep.

Using cell thinners is possible to wipe it down with – just not great for removing adhesive, tar etc. as it attacks the paintwork at the same time.

You sound desperate for the job and if funds are super tight…adhesive & tar remover = unleaded petrol. Then major soapy degrease before application.

Isopropyl Alcohol or even methylated spirits are good pre application ‘wipe down’ solvents that won’t attack paintwork unless it’s overdone.

But to be honest, by he time you faff around – you could have bought the proper stuff and tagged it onto his bill…assuming you haven’t already quoted him.
…how cheap IS this wrap that some solvents can’t be bought for your own stock? Not one of these £150 to wrap a sprinter including materials is it!

[Matty Goodwin]

I agree with David.

Sounds like a ‘bodge’ job.

If you havn’t got cleaning products how do you do your every day job?

I wouldn’t use thinners, even if it meant loosing the job.

Matt

[Peter Normington]

I am just a bit confused here.
if you are capable of doing a wrap, surely you should know how to prep?
Peter

[Matty Goodwin]

Makes you wonder eh, Peter….

No offence ‘greenhills’ but the guys here are hard working committed sign makers/vinyl workers.

Is this a serious question?

Regards

Matt

[Jill Marie Welsh]

Once I cleaned something with thinner and then Windex.
I applied the vinyl.
(it was my own truck and I was in a hurry)
Guess what came off when I removed the vinyl 6 months later?
The clear coat!
Fun times.
Do it right or don’t do it at all.
What you save in cleaner you’ll pay for with a new paint job.
Love….Jill

[Cian O'Reilly]

Hi Guys,

Thanks for the replies. Reading back on my initial post I can see the bit of confusion – it was 8.30 in the morning after all! 🙂

I am an experienced fitter and am currently setting myself up as a freelance fitter. I normally work in sign shop conditions where the correct adhesive removers and cleaners are provided for me, however this particular customer is a franchise owner and got all his vinyl supplied to him.Obviously he wants to save on as much material costs as possible. As he wasn’t happy with the price I gave him for cleaning products, it seems he went off and did his own "research" on how to clean and remove adhesive from his vehicle on a budget.

I would never want to risk using a product I was unsure of and so wanted to get some opinions on here just before I walked away from the job.

Subsequently I have decided to give this job a miss as in the long run it will not be worth doing it on the cheap and being responsible for that.

[Matty Goodwin]

Fair play to you mate, and good luck with the freelance.

There’s alot of competition out there!

Matt

[John Harding]

quote :

Subsequently I have decided to give this job a miss as in the long run it will not be worth doing it on the cheap and being responsible for that.

way to go Greenhills :appl: wish more people that come on here asking questions would do this but sadly I think they dont