Fitting Window Frosting help

[Joe Killeen]

Hi Dan

Sounds like you have no problem fitting it’s just removing the app tape, what I do after fitting is soak the app tape with your soapy water this softens the app tape and its adhesive , you still have to be careful removing it but it helps. Or fit and go away for as long as you can even next day and remove the app tape. Hope you get it sorted.

[Dan]

Thanks for the reply. I think I’m going to take two with me just incase, I’m gonna put app tape on the whole thing and fit dry and if that fails I will do it wet and peel the app tape later, maybe in the afternoon.

Thanks

Dan

[Kevin Mahoney]

Don’t waste your material Dan, Joe’s advice is on the money, if you’re applying it wet, warm up the text after application with a heat gun then soak with soapy water to soften the adhesive on the tape, take care (certainly if it’s cold) & you’re away

[Dan]

Thanks Kev

I’ll go ahead and do that then and save material.

Thank you guys.

[John Hughes]

warm up the text after application with a heat gun

Seriously?! That’s the last thing you want to be doing. It’s alright saying be careful but just don’t go there.

Best to take extra graphics and practice/experiment to get your technique right for the next job you do. Etch can be a pain sometimes so you need practice. Don’t resort to heat guns…. that’s just gonna end in tears one day.

[Kevin Mahoney]

Well maybe one day but I’ve used this method for 30 years & it hasn’t come yet, works every time

[RobertLambie]

I have always pushed people towards a 100% dry application regardless of what they are doing with the vinyl or type of application, and I still do. However, my view or opinion is not going to solve your problem here.
Wet or Dry application method, I would not tape up the text in the middle only.
What you are doing here is creating an island of surface tension and obstacles.
By obstacles I mean, ridges/bumps for your squeegee to pass over.
If fitted dry, the tape will trap air. if wet, these areas will trap moisture. so wet or dry, you are creating unnecessary obstacles you need to deal with.

To fix this problem. tape the entire vinyl panel in one single piece of paper application tape.
do NOT double tape in two sections, one piece only.

Unless in direct warm sunlight, the GLASS will be cold at this time of year.
Glass can often condensate, even just with the warmth of your hands.
Cold glass or more so, cold glass with condensation will HELP you apply this dry!
I say help because coldness repels and stiffens the adhesive meaning it won’t want to stick!
so you will have ample chance to lift and lay, lift and move to get things just right.
Remember, i still prefer dry application, but if your used to wet, then go into the shop around 3pm when the sun is going down and the glass will be very cold and maybe moist with condensation. that means you have a “minimum” of moisture to squeegee out from below the vinyl, “if any” at all.

If you are still finding it difficult to get the material to stick to the glass and the application tape is lifting it, try warming it with your heat gun because “heat promotes adhesion”.
However, heating cold glass with a heat gun can also crack the glass if you focus on one area for two long. you need to keep the gun waving back and forth over a large area of glass and then move along, then move back again. your “slowly” and in large areas bringing the glass up to heat. I have seen a lad break a window and I’ve read on here about others breaking windows, purely by overheating cold glass. easy down if its a thin or old single pain or whatever.

no matter if you tape the entire thing or an island of tape in the middle. if you wet apply it, you are creating pockets of water where you have cut out the letters. water or moisture will be trapped here, so be careful removing the tape regardless. because your pulling the tape from tension to an area with zero tension, and its easy to tear letters if not at least crease them.

I’m rambling again, so ill leave this reply at chapter 12 🧐🤣🤣

[Dan]

Thank you all, I really do appreciate your feedback.

I ended up fitting wet and had another to help me this time around rather than trying to battle on my own but like you Rob, I do like to fit everything dry.

I’ll keep in mind taping up the whole graphic and have play, I have another shop todo so I’ll give the dry method a go.

[RobertLambie]

Good to hear you got it done in the end, Dan.
Remember, you can buy glass etch vinyl with an air-release adhesive. i.e. bubble free.
We have a few good customers that do shop fit-outs etc and fit graphics and etch window film themselves. we just supply and post it to them. in the past, this was never possible without the bubble-free adhesive. I prefer NOT to use the bubble free, but if it gets the job done and customers are able to take the job off your hands, then I am all for it.

[Dan]

Thanks Rob, I used bubble free in the past and the customer kept taking parts of the lettering out when it was cleaned, it felt like it never bonded 100%. I peeled this off the other day and it came off easily with no signs of glue, I’m talking about a slight pick with my finger nail and off in one go.

[Myriam Garrido]

If applying wet or dry (especially to external glass as it gets quite cold and condensates) it’s worth removing the application tape in strips to avoid stressing and pulling the frosting back from the window. Just my two penn’orth worth anyway !