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help please with flood coating?
So today I was asked to overlay 5 x (8′ x4’or thereabouts) panels in blue.
first one went on nice and safely…wet.
second I was on my own for, so decided to risk dry sticking it.so I started, cleaned it as normal, then taped the furthest edge so that I could get it lined up pretty well.
took the backing paper off the opposite end and placed the vinyl near enough where I thought it should be, all well.
Started off a little shakey with a felt squeegee, never tried dry sticking on a piece this big before, but I don’t know what all the fuss is about, ‘EASY’, I thought…
there were a few moments where I did crease the vinyl slightly, and lots of moments where I forgot to breathe due to concentrating, but by the end I was speeding along. I had to wrap the vinyl ’round the edges so that it was neat, ‘fine’ I thought. Turned the Ali over and placed it face down on the table…
when I turned it back over it had picked up two massive bits of glue, from what I know not. It had discoloured the vinyl quite alot, and had become inset in there, so that cleaning it with normal means wouldn’t have worked.
Thankfully the vinyl wasn’t gloss (was kinda… semi-gloss), so I used a brasso-esque brass cleaner , and used a Meths covered tissue to wipe that away, which seemed to work without any adverse effect.
The third one went better and worse, The sticking was faster and much much tidier (about half an hour with wrapping around the edges compared to 3/4 of the first) but I had forgotten to tape the one end, so that as I got about 10/15cm from the end, the vinyl went off line and some of the ali was showing.
Thankfully the sign is going to be so high up , and as I’ve said earlier, semi-gloss, that you shouldn’t be able to notice the little patch I’ve put on that one.
I stuck the last two wet as I was running out of time, one which caught on the ali and ripped a big hole…. (NOT happy), however, I feel confident of doing at least 8×4′ panels dry now.
So what I’ve learnt today which some of the new people on here may want to know:
-Carpark north is great music to listen to whilst sticking stuff,
-Dry is easy (compared to the hype some people give it), easier than wet if you’re on your own
-Dry is also quicker if you’re short on time(at my level of sticking), meaning that you can get a job totally finished quicker. It took me 3/4 hr to stick and wrap around the edges, compared to 10 minutes of wet sticking, waiting a day and then another 10 minutes.
-Wet is preferable if there’s more than one and you have more time but more jobs, meaning you can leave it to dry and get on with other stuff, this also requires lots of space,
-Always secure the graphic where it’s going to go, don’t guess, it doesn’t work (all the time)
-And of course, can’t stress enough, Clean the background well!!,
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8 Replies
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Did you use app tape Ramj.?
What type of fluid did you use?
if doing 8×4 on my own I would start in the middle, less chance of running off.Thanks for the description of how you coped
at least you did it, a lot would not even attempt an 8×4 single handed!
Well done
Peter -
fluid? for the wet? just regular ole Water and Washing up liquid.
for cleaning, same, followed by meths,
how would you be able to start in the middle??I started at the end because I couldn’t handle the sheet of vinyl .
oh btw the vinyl was metamark (used to use APA), I’ve had varied results in its performance, and I keep getting terrible static-shocks off it, but it went down nicely wet and dry.
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It’s metamark vinyl I use 99% of the time. I much prefer it for weeding especially. But have to agree, MAJOR static shocks! 😮
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excellent mate, well done… glad you sussed the dry app on such a big bit of vinyl. it takes practice, but after a few goes, your confidence builds and that helps make a much better job time and time again. you WILL only get better, faster and before long you will be banging the dry drum along with me. 😉 maybe then, some folk will stop and think… hmmm maybe robs got a point? :lol1: :lol1:
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Well done Ramj 😀
(And I thought I was tough because I fitted 6 frosted glass panels today – each measuring 1000mm x 575mm, complete with cut out lettering, taped, applied single handedly, dry in an open plan office full of office staff who heckled me all the way through my performance 😳 )
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quote Phill:Well done Ramj 😀
(And I thought I was tough because I fitted 6 frosted glass panels today – each measuring 1000mm x 575mm, complete with cut out lettering, taped, applied single handedly, dry in an open plan office full of office staff who heckled me all the way through my performance 😳 )
:lol1: :lol1: :lol1:
oh phill, i have been there mate. doesnt matter how good we get. put an audience behind you and you feel the eyes burning into your back. you fumble, drop things, hurt yourself, stand on things, cant find your squeegee…. then the dreaded one liner… hoy mate, “that’s not spelled correct” 😮
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quote Rob Lambie:then the dreaded one liner… hoy mate, “that’s not spelled correct”
IF they say that I go off on a pretend rant and then get my workmates to shout at me then pretend I’ve been sacked,
nothing like a guilt trip to sort things out.
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:lol1: :lol1:
Only one thought he was being original and told me I’d spelt it wrong.
I just grinned politely 🙄
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