how do i apply vinyl to this vehicle correctly?

[Harry Cleary]

you will need to convert to a jpeg and upload in the portfolio forum.

[Robert Lambie]

hi steve
as harry says, needs to be in another forum so i have moved your post to a forum that will allow you to do just that. feel free to "edit" your existing post and attach the picture/s then submit it again and it will be included in your post. 😀

what type of van is it?

[Steve Sandy]

Can anybody help, please,please,please 🙁 Job meant to be done Friday. It’s in the guys workshop as well so dont wont to look like a fool when I do it. Any advice would be great.

Cheers
Steve 😀

[Warren Beard]

Hi Steve

You got it right in your post, apply to flat surface and then heat in to the recess. It’s not that easy if you have never done it before but you have to learn sometime 😕

good luck

Warren

[Steve Sandy]

Cheers Warren, Thats put my mind at rest. Would I have to use Oracle 751 for this, I did try a tester on my own van with 651 but as I got further into the recessed area the vinly started to loose colour a bit. I think I have read on here that 751 would do a better job. Have you heard anything like that here before.

How has the moved down south gone, I am in Portsmouth myself. Also I read you were going full time with your sign business now, I wish you the best of luck with the house move and the self employed move too.

Thanks Warren

Regards
Steve

[Martin Pearson]

Steve, you could get 651 to fit into the recesses by heating with out to much of a problem but as its a calendered vinyl it will try to return to its original shape so will probably pull its self out of the recess at some point in the future. I have had guys come to me for a quote and got the job done cheaper else where only for the van to look tatty a few weeks latter because the person that did their van cheap used a cheaper vinyl and then it all started to pull out of the recesses and crack.

Use 751c and you won’t have a problem, as for heating it into the recesses, if you are not happy using a heat gun use a hairdryer to fit the vinyl as it produces less heat. Once it is all fitted go back over it with a heat gun to ensure it is set and stays in place. Although a hairdryer will produce enough heat to actually fit the vinyl it doesn’t produce enough heat to ensure it stays there.

[Chris Stansfield]

apart from the vinyl type, i would seriously consider moving the top corner of the graphic down a couple of inches away from the curved section, you could then bend in and out of the recess without heat and still use the 651 vinyl with no problem

[Warren Beard]

quote Steve Sandy:

Cheers Warren, Thats put my mind at rest. Would I have to use Oracle 751 for this, I did try a tester on my own van with 651 but as I got further into the recessed area the vinly started to loose colour a bit. I think I have read on here that 751 would do a better job. Have you heard anything like that here before.

How has the moved down south gone, I am in Portsmouth myself. Also I read you were going full time with your sign business now, I wish you the best of luck with the house move and the self employed move too.

Thanks Warren

Regards
Steve

Hi Steve

751C is best and conforms well as has been mentioned.

I move next week Saturday to Winchester and my current employment ends next Friday 😮

I’ll need all the luck I can get, thanks mate

cheers

Warren

[Martin Pearson]

Warren, from what I have seen of your work you don’t need any luck at all, just be prepared to put in some hard work promoting your new business and from what I learnt about you over the last few months that won’t be a problem for you.

[Warren Beard]

quote martin:

Warren, from what I have seen of your work you don’t need any luck at all, just be prepared to put in some hard work promoting your new business and from what I learnt about you over the last few months that won’t be a problem for you.

😳 😳 😳 😳

Thanks Martin, and thanks for all your help too in the past (and future :lol1: )

[Steve Sandy]

Thanks Martin for your help there. I will go with 751 to make sure it’s right. I had to get the answer so I could order in before Friday came. I have been training myself for the past 8 months and am just going into the market now really. I have as you said had many times people ring up even now for me to redo works they have had done, which has only been up for a while from guys comming in at less than half established sign shops quote and it started peeling and mostly put up quick and cheap. I have done a bout ten jobs to date from friends of friends and have given the best quality materials and service I could and it is reaping the benefits now as I only advertise on my van. It is a shame when they say can you do it cheap as I have already paid out so much. But I just have to say you get what you pay for.

Thankyou again for you help. Oh my wife wont let me near her hairdryer so I have a heat gun which I have practised with and I guess the slower the better on the vinyl.

Also Chris thanks for your comments my customer wants it right up in the corner. I think he is testing me out with this one for the other jobs he sais he has lined up. Well in for a penny.

Thanks all
Steve

[George Kern]

Steve,

checkout the video tutorial i posted about an hour ago it should help you in applying vinyl in general to recessed areas.

[Steve Sandy]

Cheers George I will look now. I bet you wish you only had to worry about getting a ‘G’ onto a van like me. Your work is amazing mate one day I guess I will post a lorry like the ones you do. Thanks again George.
Oh if you ever get stuck for a ‘G’ fitter I’m your man.

Regards
Steve

[Hugh Potter]

steve, something i sometimes do when i have to go over recesses, is to cut a fw spare letters, the ones which go over the recess, just incase they go wrong, cheaper than a run back to the workshop to cut more ! when working outside the w’shop i don’t bother, just when going to customer premises,

i find that if i have em, i never need them, if i don’t….. 😳

as you said, and others, on the few occasions i’ve gone over recesses (i normally try to avoid them like the clap), i apply it across the flat first, then lay it across the recess,

it’s all a learning curve, sometimes ya do it first go, other times you’ll swear and curse, at least.. in my experience you do !

[Steve Sandy]

Cheers Hugh, good tip that I will have some spare G’s in the van, fingers crossed they will stay in the van.
Can I give you another example: If I had lettering to go along the whole side of a van. Would I posistion it so equal each end from the middle. Put a centre hinge on (masking tape from top to bottom) Then peel off say left side first, Then push the vinyl and tape into all the vertical recesses? Rather than lay it all flat across the van (stuck down) then heat the bits that need to go down into recessed areas. I am happy to push the vinyl in this way my original problem was it with the now famous ‘G’ was it gets recessed vertical and horizontal and curved so that had to be heated.

Hope this makes sense to you.
regards
Steve

[Hugh Potter]

yes, it makes sense,

i would, or rather i do….

anything over 5ft gets hinged about 2ft from the left end (just habit to start at the left !) i lay that, then to the other half in 2ft sections, then spray the tape and remove, taking extra care where the vinyl isn’t attached, you don’t want to stretch it yet ! (dont get spray in the recesses), then carefully work the vinyl in, i do it gradually, a bit each side until i reach the bottom, not too much heat either, 6/751 goes very soft and you can ‘squidge’ it into wrinkles if not careful.