How to apply large pieces of application tape single handed?

[Andy Gorman]

You need a bigger bench!

Also, proper application tape rollers are brilliant, even if home-made. Mine cosists of a broom handle clamped a foot above the bench.

[Richard Urquhart]

easy to make one mate
I have a home made one 3 bits of mdf , a bottom and 2 sides with a hole through to take a steel bar works a treat, I,m sure there was a post i did ages ago,I will have a look or take some pics for you mate

[Warren Beard]

quote Andy Gorman:

You need a bigger bench!

Yeah I know but space is a bit of a problem at the moment.

How do you lay it down flat without creases? do you tape the graphic down first?

The application tape I got also does not stick too well to the backing paper and this makes it lift, crease and bubble easily on the non-vinyl areas. (Victory gave me a roll of Unitac. It is a medium/high tack tape with heavyweight paper)

I’m sure it all comes down to technique so was wondering if anybody had any tips.

Thanks

Warren

[Warren Beard]

quote Richard Urquhart:

easy to make one mate
I have a home made one 3 bits of mdf , a bottom and 2 sides with a hole through to take a steel bar works a treat, I,m sure there was a post i did ages ago,I will have a look or take some pics for you mate

Thanks Richard

That will be great, I will get my tools out this weekend. What timber supplier will cut to your measurements when purchasing, I went to wickes the other day but they do not cut and I don’t have any power cutting tools.

Cheers

Warren

[David Rogers]

Andy’s idea is a good one – but first, get a bigger bench! Bigger IS better, even if it’s a fold-away if you are a bit stuck for space. (Says me with a 24’x4′).

I don’t use a tape dispenser…never got round to making / buying one.
I’m normally OK to lay up to 9 feet on my own @ 610. ie, about double arm span. Lay tape over print sticky side up, cut to length plus a couple of inches. Pick up from middle and allow the two halves to fall together (non-sticky obviously) jiggle for position – one to be bottom 2" lower. Transfer in hands to be holding essentially a double sided sticky tape & dip centre towards vinyl. Allow that side to fall naturally into position, pick up the other and float down. (DO NOT RUB DOWN) Fix one end firmly if you have any creases and pull the other flat to the bench & any & all imperfections will pull out allowing for a perfect application. With practice, you can get quite good at it…also use the same principle when laying long sections dry. Easier to do than describe!

[Martin Pearson]

As Andy has already said get a bigger bench, !.5 mtrs isn’t really long enough. As for applying application tape make a dispenser and you can apply application tape to long graphics even with a 1.5 mtr bench.
All you need to do is clamp the dispenser to one end of the bench, feed your graphic under the dispenser to the other end of the bench, pull out application tape and apply to graphic, squeegee, pull some more through, squeegee again and carry on until you reach the other end if that makes any sense !!!

[Peter Normington]

Lynn sticks her arm up the tube and walks along the bench applying, somewhere on the boards is a pic of her doing it, but if your arm is a manly sort of thing, you would need to adapt the idea and use a tool of some sort.

Peter

[David Rowland]

quote Peter Normington:

you would need to adapt the idea and use a tool of some sort.

😮 😮 😮

[Warren Beard]

Thanks for the tips guys

Peter, my arm is a bit thick (like the rest of me) so it would have to be a stick of some sort.

I think I might make a dispenser and see how that works.

Can creased application tape damage the vinyl when applying?

Has anybody used Victory’s Unitac application paper and if so what are your opinions of it?

Cheers

Warren

[LeeMorris]

Hi Warren

I have the same problem very limited space, i have got a roller but i do mine on worktop i don’t have an edge to stop the roller moving when i pull tape off.
What i find works for me is tape the vinyl down, then apply the first bit of app tape to the worktop then pull application tape roll along a bit keeping it tight , then squeegee that bit down . then pull app tape along further and do the same again. I find once you’ve pulled the tape out you can hold the roll tight with one hand and squeegee with the other.
Not easy to explain but hope you get the idea

The roller is good but haven’t got anyway to fix mine, being that i do mine on the utility worktop, don’t think the wife wants be drilling holes in it.
Lee

[dekorstudion]

Hello newbie here….

i don´t have a roll holder wither.

i use 2 different tricks.

One. The arm in roller. Burns as h*ll tho… if you unroll to fast.

Second.
This i suitable for long applications either on long bench and movable for short bench.

You need 1 inner tubing (roll) from a ended vinyl roll 24" (610mm)
24" roll off application tape.

1.unroll about 30cm off apptape and carefully place on the cut vinyl. Overlap on to the table about 5cm. Press and brush down the apptape with your hand.
2. Put the empty roller against apptape roll and vinyl.
3. Push the empty roller forward against the apptape roll and everything will start to rotate. the apptape laysdown nicely to the vinyl and gets squeegeed against the vinyl. just keep thight.

if i can mail a picture to one person that can upload it i can send a picture
[/img]

[dekorstudion]

newbie on this forum i mean 😕 the picture upload i dont get tho…. (hot)

[Peter Shaw]

I just took a picture of our application tape dispenser. This is probably the cheapest and easiest way to make one. However I can’t upload the picture in this forum.

Any suggestions?

Peter

[Ian Johnston]

create a new forum with the same title and post a link on this one

[James Martin]

Warren

I think you are using your kitchen at the moment the same as me.

The second method used by dekorstudion is the method I use and it works well as long as you get 6 inches of tape suck down on the bench overlapping the pruduction you are tapping.

Alignment of the tape role at the beginning is also important especially if you are taping a long piece.

All I do is use another roll of tape: I have a roll of regular, and a roll of trasparent, so after I set up the roll thats going on the vinyl the second roll just pushes the application roll along and as dekor mentions it rotates no problem with the weight of the second roll helping press the tape down.

Once you know your going staight and there are know creases you can do it fast as well.

No need for machines or extra hands at this stage for me: once the premisess are set up I’ll be looking into the easy taper thingymajig.

Clever Swede! 😀

Jmmy

[Stephen Morriss]

I’ve used the second method dekorstudion suggested as well, however I know use a tape dispenser, mine has a gap underneath and I put a little tape on the bench, slide the weeded vinyl under and then pull the dispenser over the vinyl layed flat on the bench.
You have to squeegee it down as you go but I found this the most reliable method.

Steve

[Peter Shaw]

quote :

create a new forum with the same title and post a link on this one

??? 🙂

[Aitor Asencor]

Anyone has used this tool?

http://www.bigsqueegee.com/masking2.wmv

It seems it also can be used for lamination.

[Peter Normington]

I just had a wizz through the other demos on the site, although it looks impressive I don’t see how it would provide enough, even pressure to do the job properly, as a laminator.
It looks ok as an app-tape tool, but seems like it would prove unwieldy for larger jobs?

Peter

[Graham Parsons]

Greetings!

I can testify as to the big Squeegee – it does indeed work as advertised. We regularly use it for laminating printing to Coroplast and the like, and it does a pretty excellent job of putting on mask wrinkle free!

Doug Allen has posted a video on YouTube that shows him using the Big Squeegee to laminate a sizable print on his first attempt:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ndSmuZzBsQ
There are a few expletives as he can’t contain his delight – so you’ve been warned!

I’m not connected with the manufacturer – just a happy customer (as is Doug)

[RobGF]

The Big Squeegee is a great little tool. Everybody should get one. Really. It’s amazing how often we use ours here as opposed to a more traditional gold squeegee.

Here’s a Youtube link of a fellow trying to laminate with the squeegee for the first time. It seems that it was late at night and he was having problems with using his laminator. There is some swearing in the video so be warned.

Potentially NSFW Link – Language
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ndSmuZzBsQ

There are many discussions of the pros and cons of this product at one of the major US sign boards. Google away…

Rob

[Warren Beard]

Find them here with more details

they look very good

http://www.handlaminator.com/index.htm

Cheers

Warren

[Graeme Speirs]

looks good, think that boy was on the late night wacci bacci 🙂 lol

worth watching his youtube footage though.

[Phill Fenton]

You may be interested to hear of a new product called "spyder web". Instead of a tape it’s a spray on solution that dries rapidly to form a dry "membrane" that sits on top of the vinyl and acts just like an application tape. The beauty of it is you can’t get any creases in it. You can also roll the "membrane applied" graphics up onto a tube without any creasing (which is ideal for mail order). Once the vinyl graphics have been applied, the membrane is simply dissolved by washing it down with water which means no more lifting of the vinyl on removal. You also don’t need to stock a range of sizes of tape just a single spray can to cover all sizes of cut vinyl.

It’s also environmentally friendly too because it’s water based and does not contribute to global warming and there are no disposal or re-cycling issues.

You can order it here at http://www.phillsbullshitproducts.com

[Martin Pearson]

Phil, I would be interested in learning more about this new product you have discovered but am a bit worried because I am not very good at applying vinyl and have to apply using the wet application method, would this product be suitable for wet applications?

[Phill Fenton]

Sorry Martin – you’re Focked if you apply it wet 😕

[Martin Pearson]

Phill, you mean they haven’t developed a spray with a delayed breakdown yet !!! This way I could apply wet and not have to worry about going back latter to wash it off.

[Phill Fenton]

They’re not that clever Martin…. I don’t think they thought of that 😕

[Martin Pearson]

Never mind Phill, I am sure they will have developed it by the time a post like this comes round again !!!!!!!!

[Peter Normington]

I just browsed Phil’s link, Its hard to find and they don’t have much stock left, but they also do vinyl with pre applied application tape, makes life much easier.

Now stop high-jacking a legit thread you lot, Warren may start to believe some of this stuff 😀

Shame on you

Peter

[Nicola McIntosh]

quote Phill:

You can order it here at http://www.phillsbullshitproducts.com

very funny phil & very clever you got me… half way down reading your post…… 😉

nik

[Andrew Boyle]

a bit like the pre-weeded material that comes out a plotter…..as advertised….very funny Phil – Martin 😀

[Glenn Sharp]

if you are struggling for space don’t be put off by applying the tape in smaller manageable sections.

I apply tape in sections just smaller than my arm span….pick the tape up at either end…..bow it down in the centre till it contacts the vinyl…then slowly lay it down at both ends…. then squeegee from the centre out to the edges.

give a decent overlap of 3 – 4 inches over each section of tape so it gets a good hold

[Warren Beard]

quote Peter Normington:

I just browsed Phil’s link, Its hard to find and they don’t have much stock left, but they also do vinyl with pre applied application tape, makes life much easier.

Now stop high-jacking a legit thread you lot, Warren may start to believe some of this stuff 😀

Shame on you

Peter

You mean I can’t get the spray on tape ???? 🙁 Wait here while I go google it, there must be another supplier somewhere.

Be right back 😉

[Warren Beard]

I only found this on google

It might help somebody 😕

http://images.google.co.uk/imgres?imgur … n%26sa%3DN

[Phill Fenton]

Actually.. I think the spray on application tape is such a good idea I’m going to patent it….. Or am I too late now that my genius idea is out in the public domain 😕

[Peter Normington]

I did it this morning Phil,
UK pat pending # 45698524t
😉
it’s actually not such a bad idea, if you can do it cheap enough, I do know a product that would work, albeit with a bid of a modification

Peter

[Martin Pearson]

It was a good idea Phill and like Peter has said there are a couple of products that could possibly be modified if you had the know how. But I would have thought the biggest problem would be making it cheap enough to sell as Peter has also said.

Warren I have never tried using peanut butter as application tape so don’t know how well it would work but I would think you would need to use the smooth stuff not the stuff with big bits of peanut in it.

[Peter Normington]

The idea is good, its how to solve the problem.

today I saw a teddy bear in a balloon, on sale for valentines day at £35
I did think "how did they do that"

Peter

[Peter Normington]

quote Peter Normington:

The idea is good, its how to solve the problem.

today I saw a teddy bear in a balloon, (wierd but he was eating a peanut butter sarnie) on sale for valentines day at £35
I did think “how did they do that”

Peter

[Martin Pearson]

Peter that is weird, most teddy bears won’t touch peanut butter sarnies without jelly.

[Phill Fenton]

quote Peter Normington:

Now stop high-jacking a legit thread you lot,

Shame on you

Peter

Pot, Kettle and Black come to mind :lol1: :lol1: 😉

[Peter Shaw]

I still don’t know how to post my picture.

Never mind, I’ve printed it out and stuck it on the wall with peanut butter for you all to see.

Peter

[Warren Beard]

quote Peter Shaw:

I still don’t know how to post my picture.

Never mind, I’ve printed it out and stuck it on the wall with peanut butter for you all to see.

Peter

Hi Peter

Go to this link

http://www.uksignboards.com/viewtopic.php?t=25137

and you can reply and post your picture by attaching it in the "browse" and "attach" area below your post.

Hope that helps

Cheers

Warren

[Peter Shaw]

Thanks Warren. I’ve cleaned the peanut butter off and posted it here:

http://www.uksignboards.com/viewtopic.php?p=191055#191055

Peter

[philip Boyd]

is there any uk suppliers of the big squeegee and any idea of cost, as at the moment we use the empty roll pushing the other roll way and find it works well but sometimes it can catch the edge of the cut vinyl especialy with cast i might add. so the big squeegee might help stop this happening
thanks,

phil

[Robert Lambie]

quote Warren Beard:

I did my first large graphic today at 0.5 meters high by 2.4 meters long. My biggest hassle was applying the application tape by myself.

I know you can get machines that can do this but can’t afford one right now.

I also know you can get (or make) a dispenser for the edge of the table.

Are these dispensers any good or is there a trick to applying large graphics with application tape? I suppose it also does not help that my table is only 1.5 meters long either.

I got many creases and caused a problem when fitting the vinyl to the vehicle.

Any hints and tips will be greatly appreciated.

Cheers

Warren

does the video demo not help with this warren? i think theres one part were i am applying tape about this actual size/length?

phill, the funniest thing about your product is it actually sounds like a good idea. if you know what i mean 😕 :lol1: :lol1: :lol1: :lol1:

[Warren Beard]

Hi Rob

That post was from January, I’m a pro with application tape now (since I built a dispenser :lol1: 😳 )

I also do all my work dry now 😉 (except large flood coating, but soon :lol1: )

cheers

Warren

[Warren Beard]

did this 4500mm long job a few months ago, perfect application, no bubbles or creases in the tape at all.

[Robert Lambie]

:lol1: :lol1: sorry mate i never checked the initial post date. my net connection crashed yesterday so im just back online. i assumed this was posted last night 😳 :lol1:

good to hear your getting on well these days mate. 😉

one thing i would suggest. you should buy your tapes in smaller sizes too… seems to be a fair bit of waste on the app tape in your picture.

[Phil Barnfield]

hey warren, how did you manage to get that taped up nicely when you only got a small bench….. I used to do it bit at a time and then try and unfold the untaped bit from underneath – then I would get stuck (literally) and end up with creases everywhere.

Now have a 14ft bench, but still get in a mess. I think it could be my tape (using Conform at minute in my 610mm roll), don’t have a problem with some other brands (albeit smaller widths though). Trouble is I still have a full log of Conform left to be used!!

I have found that because our "contraptions" don’t have brake mechanisms, the tape sometimes gets a bit slack before it is squeegeed down into place and this causes creases. Anyone else find this, or again is it just down to my technique?

[Warren Beard]

Hi Guys

Rob; I do have some half width rolls but it was going to be very tight and as you can see it did run off to the side a bit, this would have been a problem with the narrow roll so I opted for the full width to ensure no problems or extra waste due to having to redo it because it ran off.

Phil; I will try explain how I do it on my 1.5 meter table. 😮

The graphic runs under the tape and down the back of the table, on the table I start near the end and pull the tape over and stick it down on the table to hold it from dropping down on to the graphic, I then squeegee down until the tape is tight. Then I lift it off the table and pull the whole thing back, this unwinds more tape and pull the graphic further on to the table. It’s OK to let the tape drop down slightly on to the graphic because it is where you are going to squeegee from, repeat this process until all the graphic is taped.

job done.

hope that makes sense 😕

cheers

Warren

[Richard O]

Hi All,

First off – let me introduce myself, Richard from Sydney Aus (yeah I know – another one) I am laughing to myself as I write this as I would have to be the most useless person you will have on the forum but here I am actually writing my tip on how I apply application tape.

Bossman recently bought a Roland Camm 1 vinyl cutter with Vinyl Master Pro and said go forth letter the vehicles and make me proud – Now he has the dirts with me because every one in Sydney is ringing up complaining about our mad drivers, just goes to show you can’ win.

Anyway when I first started I wasted the first roll of application tape and god knows how many rolls of vinyl just trying to get the vinyl onto the tape without mangling it – I just couldn’t get the hang of it.

Anyway out of desperation I rolled out the application tape on the table sticky side up – clamped one end – straitened out the wrinkles put a ruler against the roll to stop it rolling back – and then just placed the lettering straight down onto the sticky side of the tape and voila it actually worked like a charm and I haven’t had a problem since.

It may not be the way of the pro’s but it works for me

Regards
Rich