recipe for application fluid anyone?

[Robert Lambie]

Apply DRY only… 😀

i am going to say this, but please do not take it wrong. if you feel that your application fluid is too pricey to loss within the job your fitting. ide pretty much guarantee you have your job pricing structure wrong mate.

wet application is only any good to get your media in place, from here on you void media warranty and create a list of possible issues due to applying wet.
IF you must use an application fluid i would suggest Rapid-Tac 1 and Rapid-tac 2. this liquid has stimulants in it to activate the adhesive bond. where other wet fluids simply sit behind the media preventing it sticking until it is expelled.

[David Rogers]

…well that was 4 minutes I’ll never get back…

for me 3-4 DRIPS of a concentrated brand of washing up liquid per litre. It ain’t soapy – it just acts as reduce the surface tension of any water so creating an even layer.

Years ago I used to make a brew of water, solvent (IPA or METHS) and Fairy liquid…found it dried out faster but was softening the glue a tad.

If it’s coming out soapy it’s too much unless you REALLY need it to be slipping about / falling off.

Find it faster to flood large area of glass when you’re not using application tape – far faster than taking your time doing it dry. Big-ass spray tank with a wand – none of that wee squirty bottle malarky, 12" wide QUALITY window squeegee, hard sign squeegee with low friction sleeve and a sharp scalpel blade. Can rattle out flood coating windows, 10×5 sheets etc.

That said – I’ll dry apply my digi-print to panels in the shop at up to 1500 wide in one piece with some of my super-wide squeegees (2 man job).

Dave

[John Thomson]

I use water, IPA and a few drops of baby shampoo.

I have found that with many changing to water based adhesives on vinyl that washing up liquid
turns the adhesive "milky" which caused issues if applying to glass.

John

[David Rogers]

quote John Thomson:

I use water, IPA and a few drops of baby shampoo.

I have found that with many changing to water based adhesives on vinyl that washing up liquid
turns the adhesive “milky” which caused issues if applying to glass.

John

I does dry out and go clear again but can take over a week…in the meantime customers can whinge a fair bit.

Years ago when using some water based (that I try to avoid), I’ve even had the glue coming off the vinyl and forming a gummy paste that gets pushed around when you work out any residual water.

[Stuart Miller]

For window tinting we have been using about 3ml of J&J baby shampoo per litre of water for years.
I use the same solution for most vinyl when I have to flood coat large areas. give or take a few drops depending on temperature.
I was always told that in an emergency you could use other washing up liqids but they do contain addatives thay react with the adhesive whereas J&J baby shampoo has been used in the industry for years with no problems and most window film manufacturers accepting it as a suitable slip solution which will not affect their warranties.
Other advantage of baby shampoo when we are installing conservatory roofs that it doesn’t sting your eyes.
Same as Dave I use a large 7 litre hand pressure sprayer which can cover a large window or panel in seconds.

Having said that in cold conditions I resort back to Rapid tac 2 for vinyl where it is imporatnt to get a good bond quickly.
And for most text and small panels I do dry.