Stepped recess panel wrap – help required please?

[Simon Hulme]

we used trim with the knife, takes practice not to cut the paint or lacquer.
Not recommended if you’ve not done it before!
Paint is so thin now, especially on the metallic, these days we use the wrap tape.
Takes a little longer but no nasty phone call in 6 months when the paint starts bubbling.
Make sure you get the one suitable for curves

[michael keogh]

Cheers Simon, dont need that all right, il think il go with the wrap tape

[Robert Lambie]

knifeless tape or wrap-cut tape, easiest by far.

obviously you want to do lots of practice cuts on scrap vinyl if you plan doing this.
plus, you must have a minimum of 4-5 inches waste knifeless tape at the start of a cut entry and 4-5 inches after you exit point. this allows for the chance of a snap in the filament tape. if it snaps, you simply start from the other side again.

[Martin Pearson]

Wrap cut doesn’t like curves that much (or maybe it’s just me ) so knifeless tape would be what I would use, if you haven’t worked with it before make sure you practice a bit before you do the job, there is a technique to using both types of tape which seems to differ slightly depending on which one you are working with,

[David McDonald]

Hi

Just offer up the vinyl cut as a rectangle with a few cm’s bleed all round. Hold into the recess with magnets, run a hard squeegee all the way round the base of the recess to mark the vinyl, put on the bench and trim to the mark you’ve made. Most will be just straight lines and its pretty easy just to trim the large curves with scalpel / scissors. Flip it over for a mirror image, lay over your vinyl for the other side recess, draw round it and trim the other side. Better than cutting on the van and only takes 15 minutes.

Cheers
Macky

[Phill Fenton]

I use application tape to make a template of the shape which I then cut out on the bench before applying to the van. This avoids cutting on the paintwork. The method is described here:-
https://www.uksignboards.com/viewtopic.php?t=50729

[Christopher Montgomery]

quote Martin Pearson:

Wrap cut doesn’t like curves that much (or maybe it’s just me ) so knifeless tape would be what I would use, if you haven’t worked with it before make sure you practice a bit before you do the job, there is a technique to using both types of tape which seems to differ slightly depending on which one you are working with,

Hi Martin

WrapCut will only bend in one direction due to the string running down one side.
but other than creating free hand designs with the tape. bending in one direction would suffice. i.e. around the roof, around a door etc. that said, knifeless is a softer more pliable filament tape.

[Jon Marshall]

Would be great if someone could make accurate cut templates for these type of jobs. I’d certainly pay for them.

[Martin Pearson]

quote Chris Montgomery:

quote Martin Pearson:

Wrap cut doesn’t like curves that much (or maybe it’s just me ) so knifeless tape would be what I would use, if you haven’t worked with it before make sure you practice a bit before you do the job, there is a technique to using both types of tape which seems to differ slightly depending on which one you are working with,

Hi Martin

WrapCut will only bend in one direction due to the string running down one side.
but other than creating free hand designs with the tape. bending in one direction would suffice. i.e. around the roof, around a door etc. that said, knifeless is a softer more pliable filament tape.

Probably the fact that it is less pliable Chris, I do use it for straight cuts & very shallow curves but don’t do enough work to use any type of tape that regularly so probably comes down to a lack of experience.

[Neil Davey]

We use knifeless tape for this type of job, it’s so quick and accurate and saves taking a knife to the van.
The speed and being safe in the knowledge you haven’t used a knife far out ways the cost I believe.

[Richard Urquhart]

For the very best neatest finish Phils way is spot on. I have this van and made the templates and its a 100% fit, we have on site used the knifless tape and its ok but with a printed and laminated film and in tight corners it can look a little ragged, only by a small amount but I’m fussy, Also when fitting after using the temple method its so much faster to fit.

[Chris Windebank]

is only the front end of the side panel on the vivaro you have to do, the rest is a simple rectangle so print to that size.
I template the front with foamex and keep under the bench, just lay on top and cut round then fit, easy

[michael keogh]

Thanks for the help lads, much appreciated,

ps. does anybody have any video link tutorials on this type of work

[James Parry]

I’m a few months late to the thread, but I have the recess panels up in vector format. Made them myself and they’re more accurate than anything else I’ve seen about. Contact me if you think they would be of use to you!