toyota rear window – fitting tips?

[Hugh Potter]

i always hinge it in the middle, and work outwards, sometimes it’s impossible to avoid the odd crease, all you can do is your best to minimise them as you go, do it dry too, as creases are alot harder to minimise if they have water under them, everytime you squeegee it out, it sucks back in again !

on creases i use heat and felt squeeee to flat them down.

[Alan Drury]

I had to do one of these and ended up doing it in 2 or 3 strips, not very pretty but the only way I could avoid creases. I’d like to know how window tinters do it – do they take the window out, warm and stretch the vinyl in?
Alan D

[Martin Pearson]

If you use the right material then you shouldn’t get creases at all. With plenty of choice in wrap vinyls about there should be one that you find reasonably easy to work with. Of coarse you need to explain to the customer that this is a more expensive vinyl and charge accordingly.

Alan, Window tint film is completely different to vinyl. I would say that I am reasonable at applying vinyl but window tint is a different matter and a different skill altogether and I am not that good with it at all.
The film is heat shrunk to the shape of the window before it is applied, normally to the inside of the window. Some people take the glass out and do it on the bench but a good window tinter will do it with the windows still in the vehicle.

[Hugh Potter]

another little tip, if putting a sign on a curved window, i try and persuade the customer to have an oval background, rather than square, don’t ask me why, but creases are far less common in an oval or circle !

[Peter Normington]

I would do as Hugh reccomends, hinge from the middle, use a cast vinyl, no application tape.

Work your felt squeegey in a large arc towards the sides, and if you are not confident enough to hold the vinyl, and sqeegy at the same time, an extra pair of hands is usefull.

You will most likely cock it up first time, as I did quite a few years ago, but after you have got it right once you will think, "why did I struggle before?"

it is a technique and practice makes perfect.

peter

[Peter Normington]

quote Lee Husselbury:

Hi,

I’ve got to do a Toyota van rear window tomorrow in vinyl. Has anyone got any tips as the window curves both ways and i can see me getting plenty of creases!

Any help appreciated, thanks

Lee

I assumed you were flood coating the window, if not the same principle applies, but you will need app tape if using cut vinyl of course
#

Peter

[Lee Husselbury]

thanks for all the advice.

i am flood coating the window with vinyl, i’m not charging as such because i’m signing the van as part of the deal when i sold my business to the bloke. i won’t be using anything expensive!

the vinyl has to go on the outside i think because the heating element is on the inside so it would have lines across and not sure but would think it will damage element/vinyl. there is then going to be an oval sign on top of that.

i tried the other day but totally borlsed it up so having another shot. if i can’t do it then he will just have to have the oval sign which i will make larger to cover most of the window. not charging so not spending hours on it!

[Gavin MacMillan]

Tinting is an entirely different skill, I’ve found this out the hard way but can now do a reasonable tint job. You have to lay the film on the outside of a wet window with the gum side facing up, then squeegee a cross through the centres and taking each of the 4 part in turn work from the middle out with a heat gun using your hand to push out the spears – easy 😀

then remove backing and whack into the window – bobs yer uncle. Very steep learning curve and I hate doing it as I find it very difficult to judge the amount of time it will take so impossible to plan the day – could take 45minutes to shrink the back window and it only takes 2 seconds to crease it and have to start again!