Viny installed inside looking out – doesn’t look flat

[Simon Worrall]

Neil
Did you fit it wet or dry?

Simon

[Neil Beckett]

Hi Simon, it was fitted dry.

[Phill Fenton]

Leave it for about a week and you will see a big difference as the glue flows and builds up a full bond with the glass. This is quite normal.

[Jason Xuereb]

Second Surface applications are recommended to be done wet.

[Neil Beckett]

Thanks Phill, I will check on it in a few days time and "hopefully" see an improvement.

Hi Jason, whats the advantage of doing the second layer wet, if you can apply it dry? Thanks.

[Jason Xuereb]

quote Neil Beckett:

Thanks Phill, I will check on it in a few days time and “hopefully” see an improvement.

Hi Jason, whats the advantage of doing the second layer wet, if you can apply it dry? Thanks.

Second Surface is when you can see the vinyl through a second surface. So through glass etc. Doing it wet helps get the adhesive more consistent.

[Lorraine Clinch]

Second Surface is when you can see the vinyl through a second surface. So through glass etc. Doing it wet helps get the adhesive more consistent.[/quote]

Well, I didn’t know that! Thanks Jason 😉

Regards
Lorraine

[Neil Beckett]

Thanks Jason.

I popped round yesterday to the job after work and it looks to be improving, so fingers crossed it should be OK in a week.

I can understand a client wanting the vinyl on the inside to stop idiots pulling it off, but looking at it now, so much seems to be lost just by the gloss/reflective qualities of being behind glass. 🙄

thanks,
Neil.

[Stuart Miller]

I agree with Jason and do most flood coating on glass wet. I find if you do it dry the adhesive looks to have blotches, which may improve with time but I prefer it to look good from the start.
Most small pieces and lettering I will do dry so they stay in place immediately but any backing or flood definitely looks more even wet.

Depends on several factors whether inside or outside is better. The glass reflections can hinder viewing the sign but it can also improve some and make them look more uniform.

This window was made up from 7 different colours

[Neil Beckett]

Thanks Stuart.

As you can see from the attached images I had three green circles with white text. The white text went down first on the glass (inside looking out), then I put the green circles on behind the white. Problem is you can see where the green vinyl doesn’t touch the glass as the white text lift it away. Would the wet approach solve this? Also having a white circle already on the glass this would lock in liquid (if done wet) once the second layer goes down wouldn’t it?

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Attachments:

[Simon Worrall]

This is probably the only situation when I would apply vinyl wet. But even then, there will always be a "halo" where the white lifts the green from the glass.
I would have reverse weeded the green, and backed up with a full circle of white, so the halo appears on the white. This way it is less visible.

[Gary Birch]

How would any excess fluid escape from the the pockets though or am I missing something? That said we would have printed these.

Was the squeegee in good condition? It doesn’t take much wear/damage to cause problems like this on glass.

I can’t remember the last west application I did and personnally can’t see me doing one again.

Dry is the way forward in my eyes.

[Simon Worrall]

Gary you are right, printing would be better – green on clear, backed up with white. I’d have still applied it wet, though. I’m not that good with a squeegee to do this dry

[Neil Beckett]

quote Simon Worrall:

This is probably the only situation when I would apply vinyl wet. But even then, there will always be a “halo” where the white lifts the green from the glass.
I would have reverse weeded the green, and backed up with a full circle of white, so the halo appears on the white. This way it is less visible.

Brilliant! – why didn’t I think of that.

[Stuart Miller]

I don’t actually mind the thin line around the overlay. Its still there whether you do it dry or wet. I would have done it the same way around, rather than reverse weeding the green.
Printing would avoid this thin border but is more likely to fade with time than cut vinyl so depends on expected life of the graphic.
As for trapping water within the white circle: most will be pushed out during squeegeeing and if there is a small amount left a small puncture can be made into the lifted portion at the overlay edge to expel any excess.
I use a soft window film squeegee (clear max) which conforms over the overlays better than a hard card.

[Neil Beckett]

Thanks for all your comments, some food for thought. Ive only got the vinyl cutter at the moment.