Vinyl Wrap on Filling Station Pillars Advice

[Joe Killeen]

Hi Myles
Have you tried Arlon DPF8000 sticks to anything.
Joe

[Robert Lambie]

I wouldn’t use a vinyl. I would offer a composite with printed graphics and laminate.

Those steel pillars will be freezing cold in this weather, so right away will not be good to apply to.
Yes, you could heat it in with a heat in to help promote adhesion but i wouldn’t imagine that will be allowed next to petrol pumps.
Also, no matter what vinyl you use, the adhesion will only be as good as the painted surface it is applied to. and i bet this will be hand brushed or rolled on gloss paint.
As much as you may think fuel etc may not come into contact, you will be surprised!
I am sure you have stood putting fuel in your car surrounded by slippy fuel on the ground, pump area etc
when you think on it, someone takes out the fuel pump, swings round to put it back and there will be splashes coming from the pump gun getting everywhere.

Anyway, i would advise on prints with lamination.

If you look at whats been used already, its sign panels. The lower one looks like foamex with Tech Screws through the face into the steel.
I would go with composite fixed by tech screws. they will self tap right into the pillars. (make sure you use techs for steel penetration though)

I doubt anything special is required or they will have stipulated it. there for digital vinyl, on composite and laminated should suffice. if you wanted to be a bit extra careful you could wrap the edges of the print around the composite onto the rear to seal the whole job.

[Myles Brewer]

Thanks for all that Rob.
You’re right about the pillar finish & temperature etc. & obviously any vinyl graphic would certainly need laminating.
The existing signs are actually corriboard & yes fixed with steel tex screws. I did still find it necessary to pre drill the holes though as those pillars are hard as nails & thick!!!
It was actually the client (a large Irish fast food chain) who owns the site, that specified a wrap. Not sure if they’ve done this at other sites.
Good point about the heat gun, it would certainly give leverage to talk them into having composite as an alternative.
It wouldn’t be quite such a neat finish as a wrap but might be better long term I guess.

[Ian Johnston]

quote Myles Brewer:

it would certainly give leverage to talk them into having composite as an alternative.
It wouldn’t be quite such a neat finish as a wrap but might be better long term I guess.

TBH it should be neater than a wrap finish if done the right way, don’t just do a panel for each face, print a Dibond panel , with routered folds and wrap around the pillar with only one joint at the side closest to the pump, it’ll be completely smooth and very tidy.

[Myles Brewer]

quote Ian Johnston:

quote Myles Brewer:

it would certainly give leverage to talk them into having composite as an alternative.
It wouldn’t be quite such a neat finish as a wrap but might be better long term I guess.

TBH it should be neater than a wrap finish if done the right way, don’t just do a panel for each face, print a Dibond panel , with routered folds and wrap around the pillar with only one joint at the side closest to the pump, it’ll be completely smooth and very tidy.

Thanks for that Ian, Would actually get away with less visible fixings too that way. Presumably, it would be sufficient to just fix at the join ends on the pump side?

Would have to be very careful with measurements to ensure bends were at exactly the right location or it could be either a loose fit or worse, not fit!!! Maybe a small test piece could be cut first to be safe.

The pillar height is 4500mm so 3x 10ft x 5ft sheets would do it more or less exactly height wise.

The biggest issue then would just be the removal & replacement of all the current fittings like fire extinguishers & cameras etc.
Also the other downside is I’d have to outsource the fabrication as I can’t route here & only have a 1400mm laminator 🙁

[Kevin Busby]

You can do the same thing with a steeltrack and a V Grove tool, just measure it out take a slice out of one side and fold on the V’s just like it been routed.

[Myles Brewer]

quote Kevin Busby:

You can do the same thing with a steeltrack and a V Grove tool, just measure it out take a slice out of one side and fold on the V’s just like it been routed.

Yet another piece of equipment I’d dearly love to have Kevin. Unfortunately, space more than anything is the issue there 🙁

[Kevin Busby]

quote Myles Brewer:

quote Kevin Busby:

You can do the same thing with a steeltrack and a V Grove tool, just measure it out take a slice out of one side and fold on the V’s just like it been routed.

Yet another piece of equipment I’d dearly love to have Kevin. Unfortunately, space more than anything is the issue there 🙁

I know that feeling my poor steeltrack is relogated to the damp dingy garage due to lack of space in the office, I wish I could get it in but not happening and taking it out badly on the machine being in the damp and cold.

[Myles Brewer]

quote Kevin Busby:

quote Myles Brewer:

quote Kevin Busby:

You can do the same thing with a steeltrack and a V Grove tool, just measure it out take a slice out of one side and fold on the V’s just like it been routed.

Yet another piece of equipment I’d dearly love to have Kevin. Unfortunately, space more than anything is the issue there 🙁

I know that feeling my poor steeltrack is relogated to the damp dingy garage due to lack of space in the office, I wish I could get it in but not happening and taking it out badly on the machine being in the damp and cold.

Garage!!! GARAGE!!!! You Lucky Lucky B*********!! What I wouldn’t give to have a Garage!!! I lay awake at night dreaming of having a damp dingy garage!!! :smiles: :smiles: :smiles: :tongue:

[Myles Brewer]

quote Robert Lambie:

I wouldn’t use a vinyl. I would offer a composite with printed graphics and laminate.

Those steel pillars will be freezing cold in this weather, so right away will not be good to apply to.
Yes, you could heat it in with a heat in to help promote adhesion but i wouldn’t imagine that will be allowed next to petrol pumps.
Also, no matter what vinyl you use, the adhesion will only be as good as the painted surface it is applied to. and i bet this will be hand brushed or rolled on gloss paint.
As much as you may think fuel etc may not come into contact, you will be surprised!
I am sure you have stood putting fuel in your car surrounded by slippy fuel on the ground, pump area etc
when you think on it, someone takes out the fuel pump, swings round to put it back and there will be splashes coming from the pump gun getting everywhere.

Anyway, i would advise on prints with lamination.

If you look at whats been used already, its sign panels. The lower one looks like foamex with Tech Screws through the face into the steel.
I would go with composite fixed by tech screws. they will self tap right into the pillars. (make sure you use techs for steel penetration though)

I doubt anything special is required or they will have stipulated it. there for digital vinyl, on composite and laminated should suffice. if you wanted to be a bit extra careful you could wrap the edges of the print around the composite onto the rear to seal the whole job.

Rob, I’ve actually just came across Orajet 3959 with matching lam Oraguard 259 which supposedly is a Petrol/Diesel resistant cast film designed for use on fuel pumps etc. So I would have thought this could be suitable?
I get what you’re saying re current temperatures but there is no panic on this job so it could wait until temps rise to at least 10degrees or above ideally.
The paint finish on the pillars is actually pretty sound too so I don’t see that being an issue to be honest.
Anyone had any experience of this film & it’s durability?

[Kevin Busby]

Haha I went in this morning to get some tools to clear some snow away from the doors, not sure which was inside and which was outside as more snow inside, the fine stuff had got through the holes in the wall and everything including the stack of 8 x 4’s had 6inch of snow on it.

[Myles Brewer]

quote Kevin Busby:

Haha I went in this morning to get some tools to clear some snow away from the doors, not sure which was inside and which was outside as more snow inside, the fine stuff had got through the holes in the wall and everything including the stack of 8 x 4’s had 6inch of snow on it.

Yes it’s very fine dry stuff this snow, more like sand or dust!! We had the same with it blowing inside the house through the gutter vents into the eaves & have little piles of it sitting on the inside of the soffits & the Rockwool insulation!! :shocked: