what is the best vinyl to apply to glass and & acrylic?

[David White]

On Glass and acrylic we always apply wet we use an application fluid from all print supplies called Rapidtac it comes in 2 varieties normal and quick its quiet expensive around £22.00 per gallon but is very good AllPrint Supplies number is 01753696977

[Jill Marie Welsh]

You’ll want Rapid Tac II….yes it’s pricey but it’s great stuff.
I get air bubbles all the time too.
Good luck.
Love….Jill

[Adrian Hewson]

We always use vinyl positioning fluid on glass and anti static fluid on acrylic and there is never a bubble to be seen

Regards Adrian

[Robert Lambie]

cough cough DRY always dry! :lol1: :lol1:

nah, if you are having bother with dry app, then use something like rapidtac 2. its pricey as been said but is the best on the go.. but other suppliers do equivelant. i think grafityp have app fluid on their brochure and i know europoint do one also.,. cant comment on performance though.. never use it.

if you fancy applying it dry on glass.. use a felt squeegee, its a bit more forgiving.

just a thought… if your applying multiple layers of vinyl on glass, body swerve the wet app.. 😕
multilayer work on glass is always best done using a felt squeegee…

[Andy Gorman]

Yeah the fluids will help in getting a bubble free finish onto glass or acrylic, but I agree with Rob. There are going to be a lot of occasions when a wet application isn’t suitable, or at least will create other problems.
If you can master dry application onto glass, you’ve got it sussed. As always, the answer is practice. I always told trainees (I’m not implying that you are a trainee, of course) that vinyl shouldn’t touch the panel unless the squeegee puts it there. I dunno how else to describe it.

[John Cornfield]

So what do you clean the glas with prior to applying and the same for the acrylic if it is a different cleaner.

Cheers

JC

[Jill Marie Welsh]

I have always been told by Roger Bailey, the Rapid Tac Rep,
to use Rapid Tac and cheap paper towelling to clean
prior to applying graphics wet.
http://www.rapidtac.com/tac.html
Love….Jill

[Andy Gorman]

Regardless of whether I am applying wet or dry, I use Isopropyl Alcohol to clean glass or acrylic. Also, I only ever use white cleaning tissue as the blue stuff can sometimes leave dye on the panel. For the same reason I never use meths; leaves residue.

[Robert Lambie]

i use meths for everything but about 4 months ago moved to something new.. havent a clue what it is called but smells much the same as meths and we buy it in a huge drum. its clear not purple & like G we only use white paper towel/centre feed. (supplier told us this is the same stuff as meths.. could it be Isopropyl Alcohol & i havent noticed? ill check tommorrow…
if you want details of the supplier i use john give me a shout by pm. ill give you a call tommorrow and they will probably drop by. they are only a couple of miles from you. infact.. there is another just up the hill from you but hes more expensive and inconsistant in what he supplies you with.

G ive never had any probs with meths and residue.. infact i only used it because i found that panel wipe and the like left a greasy film behind…
🙄 if its not Isopropyl Alcohol we are using now, i think i will look into getting it.. always worth a go trying something new. 😉

[Andy Gorman]

The problem with meths is that they put that purple stuff into it and something else to stop winos from drinking it. The purple dye is an impurity and I find that it can leave a powdery residue. Isopropyl, in my experience, does exactly the same as meths, but tastes nicer. 😉 Only thing: you can’t get it from places like DIY stores. Most decent chemists stock it. I don’t know where mine comes from, my bird/dentist gets it for me from her medical chemical supplier. Good point about the blue wiper towel, if you get the dye from that on a van or car it will not come off again.

[Kingscoop]

Sounds like you’ve got Industrial Meths if it’s clear, smells like meths and your supplier says it is meths.

[Nicola McIntosh]

quote big G:

Good point about the blue wiper towel, if you get the dye from that on a van or car it will not come off again.

i use easi-wipes!! they are blue, would that apply to these cloths? 😛

Nik

[Robert Lambie]

quote Kingscoop:

Sounds like you’ve got Industrial Meths if it’s clear, smells like meths and your supplier says it is meths.

is there a performance difference mate?

[Andy Gorman]

No Nik, 😛 I have had this happen when using blue paper towel with meths or Isopropyl. White spirit, for example, doesn’t take the dye out of this stuff. So there.

I think industrial meths doesn’t have that purple, anti-wino, foul stuff in it because it isn’t available to the general public.

[Nicola McIntosh]

thanks for clearling that up for me andy!! 😀

i have always used meths for cleaning, until i bought the pc60!! isopropanol is even better!! 😛 but i end up cleaning anything & everything that looks like plastic!! 😮 (never get any work done, but everything is shiney!!) 😀 😀

Nik

[Kingscoop]

The only way that I could get hold of Industrial Meths was to write a short letter to my local chemist, saying that I needed it for cleaning purposes. Since it doesn’t have the colour and “anti wino” stuff in it, I would think that it must be cleaner and better than normal meths.

[Carrie Brown]

:lol1: :lol1: Nik ….. Im so glad you do it to …. you clean one part and then you clean another and then another and before you know your cleaning everything that can be given a shine!!

[Nicola McIntosh]

hey carrie!! 😛 exactly what i do!! 😛 but i have tried every cleaner on the market.. isopropanol is the best!! ….not tried it on my stove yet!! 😮

how is the move coming along? hope it’s getting there!! 😉

Nik

[Peter Normington]

meths is fine but is better if you mix it with water about 4:1 it doesn’t leave the residue Isopropyl from the chemist is expensive, Don’t quote me but I think they have to charge the duty as per alcohol

[Andy Gorman]

Actually, that’s a good point. If you mix meths & water it removes much more than on it’s own. I used to use that mix to clean vehicles prior to wrapping. The meths gets off some dirt that water won’t touch and vice versa.

[Nicola McIntosh]

i water down meths with water & add a drop or two of washing up liquid for wiping down signage material before applying vinyl, stops static!! 😀
i hate the smell 🙄

i buy isopropanol from the chemist as it’s convenient, and i have found out it is pure alcohol, not mixed from larger suppliers!! 😀

Nik

[John Singh]

quote :

i buy isopropanol from the chemist as it’s convenient, and i have found out it is pure alcohol, not mixed from larger suppliers!!

You mean they’re putting mixed isopropanol in my lager! I’m going to switch to bitter in future

All this talk of meths, spirits, largers, isapropanol is making crave a wine gum – Took me ages to crack the habit – never thought the ‘board’ would send me back to it

*drink*

John

[Kevin.Ryan]

Hi Rob
as a matter of interest what kind of sqeegee would you use to apply 4′ x 8′ printed, no application tape, sheets of vinyl for wall paper drop installation on flat grp truck bodies? we have some felt edged 4″ squeegees but wasnt sure if they might be another method.

Kevin
Sign and tint