what type of squeegee do i use?

[Phill Fenton]

I use a grey Oracal squeegee for most things, this is a rigid plastic – almost rubbery type squeegee.

For working on vinyl itself I use a Graffitype felt squeegee. This is very soft and prevents scratching the vinyl surface when not protected by an application tape.

[Lee Attewell]

I’m with gray …3M gold for the most part, though I also use a very soft nylon squegee for wet app’s.

[Mike Brown]

I mainly use 3M gold squeegees (get mine from Spandx and one or two others) and have found the new grey Oracle ones to be bloomin good too!…honest…

In my opinion, a squeegee needs to be supple enough to deform to various soft curves yet firm enough to give good overall pressure on the flat – and the ‘blade’ needs to be a good and true without any imperfections…

more soon

mikethesign

[Joe McNamara]

what’s a squeegee? 😉
joe

[steve]

we use only Spandex Gold applicators we have tried everything else GOLD are the very best
For wet application simply get the type of wide sqeegee that window cleaners use get a pump action water bottle from the DIY shop thoroughly soak both vinyl and substrate lay vinyl onto board and the rubber squeegee takes all the water away almost instantly works every time even on frosted do the fiddly bits with a smaller one

[Steve Broughton]

I use felt squeegies all the time, I find I get a better finish with these than any other plastic one I’ve used.

[Robert Lambie]

well i agree with steve here… i have various tools i use for applying vinyl but more and more i use the felt one… 😛
i know its not getting the friction heat etc when applying but i do always heat the vinyl or whatever if i have any doubts on the application.

felt squeegees have even changed my tecniques in applying vinyl… i would say im better than ever before since susing them… have to say though.. they dont last as long as the nylon ones 🙄

[Robert Lambie]

exactly the same as my own gray!
only thing is mine has mactac across it…

these felt squeegees will also be on sale in my online shop… complete with uksignboards.com stamped on them… 😉

[Martin C]

It doesn’t seem to matter what I use…I still get Bubbles………sometimes one or two, sometimes loads of small ones. I’m currently using a basic Plastic Squeegee and assumed they were all the same. I have a Felt one but it doesn’t seem to help me in the bubble department! Any hints or tips?
OR
Could it be the Vinyl? I never get a problem with Banner Vinyls, just Gloss onto magnetic, etc.,

[Robert Lambie]

MARTIN I WILL SHORTLY BE DOING SOME SMALL DEMOS ON APPLYING VINYL…. AT THE MOMENT IM JUST FINISHING DOING THE DEMO ON HOW TO BUILD A LIGHT BOX… ILL TRY SORT SOME VINYL ONES OUT ASAP… 😉

[Robert Lambie]

sorry about the second post here … 😳

its down to tecnique mate… there is ways in which to do it. but acheiving great results everytime…then i would say that comes with learning your own or somones tecnique.

one big factor in application is preparing the job… you can be the best applicator in the business. but if you have dust etc then forget it. you will always get bumps and bubbles… its not just down to cleaning the panel of magnetic.
clean the area it sits on then about 2 foot all round it… then the panel..
then you can start to letter it 😉

[Lee Attewell]

Hey Gray, did you get that from Spandex? I called my supplier yesterday and ” they’ve heard of them but don’t have them”.

[Lee Attewell]

Thanks mate.

Lee

[Jeffrey P. Lang]

I also use the 3m gold squeeges.
I have caught myself without a good squeege while on site, I have wrapped a regular squeege (any type) with 4″ transfer tape, it would help to reduce friction. Also, as it wears, I would simply remove one layer of the transfer tape to expose a clean edge.
To reduce bubbles in application, I have found that if I put two layers of transfer tape over the vinyl, I get less bubbles & it makes the vinyl much easier to handle.
Jeff

[Martin Pearson]

Only my personal opinion but I dont think there is a right or wrong type of squeegee. Its what ever you feel the most comfortable using, I generally use the grey oracal ones from europoint or a grey oracal one with a piece of velvet taped to it for bare vinyl. I personally dont think the gold 3m squeegees are any better than the ones I use so I am not prepared to pay the money they ask for them. If you are happy with the red mactac squeegee you have Sally then stick with it, I myself think they are a little to soft but as I have already said its whatever you feel most comfortable using thats most important.

[Robert Lambie]

yeh i agree with you martin.. i think 🙄

the reason is i have changed squeegee over the years… ive tried lots but about 2 years ago i reverted back to a very stiff hard red queegee from spandex.. always thought it was the business… now from there i have jumped to a felt one… so i do think its what you feel comfortable with..

however i do know people i have met that are using crap ones.. but being new didnt know any better.. so there is a wrong and right scrapper..
🙄 contradicting myself here i know… 😆

most squeegees like the red mactac, grey oracal one and the like are all based on the 3M gold. same sort of mould anyway. just stamped differnt..
i beleave the cost is because the 3M gold doesnt ware down so quick… i used
a mactac red one once… rubbing in a large panel… when i had finished it had a curve in the centre. it was brand new and now ready for the bin…
i have only ever had one 3m GOLD… I WASNT KEEN ON IT LIKE IM NOT ON ANY Squeegee of that shape… but i did notice it did not flake away like the others… so if that squeegee mould suites you then i would say its the 3M would be my choice as it will last much longer.

[Lee Attewell]

I read a tip ( was it here or in Letterville?) that someone got the loop side of velcro and taped it to his application card instead of a felt one…Might work.

[John Childs]

Historically 3M Gold but we have just started using the Avery blue ones.

Plastic on one edge and felt the other. Best of both worlds.

[Neil Kelly]

I use a gold with a velcro wrap on one edge brilliant for all use’s recently used it on wraping some smart cars see show your stuff for picy

neil