whats the best machine to apply application tape please?

[Robert Lambie]

was all the text the same size that was being taped?

[Ian Bingham]

A cheap laminator, emseal are good for this

How do you normaly apply app tape?

Ian

[Lynn Normington]

what size vinyl Warren I assume you didn’t cut 70 meters in one go (?)

Lynn

[Warren Beard]

Rob – no, different text sizes, logos etc.

Ian – I have a home made dispenser and pull the tape across the tape and lay it on top of the vinyl, then smooth it down and trim.

Lynn – 610mm wide, it is graphics for 2 lorries and small van, all same company, total material used was about 70m in about 25 pieces each.

Do all laminators work with application tape? I would like to get a laminator but cost is an issue, if it easily does app tape then that would be great.

Warren

[Lynn Normington]

warren we have a laminator but don’t use is for app tape

Lynn

[Ian Bingham]

emseal 850 works ok with tape, although not ment for it, its a bit fiddly to change over from laminate to tape, unless you were doing a lot your useing the best method already
Ian

[Neil Herbert]

Ezy taper excellent machine and very versatile.

Neil

[Robert Lambie]

we did a fleet of trucks with our laminator applying the application tape to 48inch wide by 8ft solid panels. saved us time and great finish but tracking is often skewed. i don’t believe a laminator would pay for itself other than laminating full width cut graphics or prints.
a proper dispenser at full width £95 is the way to go… if the graphics or print are full width… even if not, changing tapes is quick and easy on a proper dispenser but NOT on a laminator. anything small is quicker doing it by hand than using the dispenser… see where im going with this? :lol1:

for ongoing work, full width prints and graphics continually going out the door, buy a laminator.

for large volumes of work but mixed cut vinyl graphics or prints… a £95 dispenser

for everything else smaller, do it by hand.

just my opinion. but i do use the three methods daily… 😀

[John Childs]

I have two excellent tape applicators. One Kelly and Tracy Mark 2. 😀

We have a laminator, but they prefer to do it the same way as yourself, with a manual tape dispenser.

I think you use a home made dispenser, but among the commercially available ones there’s good, and not so good. It’s all down to the design, but some are easier and quicker to use than others.

[Harry Cleary]

quote John Childs:

I have two excellent tape applicators. One Kelly and Tracy Mark 2. 😀

We have a laminator, but they prefer to do it the same way as yourself, with a manual tape dispenser.

I think you use a home made dispenser, but among the commercially available ones there’s good, and not so good. It’s all down to the design, but some are easier and quicker to use than others.

Ok then, recommendations? I need one of these dispensers. (not Tracy or Kelly mind you, the metal ones! 😀 )

[Robert Lambie]

depends on the width you want harry… i have the 48" wide which is really what i think is needed as it doesnt limit you. costs about £95 from Hexis

narrower versions i think are about 30" wide and cost about £50 from jag sign supplies.

[John Childs]

The ones from Cherwell, which look like a bit of U shaped bent tin with a couple of rollers mounted in holes, are the best.

The type Doro sell, made from welded steel tube, which look better made, are actually less practical and more difficult to run long lengths through.

[Warren Beard]

It might be hard to see in this picture (it’s an old picture) but this is my set-up for applying tape.

Rob, I use both those methods you say except the laminator one obviously, I have a 42" wide pigment printer so a laminator would be used mainly for that although have not needed it so much yet but if app tape works well in it then maybe sooner rather than later, that is only if I get more work more often from this same customer as 90% of it is full width.

Warren

[Harry Cleary]

I’d never fit in that childseat Warren……I’m too tall 😀 😀

Are you saying the ones without clutches then? Just two bars? Sorry to be dense.

[Robert Lambie]

the roller at top is too high warren, should be a bit lower. ideally add a second bar lower and wrap under and out from it.

your table isn’t long enough. if for nothing else, keep the graphics/tape off the ground your just attracting dust and crap under your tape. i would suggest at the very least an £5 painters pasting table from b&q to give you an extension on your worktable and keep the graphics off the ground.

your using too wide a roll of tape. order in various sized rolls, 2", 4" 6", 10" 14", 18", 24" etc much more manageable cut to smaller sizes and very little waste.
your binning twice the amount of app tape you are actually using in that picture.

[Jason Xuereb]

Another tick for the ezy taper here if you don’t cut down your backing sheets prior to applying app tape. We once had to app tape tones of vinyl. Before the ezy taper and it took us about two days. With the ezy taper we did it in about two hours the same job.

When will someone invent a self weeding vinyl 😀

[Gary Birch]

I have to say the ezytaper too. Ours gets used more for application tape than anything else. Once you get used to it it really is a doddle. I am considering getting the smaller machine purely for application tape purposes.

See if there is someone local to you Warren and go take a look.

Cheers

Gary

[Warren Beard]

Thanks guys

Rob, that picture was taken about 8 months ago, I now have a longer table and many different widths of tape 😛

I have seen the ezy taper as one of my local guys have a wide one, he only uses it for laminating. I might have to think about it but sort of thought electric might be better.

Thanks for the tips guys and I will try a roller lower down and see how that compares but will still have to lean over and press down and trim, my back is killing me today :lol1:

Cheers

Warren

[Peter Normington]

Have a look here guys

http://www.weedersheeter.com/index.htm
Peter

[Shane Drew]

ezy taper for me too. I’ve got two et’s, couldn’t do without them now…

[DaneRead]

it looks good in theory but dont think it will work as nicely.

Ive got the best weeding system ever. Its called cheap labour.

Warren – you will now what i mean. 😀

[DaneRead]

i have pulled people off the street before to do weeding. They get the hang of it about 2 hours.

Costs me 6 quid a day.

[John Childs]

quote Peter Normington:

Have a look here guys

http://www.weedersheeter.com/index.htm

In the absence of six quid a day labour…….. 🙁

I’ve enquired about getting one shipped to the UK.

I don’t expect it to be as easy as the video supposes, but we’ll find out just how good it really is. 😀

[David Rowland]

what would be good if someone visit this forum could tell us how they get on with it.. i known about since last year so someone must have one

[Paul S Martin]

Hi All

Who sell’s the Ezy taper

Thanks
Paul

[DaneRead]

hi

does it apply the application tape as well?

[Shane Drew]

quote Paul S Martin:

Hi All

Who sell’s the Ezy taper

Thanks
Paul

Hi Paul, go to ezytaper.net and make an enquiry. They’ll get back to you and tell you who the distributor is near you…

I believe they have a new European distributor coming online soon, if not already, from what I hear on the grape vine……..

I know there are some units being sold over there via fleabay and some locally, that carry no manufacturer warranty, so you need to be aware of that. Apparently most of those units have been rebuilt from damaged stock , without the approval or consent of the manufacturers here.

Go via the website and they’ll point you in the right direction.

[Paul S Martin]

Thanks Shane

Paul 😉

[Warren Beard]

quote DaneRead:

it looks good in theory but dont think it will work as nicely.

Ive got the best weeding system ever. Its called cheap labour.

Warren – you will now what i mean. 😀

:lol1: :lol1: I know, I miss being able to pull up to the local McDonalds and pick up some cheap labour for the day, it costs a small furtune to hire help here 😕

[Dave Parkin]

U guys have got too much money, I dont possess a dispenser home made or otherwise…………I use 610 vinyl, so I buy a 1220 roll of app tape from amari cut down to 2×610 once I have finished weeding a section, I lay one roll on the top at 90 degrees, pull some tape off and lay it on square, then use the other roll to push it along and apply the tape as it goes. mind you takes some practice, but I am older than a conker tree. 😉

[Karen O Hagan]

In response to the comments made by Shane.

Just thought I had better respond to the allegations made of selling "damaged stock".

Having relinquished the distribution of Ezy Taper in December 2007, up-to that point we had changed over 35 machines which had been supplied by the manufacturer – with issues.

At this moment in the UK all machines are brand new from stock sent in by container and delivered personally by ourselves and are in perfect condition. I am surprised to hear that the manufacturer is relinquishing responsibility of the guarantee.

We have personally financed all costs associated with damaged and badly made machines so have stood by the product more than anyone would have done under the circumstances, as we are generally decent people. I believe many would not have gone to the lengths we have done to keep what is generally a good machine in as best a light as we could do.

We have decided to sell our remaining stock at a discounted price to close the books on this matter.

We still support the product and I’m sure many on this site will agree that they have received a good service under difficult circumstances.

To conclude we have always supported the product and would add that if it works correctly in the first place it will last forever.

[Peter Normington]

All I can say, is if I buy a car, then the manufacturer should cover any warranty issues, if the dealer/distributor pulls out, ceases to trade, or whatever, then I believe the manufacturer, should put right any problems.

It would be nice for ezytaper to state their position, and clear up the rumors and allegations, until they do, maybe the confidence in their product will decline,

I certainly wouldnt buy a product that had uncertain backup.

Peter

[Shane Drew]

quote Peter Normington:

All I can say, is if I buy a car, then the manufacturer should cover any warranty issues, if the dealer/distributor pulls out, ceases to trade, or whatever, then I believe the manufacturer, should put right any problems.

It would be nice for ezytaper to state their position, and clear up the rumors and allegations, until they do, maybe the confidence in their product will decline,

I certainly wouldnt buy a product that had uncertain backup.

Peter

I can’t comment on Karens claims, as I believe it is in the hands of legal people here and there.

But Peter, if a Ford Dealer closes a franchise, they return the vehicles and don’t sell anymore. Ford would not honour a new car warranty sold by a non-authorised dealer (or another manufacturers dealer,) which they would be if they lost the franchise.

Ezy Taper will, from my enquiries, honour any warranty for a machine purchased before Dec 07. Its only machines sold after that date, and on fleabay that warranty will not be honoured, because the previous distributor had lost, or relinguished, their rights to act as the new machine agent.

If Peter and Karen wish to continue selling machines as a non authourised agent, its up to them I guess, but they must honor the said warranty, its not up to Ezy Taper in this instance. They should also tell people they are no longer the authourised distributor to any new customer, so they are informed, before the decide to buy a ‘non-authorised’ unit.

They should have returned all the unsold items if they were not prepared to go down that path.

The removal of their exclusive contract was not an overnight thing either from my enquiries here, so I’d have thought there would have been ample time to negotiate the return of unsold units.

I’ve been involved in exclusive agencies for years, and that is standard practice, when exclusivity is removed.

I have not discussed this at length with anyone at ezy taper, yet, but as I’ve personally recommended the unit to many all over the world, I do take an interest personally. And, as my own reputation is involved, I’d like to see this nonsense resolved quickly.

For the record, I’ve had many contact me privately from the UK with various concerns, from the lack of or poor after sales service to apparent faults with the units, and Warrick or Maree have acted on them immediately, at, in some cases, great expense to themselves. The ‘faults’ were in nearly all cases for damage done in the UK, by UK freight companies.

As I say, I don’t know the complete story, but I do know that Warrick and Maree have bent over backwards to ‘fix’ issues in the distribution of their products there.

I don’t plan on contributing much more to the debate at the moment.

I don’t know that ezy taper have much to defend tho in truth, and airing this sort of stuff publicly, is not the answer either.