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whats the best squeegie i can buy?
Hi all
Just browsing the boards and came across Rob’s posting about the squeegee ripp off.
(Boy does that MD have a degree in customer liason or what?) *rofl*
Being a bit of a novice and all I have what may seem a really stupid question. :you:
Firstly, I use the plastic type squeegee that come in all pretty colours depending upon the hardness. Everyone else on the planet apears to be using these super fandango felt ones! Whats the differance between the two? (Other than one being the product of polymerisation and the other being from a grass chomping mamal?)
Secondly, If I start using these felt doofers will I suddenly become as gifted as all you other artists out there? :praise1:
I did try searching the board, but getting an information overload from all sorts of other intresting stuff! (puppy-eyes)
(:)
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11 Replies
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I think the benefit of the felt squeegee is that you can use it on bare vinyl without damaging it. Hard to explain other reasons, but I prefer using a felt squeegee now, I’ve got used to handling it, more so than the hard plastic squeegees. Humble opinion, but the best of the hard plastics is the 3M Gold, which although expensive, are very easy to use.
You can also get nylon faced squeegees, little roller squeegees and then there is the home made variety. Home-made as in piece of denim VHB-taped to a cheapo nasty squeegee and it makes it easy to work on raw vinyl without scratching it. I believe a few members here have different variations on this.
If you’re mainly doing flat signwork and using app tape, you virtually have your pick of what to use. Its all personal preference I think. If you making multiple signs and want to do it quickly, Steve Lamby sells a product called the Speedy Press (I think thats right) which works like a big roller. Also saves you a fortune on app tape and stuff.. anyway, straying from the subject now 😳 😳 I started out using 3M Golds, then a freebie squeegee I was given by a supplier, then onto Mactac felts. If you’re vehicle wrapping or similar, no idea which is the best 😕
Cheers, Dewi
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Addie
The felt squeegees are good for applying vinyl to uneven surfaces like building site hoardings.Hammy
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Cheers for that…it all seems clear now!
:bow:
(:)
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Gold squeeges. Whats the best price people have paid?
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I think they a couple of quid from Cherwells… £2.20 I think (but there is the dreaded VAT on top of that 😕 )
Cheers, Dewi
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?2.20??? i’m paying over a fiver! who is your supplier? Think ive been duped somehwhere.
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Cherwell Sign Supplies tel:01280 840297 😀
Cheers, Dewi
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I have changed again….
I started out on spandex stiff red/orange squeegees, and then moved onto gold.
Quickly onto felt squeegees and stayed there for a while. I have now moved onto gold again, but this time with a strip of denim on each edge.
Basically I use 3 types on various areas of vehicles.
Well what I mean is I have all 3 in my box that I use as suits as I go along in a fitting.
£5 odds is too much. There are many suppliers doing them… some cheap and nasty though. I wouldn’t pay anymore than £3.50 for a squeegee. £4 if it was a really good one…
Thing is, felt ones create a round edge after a couple of days of use. But you do get 4 edges. As opposed to 2. Felt are great for multilayer work on glass. Rough surfaces and of course…. Vehicle wrapping and digital print application.
Cheap plastic ones are useless, they wear out instantly causing bubbles etc they also split and snap with any real pressure. (Waste of money) only real use I see is to give to customers wanting to apply their own graphics.
The gold ones are the best all round nylon one on the go. They don’t split and wear less then any I know of. Good investment!So why do I wrap in denim?
Denim is one of the toughest wearing materials I know of. I cut up old worn jeans and tape the denim to the edges with double sided tape. Works a treat! (but only use the worn parts, its softer & not as rough) It gives less friction…
It saves the gold squeegees edge 100% so you don’t need to buy a new one… just rip off the denim and replace with a new bit…
Felt squeegees are brilliant I think, my grind with them is excessive use on large panels makes them soft, bendy and I can’t get the pressure I need sometimes.
Using lots or pressure causes the edges to go round faster, which can cause bubbles etc. this is why I turned to the denim on the gold. The denim lasts much longer than the felt you get taped to the edge of say an Avery blue squeegee. But gives similar friction to a felt one. Because it’s wrapped round a gold squeegee it doesn’t go soft, bendy and lasts much longer.
You pay about £1.50-£2.00 for gold and one old pair of jeans cut up into strips lasts months…
Always keep a felt squeegee at hand though… they are great…
The one I moaned about in the past KPMF was a good squeegee. The down side was it was a little to thick to keep it stiff… -
Trying your denim squeegee on a van tomorrow Robert (Don’t tell Mrs Dewi, but I’ve sneaked it round the back of my house 😛 ready to fit in the morning… its dark, she’ll never know :lol1: )
Anyway, I’ll let you know how it goes. Its a big Nissan thing with lots of curves and unfortunately for me there is a multi-coloured strip going from the back doors, right over the roof and down the bonnet… hopefully I’ll remember not to vinyl up the front windscreen this time :lol1:
Cheers, Dewi
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Its the felt type for me as it seems to deal well with getting the air out from beneath the vinyl
Would it make any difference if I wore blue jeans –
don’t know, but I’ll give anything a try.John
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:thanks2:
Thanks for that. Will be cutting up me better halfs jeans tonight to give it a try!! lol
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