UBB.classic™ 6.7.2
recently I've asked about some materials that have aggressive adhesives.
I've decided before I buy such materials, I need to do some testing on the materials I use already.
My product of choice to this point has been signwarehouse.com's "house brand" of Enduragloss films. Great prices, looks great, easy to work with and it's tougher to tear than the rest.
The only drawback I thought I would deal with is the fact that it's repositionable for up to two years, thinking that the adhesive may not be aggressive enough.
The Objective: Test adhesion of graphics for extreme conditions encountered in jetski racing.
Requirements: Graphics must hold up to submersion in water, water pressure created by movement of the craft, and occassional collisions with other watercraft.
The Sample: Black Enduragloss 2mil Prem. Cast vinyl, Fuscia Enduragloss-thickness and quality level under question. The Fuscia material also featured airbrush art done with waterbased acrylics and coated with Frog Juice.
The Test: Both samples were applied to the hull of one of my personal watercrafts setup for racing. The hull was cleaned then prepped with RapidPrep before application.
The samples were applied dry and I had intentionally installed them with wrinkles to add resistance in the water.
The Fuscia material was applied approximately 12 hours before the test, the black was applied AT THE BEACH imediately before putting the craft in the water.
Both samples were placed in symmetrical locations on the underside of the hull to ensure both received similar abuse.
Note: this location under the hull is in full contact with the water at all speeds.
The fuscia sample wasted no time in peeling back. Within 5 minutes the front edge of the sample had started to peel up. The black sample was tight as could be.
20 minutes of intense riding later, the fuscia sample had peeled back to the half-way area while the black remained perfect. At this point I decided to remove the fuscia sample as to not contaminate our pristine lake with scraps of vinyl if it should happen to fall off on its own in the water.
Every ten minutes I stopped to check the condition of the black sample and it remained fully adhered to the hull.
At the one hour point, a few of the local professional racers came down to practice and tune their own watercrafts. Upon helping them set up a quick buouy race course I joined their practice racing again, stopping every ten minutes to check the condition of the sample. Perfect, every time.
The Pro guys were curious why I was dropping out and looking at my hull every so often so I showed them the sample. =) They were pretty stunned to see that it was holding up.
Finally, after four hours of hard riding I was becoming quite fatigued yet the vinyl apparently wasn't faultering. It was still in perfect condition.
Now, I know this is hardly a long-term test which would really test the durability, but with jetski racers they are quite used to changing graphics several times within one season because of tearing or lifting.
It seems as though my current materials are adequate enough at least for one full weekend of practice and racing. Besides that, no one puts graphics on the underside of their craft where they cant even be seen. =)
Now back to the Fuscia. Earlier I mentioned the quality/thickness was still in question. I could have sworn I bought Hi-Perf 2mil Fuscia but if that was the case, I would tend to believe it should have lasted much longer considering the life of the black sample. However, the actual thickness of the material feels much the same as the 2mil black so at least right now I am at a loss. =)
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Mike Pipes
Digital Illusion Custom Graphics
Lake Havasu City, AZ
http://www.stickerpimp.com
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St.Marie Graphics
& Makin' Tracks Sound Studio
Kalispell, Montana
stmariegraphics@centurytel.net http://www.stmariegraphics.com
800 735-8026
We're chiseling every day of the week! :^)
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Greg Gulliford
aka MetroDude
Metro Signs and Banners
1403 N. Greene St. #1
Spokane, WA 99202
509-536-9452
mail@metrosignsandbanners.com
HOWEVER, it's pretty unrealistic to think that any serious jetski racer is going to let his boat sit and wait 3 days for full adhesion before dumping it in the water and giving it hell in practice or tuning. That's what would be preferred but realistically that's not what happens. Hell, even *I* dont do that and I know about the time required for full adhesion.
I dont do aircraft, I do watercraft and in MY world this test is absolutely valid.
It proves that when I attend races and make graphics on the spot, they will hold up until the weekend is over which is all the racers are really concerned about. I did make mention this test was geared towards racers and not the everyday schmoe with a jetski.
It's not their money paying for it anyways, it's their sponsor's. =)
Now, for the folks looking for a graphics kit just cause they want one, sure they can stand to wait for adhesion to kick in.
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Mike Pipes
Digital Illusion Custom Graphics
Lake Havasu City, AZ
http://www.stickerpimp.com
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Roger Bailey
Rapid Tac Incorporated
Merlin, OR
Good Test spots for brutalness and adhesion. I really don't know about either one of the products, or what the specs state, but sometimes the customer will want it "right now." $o we give it to them right now. but in your case you did your own test. to eliminate return shot problems.
My curiousity would be what if you used your Black Prem. 2 mil cast vinyl with an airbrush design or what ever you used and clear coated it with the "Frog Juice" and let it set for an hour or two. then do another one with say... krylon, then Frog it and do then do your test again. When you have that time. Maybe the fuscia material is the culprit with or with out the water base airbrush design
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FranCisco Vargas
aka: Cisco
aka:Traveling Millennium Sign Artist
http://www.franciscovargas.com
Fresno, CA 93703
559 252-0935
"to live life, is to love life, a sign of no life, is a sign of no love"...Cisco 12'98
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The SignShop
Mendocino, California
"Where the Redwoods meet the Surf"
Cisco, I've been thinkin about crawlin underneath the jetski and slapping some airbrushing on that black sample that's left. The airbrushing on the other sample hardly even got tested because the fuscia (also Enduragloss) released. But, the paint did adhere for the duration and usually I cant damage the paint by hand without destroying the vinyl.
Good suggestion on testing Krylon, I think I'll have to do that!
Rick, one full racing season would be great for me!.. that's basically from February to October. If it lasts longer, hey that's great because so far the only graphics for skis that last that long in an abusive environment are the OEM graphics, which no racer I've ever seen keeps the factory graphics on their boats. =)
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Mike Pipes
Digital Illusion Custom Graphics
Lake Havasu City, AZ
http://www.stickerpimp.com
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Dave Grundy shop#340
AKA "applicator" on mIRC
"stickin' sticky stuff to valuable vessels and vehicles!"
in Granton, Ontario, Canada
1-519-225-2634
dave.grundy@quadro.net
www.quadro.net/~shirley
"A PROUD $ supporter of the website"
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Roger Bailey
Rapid Tac Incorporated
Merlin, OR
That's a good point. I know sometimes when I lay the FJ on heavy in an area that isnt covered with paint, the vinyl wrinkles sometimes.
Normally I wont be airbushing graphics on the spot, I'll save that for when I have my garage to work in. That part isnt too big of an issue.
Roger, nope the hull NEVER gets waxed. There's no point in waxing my hull because of the condition of most of it, and some racers will even say it hinders performance. I'm not too quick to buy that one but it gives me a reason not to worry about the hull between repairs and all the sanding goin on.. =)
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Mike Pipes
Digital Illusion Custom Graphics
Lake Havasu City, AZ
http://www.stickerpimp.com