Lettered a truck over the weekend - had to do it outside - temps were in the 40's & 50's - the sun helped. Used 3M vinyl and a hair dryer and squeegie around the rivets. Today it seems the vinyl is lifting around the rivets. Any advice fellow Letterhead? Thanks. ps - this was my first time using high performance
Posted by David Nyman (Member # 3399) on :
Hi Camille, We have letter up in these lower temps outside as well, we do alot of large semi-trailer's, talk about tons of rivets. We never had a problem with any of them and the only difference is we used a heat gun, I am wondering if maybe the hair dryer does not get to a good temperature to form around the rivet and stay in place? Sorry I cant be of more help to you. Hope you get it worked out!
Jenna Nyman
Posted by Mike Kelly (Member # 2037) on :
Hi Camille.........if you applied the vinyl with the wet application, you may still have some fluid around the rivits.........or....if there was any dirt, that may be the problem .......poke a hole and try laying the vinyl down again with heat
Posted by Camille Norvaisas (Member # 501) on :
Thanks to both of you. I did apply the vinyl dry and perhaps the hair dryer was not hot enough. I'll give 'em a try!!!
Posted by roger bailey (Member # 556) on :
Camille, what did you use to clean before applying? Silicone is a problem around rivits,you can be assured the silicone is gone by using Rapid Prep.
Roger Posted by Matty McQuilkin (Member # 4156) on :
We use a hair dryer and work those darn rivets with a 3M rivet brush. Lots of heat and lots of working down with the brush. dry application around rivets.
Posted by Si Allen (Member # 420) on :
Vinyl film has a memory...and wants to go back to its original shape!
A hair dryer does no produce enough heat to "kill" that memory. (Do yourself a big favor and buy a heat gun, usually chepar than a hair dryer, anyhow!)
Use the heat gun on the LOW setting .... and be careful not to burn or bubble the vinyl, and use a rivet brush to firmly form it over the rivet. You will no longer have a problem with "tenting"
Posted by Jerry Priddy (Member # 1884) on :
USE A SMALL PROPANE TOURCH, HOLD THE TOURCH APPROX SIX INCHES FROM THE RIVET, DO THIS IN A QUICK MOTION MOVEMENT, THEN USE RIVET BRUSH ON RIVET. THE VINYL WILL AUTOMACTALLY SUCK AROUND THE RIVET.
Posted by Dave Draper (Member # 102) on :
I was going to say the same thing as Si. Vinyl has memory and tries to return to its original shape after stretching. HP vinyl has been processed to remove that problem.
You may have to cut around each rivit. There is a tool just for that.
A propane torch is a big mistake, around a vehicle with gas fumes present. Its a disaster waiting to happen. The torch could get knocked over, roll under the truck and BOOM. If you saw a person working on your car with a propane torch you would crap your pants! Save the propane torch for those signs out in a field where no electricity is present.
Posted by Jerry Priddy (Member # 1884) on :
The propane tourch I was referrng to is a small hand held tourch made by Blazer, most commonly used for thawing out frozen pad locks etc. There is zero danger with this device, once you learn how to use it around rivets its a real lifesaver.
Posted by Michael Boone (Member # 308) on :
I completely agree about a torch best way to seal vinyl around rivets bernzomatic makes a nice one...built in ignitor no comparison especially on reflective
Posted by Camille Norvaisas (Member # 501) on :
Thanks all - I'm doing another truck this weekend - I'll get a heat gun for that one and let you know how I make out!!!!!!!!!
Posted by Dave Grundy (Member # 103) on :
Camille....Having laid vinyl over literally millions of rivits...I can only emphasise what Mike and Roger mentioned.
CLEAN around the rivits thoroughly. If there is any dirt or silicone or oil then no amount of heat is going to make that vinyl shrink down and ADHERE properly.
Posted by Great Lakes Graphics (Member # 169) on :
HI,are you dealing with real rivets or are they torx head screws?If they are screws just take them out then replace them when you are done lettering the trailer. Garret
Posted by Camille Norvaisas (Member # 501) on :
Thanks to you all for your help. I used rapid prep on the rivets (real not torx kind) and a heat gun and that seemed to do the trick. I've never used a rivet brush before - does it help stop creasing around the rivet? Thanks again!!
Posted by Dave Grundy (Member # 103) on :
Camille...I use a rivit brush sometimes, but mostly I use a modified squeegie.
First I lay down the vinyl with a 3M gold squeegie. Next I use the squeegie to work around and towards each rivit, as much as I can. Next I put 3 or 4 pin pricks around each rivit. Then I use my finger to work the vinyl as close as it will go.
At this point I remove the transfer tape. I then, once more, use my finger to work the vinyl as close as possible. Finally I use the "modified" squeegie to "spin" around the rivit.
What I do is cut a CHEAP plastic squeegie in half so that it is more like a square than a rectangle. This allows me to "spin" around the rivit much more smoothly and the cheap plastic squeegies don't leave scratches on the bare vinyl like a 3M gold does. This squeegie, by being half as long can also work around rivits that are closely spaced a lot more easily.
Hope this helps.
Posted by Curt Stenz (Member # 82) on :
I have found on some of the cheaper construction trailers that the aluminum panels have a tendency to warp and do not lay flat aginst one another. Cleaner will have a tendency to seep into these cracks (as well as lose rivets). I would think that over time that this solvent would seep back out and get trapped under the vinyl. In such a case I really cook these areas with the heat gun where the vinyl will overlay, and dry out these areas well before applying vinyl.
Curt Stenz
Posted by Adrian Niņo Anaya (Member # 3537) on :
Rapid Prep is good but (I had been told) it also contains oil. It helps cleaning with a mix of water/alcohol after the Rapid Prep.
Posted by roger bailey (Member # 556) on :
Well, don't know who would have told you something like that, it does not contain oil.
Have you tried it? you do, you'll understand how much it likes to EAT oil! He he he he he
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