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Camille, Magnets are entirely intended as temporary or on-off use. All magnets will stick like this, (except when they're new and blow off, lol)
It is entirely due to the fact that they are never removed from the vehicle.
I don't know the scientific reason for this, except that humans tend to be forgetful and generally abhor maintenance.
The logical reason is that (somehow) condensation DOES form behind the never-removed-cleaned magnet, as well as dirt and dust. Even a newer vehicle with a negelected magnet will start to eat into the paint and cause rust spots and deterioration to the door and the mag. I have watched guys remove mags off their trucks in peices it was so bad, leaving weird, wet, ick on the truck door. (yeh, I make THEM do it.)
BTW: SIGN PEEVE: People who use duct tape on their mags . . ???!!!! WHY?? It's been on that long it should be bonded by now.
I strongly suggest you let him go have the magnet removed at a body shop or somethin', or make him do it, to insure that he won't hold you liable for the surprise damage to the doors or the mags.
I try my best to talk customers OUT of magnets and interrogate them to see if they REALLY need to take them on-off for their needs. Most the time I have found that they just think they are better not knowing the options.
Anyway, if they are gonna leave the thing on THAT long they need permanent lettering any way.
I hope you sell him a higher end job.
-------------------- Signs Sweet Home Alabama
oneshot on chat
"Look like a girl, act like a lady, think like a man, work like a dog" Posts: 5758 | From: "Sweet Home" Alabama | Registered: Mar 2003
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Most of the time applying heat from a heat gun will make it release, but the way to make sure it doesn't happen in the first place is to wax both the back of the magnetic and the door with a paste wax before putting it on the truck.
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Thanks for the advice - I usually try to get the customer to letter their vehicle and do explain about maintenance and waxing them but... The customer is not holding me liable and I am lettering this truck.
-------------------- signs Posts: 535 | From: pa | Registered: Dec 1998
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Hey, Randy. Still the same, but sooner or later one of these Neuros is going to find an answer. So we're still waiting. ANd if we get tired or waiting............ we're going to wait some more. Thanks for asking. Lat
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Why folks use duct tape on their magnetics is simple.. They have lost one and don't want to lose another.
When the NY certification signs were first required folks were stealing them left and right off cars in truck stops. So everyone started to tape them on. Also the "badge"shape is not good for staying on in the wind, and if you have any filler on the door or extra coats of paint it will fly. Some use cheap magnetic material with little pull also.
As far as why magnetics in the first place, so they can run places where a commercial vehicle is illegal. Pop your signs off after work, and you can go on any parkway and past any port of entry you want. ( A lot of commercial transporters with pickup trucks and trailers do the same thing..)
Also the areas that are so snobbish they don't allow parking in your own driveway with a commercial vehicle force some folks to use magnetics. I don't seem to have that problem here in my junkyard, er , museum. Bill
-------------------- Bill Foshay Stephentown, NY ------------------------ "That's not a junkyard, It's my museum!" Posts: 40 | From: Stephentown, NY | Registered: Mar 2004
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I wonder if you could drip Rapid Remover down into the crack and squish it around and get it to release?
Perhaps you might need to carefully bend back the magnet and peel it off leaving some residue on the door to remove...damaging the magnet might be necessary. Then some Rapid Remover and possibly some polishing compound.
I've talked a few into lettering the truck and making a blank magnet painted the vehicle color as a cover for when they wanted to become anonymous.
-------------------- The SignShop Mendocino, California
Making the simple complicated is commonplace; making the complicated simple, awesomely simple, that's creativity. — Charles Mingus Posts: 6720 | From: Mendocino, CA. USA | Registered: Nov 1998
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Camille, do a search on the subject. I believe it was Cheryl Lucas who posted a pict of a magnet that had basically welded itself to the metal. That pict is a great "magnetic deterant".
I try to talk people out of magnetics or at least into what Rick does. I tell them a magnet looks temporary and subconsciously tells prospective customers that their business is temporary.
I'm waiting to see a slew of used cars in a couple years that have a rust spot that looks exactly like those yellow ribbon magnets everyone has. I seriously doubt most people are taking care of them.
-------------------- Chris Welker Wildfire Signs Indiana, Pa Posts: 4254 | From: Indiana, PA | Registered: Mar 2001
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