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I just received a call from a client requesting some magnets for a parade they sponsor locally here every year. The magnetics are to identify the grand marshall and whomever else they deem important during the parade. For the vehicles, a local Ford dealer loans them new Mustang convertibles (chilly, eh?), so I'm a little hesitant to have them slapping on a magnetic that may scratch the paint. And, there may be a day when the panels, if they aren't already, are either alloy or polymer, which rules out a magnetic anyway. With that, what options might I have? They don't want to tie or tape anything to the car, nor apply vinyl directly, since they want to use the Grand Marshall sign every year. I had thought of static cling sheet, but haven't used it enough to know how it's going to react in the really cold weather (or snow) like we've had here recently. Any thoughts?
Thanks, all!
Rick
-------------------- Rick Tam Arte Design Studio Downingtown, PA milne2@msn.com Posts: 278 | From: Downingtown, PA | Registered: Apr 2004
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Hiya Rick, Don't try to bother with reinventing the wheel. What they do with their signs after you sell them is not your responsibility Give them what they ask for and move to the next project. I guess static cling would work too. Several summers ago, I stuck a small 3" square sample on the side window of my car and it lasted for several days with speeds reaching up to 65 mph. I forgot to pay attention after that, so I'm not sure when it blew off. But, I would recommend the magnet first.
Havin' fun,
Checkers
-------------------- a.k.a. Brian Born www.CheckersCustom.com Harrisburg, Pa Work Smart, Play Hard Posts: 3775 | From: Harrisburg, Pa. U.S.A. | Registered: Nov 1998
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...if they want mags, sell 'em the mags. Just give the client some maintenience tips...Who cares if the cars get scratched? That ain't your business.
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Another possibility would be to use a two sided tape. There are some great masking type and router type that would be very easy to remove off of the car and off the back of the Magnetics so they still could be used in the future
-------------------- Sam Staffan Mackinaw Art & Sign 721 S. Nokomis St. Mackinaw City, MI dstaffan@sbcglobal.net Posts: 1697 | From: Mackinaw City, MI | Registered: Mar 2004
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Your responsibility is to make what the customer asks for and their resonsibility is to use it to their best knowledge and pay for the work rendered. After that is accomplished you can always take a course at the local college for human behavior or lay on a couch at some pyscologists while telling him your job is just too much for any man to take. For crying out loud, this is just a blue collar job you've gotten into and not rocket science.
Take the money and run to the next gig
-------------------- HotLines Joey Madden - pinstriping since 1952 'Perfection, its what I look for and what I live for'
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Folks, I have to disagree. My job is to educate my customers of what and won't work within the parameters of their request. I find that if i follow up with the customer and work through the potential future issues, I get a lot more repeat business and that separates me from the other shops int he area. Anyway, since the cars are loaned, I feel responsible (and would probably be held responsible) if anything scratched the paint. In the future, there is a good possibility that the doors will be of a non-metallic nature, so a magnet is out of the question anyway. And Bill, I had considered the Gerber vinyls, and that's an added expense for installation and removal that these folks won't pony up to.
Rick
-------------------- Rick Tam Arte Design Studio Downingtown, PA milne2@msn.com Posts: 278 | From: Downingtown, PA | Registered: Apr 2004
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Rick, Make the signs out of Sintra or even poster paper and go to the nearest dollar store or hardware store and buy suction cups......I think you can figure out the rest. I do this almost every year for homecoming parades.........it works. Hope this helps, R.T.
-------------------- R.T.Thomas,AirDesigns/Sign And Airbrush Studio rtart1@earthlink.net
Hattiesburg,MS 39401 Shop 601-584-1000 Cell 601-310-5901 Proud supporter of LETTERVILLE!
"Ahhhhhh.......Juicy Fruit." Posts: 547 | From: Hattiesburg,MS USA | Registered: Nov 1998
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I think static cling would work. One of my neighbors wanted a set of signs for his truck on static cling so he could stick them to his extended cab windows. I didn't know if it would stay on, so we cut a 4"x6" piece and stuck it on his truck.... he then got busy and forgot about the signs, but finally came back by a couple months later and the piece of static cling was still riding along where we stuck it...
-------------------- Jon Jantz Snappysign.com jjantz21@gmail.com http://www.allcw.com Posts: 3395 | From: Atmore, AL | Registered: Nov 2005
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-------------------- Gavin Chachere Plotter in the garage,New Orleans La.
"Sgts Shugart and Gordon again request permission to rope down to crash site two" Posts: 1223 | From: new orleans.la. | Registered: Mar 2000
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quote:Originally posted by Gavin Chachere: Hey rick,I do similar sets of magnetics for 2 mardi gras krewes here,make them out of magnetic and stop stressing needlessly and use it to your advantage. The chances of them actually saving these things year to year runs virtually nil,you can just about bet 100% that next year when it comes time they will be folded in quarters under a box and unusuable......and if theyre that stupid to order magnets for fiberglass panels,use it to your advantage to charge them a rush fee to do something else up at the last minute or let them pop rivet them on. If theyre too cheap to buy basic sets of magnetics year to year to make themselves look good, its not your job to stay up nights worrying about whats going to last the longest. Goes back to the same basic argument...people here love to live the fantasy that they must somehow supercede the wishes of the customer at all costs..... people pay the most and are the happiest when they get what they want, Do the magnets,quick,easy to knock out and make a couple hundred for minimal effort and enjoy your life
-------------------- Gavin Chachere Plotter in the garage,New Orleans La.
"Sgts Shugart and Gordon again request permission to rope down to crash site two" Posts: 1223 | From: new orleans.la. | Registered: Mar 2000
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Rick, since you asked about an alternative...
I have used white paint mask vinyl for temp decals in the past. Just cut them to the size you would cut the mags, apply the vinyl to them, and they peel right off when done, no adhesive stuck to vehicle or anything. Only disadvantage compared to magnetics is they cannot be re-used.
MC
-------------------- Mike Clayton M C Grafix Custom Lettering New Jersey (again) Posts: 508 | From: New Jersey | Registered: Apr 1999
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Rick Milne, I agree with you, most people only think they know what they want, its much better to push them into the right product with a little education.
This makes you a hero and someone that can sleep at night. I would be very ****ed off at a company that knowingly let me purchase something that was not going to work, would I go back to them again ?
Roger
-------------------- Roger Bailey Rapid Tac Incorporated 186 Combs Dr. Merlin Oregon 97532 Posts: 3020 | From: Merlin Oregon | Registered: Dec 1998
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Make the signs on coro with grommets in the corners. Buy Velcro strip by the yard at a craft or hardware store and glue only the soft side to the bottoms of the sign backs. It is self-adhesive. As R.T. has suggested, they can buy suction cups with hooks on them at the craft store. They get cheap signs, you don't have to worry about scratches, and everybody is happy. Love....Jill
Posts: 8834 | From: Butler, PA, USA | Registered: Jan 2001
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Thanks for the input thus far, folks! Jill, Jon and RT, those are routes I'm working on at the moment. Grommets and suction cups are leading my thoughts, with a banner and elastic with flat J-hooks on the ends (to clip on the door edges) coming in a close second. And Roger, thanks for the words of encouragement!
Rick
-------------------- Rick Tam Arte Design Studio Downingtown, PA milne2@msn.com Posts: 278 | From: Downingtown, PA | Registered: Apr 2004
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Sometimes we just think too hard about things...metal and plastic objects like grommets and hooks and suction cups (that can slip and slide around)are a lot more apt to scratch things than a soft piece of magnetized rubber that stays in place once you "lay it down". Just make sure the car is clean before it is applied and there will be no problem.
Or is there more to this story ?
-------------------- "Werks fer me...it'll werk fer you"
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Give them what they ask for and move to the next project. 
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