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Some of the best, are uses of a heat gun. With properly applied heat, you get take out small creases or wrinkles entirely (follow with light squeegee). It will also shrink stretched areas of vinyl to original size providing they are not attached totally. You can also use one for vinyl removal on old jobs. All of these tricks require fragile heat control to work but easy to learn.
The re-use of application tapes. I usually can do a 4x10 banner with 1 to 2 square feet of application tape, by moving it along the taped down layout as I go. Saves a lot of money and usually works better as I go. It is about as fast as throwing each section into the trash can. I have found that one of the best tapes for prehingeing this method is scrap vinyl pieces. The used application tape really does work better as you go.
Doubling up vinyl for resists. (pull one backer and apply on top of another ). Set your cutter blade deeper, and cut double thicknesses for sandblast resists for small items such as glass with intricate detail. Apply and weed both thicknesses while on the substrate. This will provide a much better detailed mask than rubber resists, and is much less expensive.
For handling large pieces of loose vinyl such as backing vinyl, do it wet and wet all sides of everything. A 2 foot S for instance, will be snaking all over the place and trying to stick to itself, but wetting both side well, will allow for easy seperation with no damages. I handle most objects over 1 square foot in this manner if they don't require perfect registration. Much faster, and no application tape costs.
When using vinyl masks for painting or carving, you can reduce the tack for fragile substrates, by applying it to you pants leg first to pick up lint. There are many other ways to do this including talc with a foam roller, but you don't want it to interfere with paints. The lints from clothing will wipe away easily.
One of the best is when you have scratched vinyl during application, or it has a dry spot where it has set on its side, you can fix it, providing it is not too deep. You can at least improve it, by using a clear can polish made for clear auto finishes. The ones used for final rubouts at paint shops. 3M makes one that is white. Hand apply, rub off, redo until satisfied. This trick can also be used to improve less than smooth enamel jobs and to take off talc used for gilding resists.(Do not get it on the gild itself)
I have found that pressing with too much pressure on installs, that it traps air worse. A slower, and less pressured squeegee will allow the air to escape much better. This is certainly an acquired talent that comes in time, and I would recommend practicing with scraps on each substate that you are using before you install the real graphic. It just takes a few seconds and can save you a lot of grief. My findings are that each substrate will act differently trapping air.
Please add tricks that you have, as I am still learning also. Jack
-------------------- "Don't change horses in midstream, unless you spot one with longer legs" bronzeo oti Jack Davis 1410 Main St Joplin, MO 64801 www.imagemakerart.com jack@imagemakerart.com Posts: 1549 | From: Joplin, MO | Registered: Mar 2000
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One of my favorite "new" tools is the big fat felt squeegee. I picked one up at a letterheads meet a couple of years ago, not even knowing what the heck it was... I just threw it in the bag from a vendor's display table and figured it was some kind of advertising trinket. It was laying around here for a while when I saw felt squeegees mentioned in a trade magazine.
These are great. I usually use the harder gold squeegees and have many outfitted with the "loop" side of velcro on one edge. The felt, along with heat is great for pressing out small wrinkles and pressing into imperfections in a substrate without scratching the vinyl surface. Works great on a rough edge of alumalite.
Many of you probably already know this, but it was new to me after having done this for many years. Maybe it will help someone else.
-------------------- Jeff Vrstal Main Street Signs 157 E. Main Street Evansville, WI 53536 1-608-882-0322 Posts: 670 | From: Evansville, Wisconsin | Registered: Sep 2001
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In preparation to weed vinyl, I tape all four corners to the table, on a long run, I also tape the middle. Don't forget to cut the vinyl around the taped areas. This keeps the vinyl secure in the event I run into a snafoo.
On large letters or graphics, I do not cut them away from the backing paper, leaving the top and bottom edges makes a perfect straight edge for measuring on the job. (I'm using 15" material) It's best if the transfer tape covers the top edge, since tape sticks to it better than the backing paper and it won't matter which hinge method you use.
I use a needle weeding tool but keep the X-acto handy. Tweezers are great when weeding small stuff!
When my weeding tools want to roll away, I wrap a small stip of vinyl around the top end, leaving a flag. Fold the vinyl back on itself to keep it from sticking to things it shouldn't.
When I'm having a bad day with mathmatics, I sometimes fold masked material in half to find center points.
With readable text copy facing me, I weed letters right to left and numbers left to right.
Cher.
-------------------- Co-Host: SANDCASTLE Panel Jam 'a Dixie Letterhead Reunion' Fort Myers, Florida
Cheryl Lucas a/k/a "Shag" on mIRC Vital Signs & Graphics, Etc. Cape Coral, Florida 239-574-4713 VSignsNgraphics@aol.com Posts: 987 | From: Cape Coral, FL USA | Registered: Aug 2000
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Great tips! We just keep learning. I keep a tiny Samsonite travel hairdryer (drugstore), half the size of my hand and doesn't weigh as much as an egg, in a little box - with extension cord attached. A little heat goes a long way sometimes, and I love the light weight aspect of it.
Also I second the wet on wet method of very large pieces of vinyl, I do some jobs where I put really big pieces of etch vinyl on plexiglas that way. Perfect.
-------------------- Myra A. Grozinger Signs Limited Winston-Salem, NC
signslimited@triad.rr.com Posts: 1244 | From: Winston-Salem, NC USA | Registered: Nov 1998
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Personally I have found that wile masking vinyl on a cutting mat with cut lines in it I would end up with tiny air bubbles, and they eventually made their way onto my substrate.
It drove me crazy. I was applying more than enough pressure while masking and while installing. They kept happening, and I finally made a seperate cutting and masking table.
I used a piece of Simpson Factory Primed MDO for a topper, and I have yet to see a single bubble while masking or applying! What a smooth Surface!
Mabye I should have known, but I know I don't know everything. It just keeps getting better.
Thanks for the tips!
[ October 13, 2002, 09:24 PM: Message edited by: BRIAN CAISSIE ]
-------------------- BRIAN CAISSIE
7 Dewey St. Unit 11 Natick, Ma 01760 Posts: 99 | From: Natick, Ma | Registered: Jan 2002
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Both our cutting and weeding tables are old flush doors with 1/8 sentra for the top. Stick it down with double stick tape and it will last for years. When you finally wear out the sentra surface, pull it loose and turn it over.
-------------------- Frisby Signs, Inc. El Dorado, Arkansas Posts: 902 | From: El Dorado, Arkansas, USA | Registered: Apr 1999
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Having the same bubble troubles as Brian the smooth surface was the trick.
Using a scrap piece of coated aluminum works great to (smooth the corners!). It is light and solves the problem of only having one table. After applying the tape, the metal sheet can be removed to expose your cutting area. For most taping only 15-24 inches of metal is required anyway based on the width of your roll of vinyl.
Build your bench with screws to replace the surface areas when needed.
Keep a folder with vector extras... Clip art and other cuttable objects organized and in a folder. So many times there is a bunch of extra material that gets trashed. Perfect time to cut out those little "pain in the butt" stickers people love to ask for for free. Makes great public relations. Give a kid a free sticker and more than once a family member or older friend will call with a potential job.
And for God's sake, put a smile on your face!!!
-------------------- Alan Ackerson LetterWorks Design and Graphics alan@ack2.com Posts: 776 | From: Oak Ridge, NJ | Registered: Aug 2002
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