posted
Good Day! I'm looking for some pointers on vehicle graphics over rivets. I'm using Controltac and the 3M transfer tape...SCPS-2. This is a 30' new Pace trailer. I'm able to make it look pretty good with little pieces, but the larger ones... I'm getting air bubbles and wrinkles. I align it, clean it, start squeeging from one side, (up & down), come up to the line of rivets and have tried going over them lightly and moving on; trying to push the vinyl up to the rivets and working my way around them, up & down, left & right & back & forth. I've left the wrinkles and tried heating them out... nah! I've cut through the transfer tape at the site of the rivets and tried to stretch it over. I've watched Rick Williams' tape 4 more times and I've even held the squeegie in my mouth like Dana and it's just not cooperating. I know I'm doing something really great, as Controltac is supposed to have channels to prohibit bubbles, and I've found the way to defeat that! Any tips? Thanks!
-------------------- Pat Foley Foley Signs 35812 Wells Road Coarsegold CA 93614 foleys@sierratel.com (559) 642-6264 Posts: 73 | From: Coarsegold, CA | Registered: Jan 2002
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I usually just ignore the rivits..squeegie right over them with a fairly heavy hand and then go back and work the material into the rivit as much as possible before removing the transfer tape. One method I have found that works well for me is to bottom hinge the graphic, squeegie upward from the bottom, in between or next to a row of rivits near the middle of the graphic. I then go from that applied section to the right, starting half way up the graphic and work in overlapping strokes all the way to the top and then down from the middle to bottom. I then repeat going to the left. What this does is break the graphic into 2 smaller "halves", which makes it more manageable.
Another little trick I have learned is to not use a 3M gold squeegie when working the vinyl around the rivits...They are too "coarse" in texture. I use the really cheap plastic ones that come free with some rolls of vinyl, or the ones you can buy for 50 cents. I then cut them in half so they are only half as wide. That makes them easier to spin around the rivits, with less drag and not bump into adjacent rivits in the row, if they are close together.
[ June 04, 2002, 01:37 PM: Message edited by: Dave Grundy ]
-------------------- Dave Grundy retired in Chelem,Yucatan,Mexico/Hensall,Ontario,Canada 1-519-262-3651 Canada 011-52-1-999-102-2923 Mexico cell 1-226-785-8957 Canada/Mexico home
posted
There are several techniques good for rivets. (I use the ZEN method. Get a cold drink, relax, and just do it.) However, if at all posible I remove them. Many rivets are either star heads or screw heads. If so, remove them as you go along and replace them just after you get by thier area.
If you cannot remove them then use good cast vinyl. Cast vinyl will take a shape without springing back. Calandered vinyl will take a shape then later spring back leaving a bubble around the rivet.
Using Dry technique squeggee on the material as best you can. Then you can slightly heat the vinyl with a heat gun and it will soften just enuf to mold around the rivet heads. The secrete is just enuf heat to slightly soften the vinyl. It will form perfectly around the rivet. To soft and it may drag and make wrinkles. Next is to get a copy of rob ivers training tapes for applying vinyl.
-------------------- Leaper of Tall buildings.. If you find my posts divisive or otherwise snarky please ignore them. If you do not know how then PM me about it and I will demonstrate. Posts: 5278 | From: Im a nowhere man | Registered: Jul 2001
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posted
I'm for using the method described by Rob Ivers in past periodicals. It allows me to get the graphic placed and and down withe the lease amount of hassel. He tapes the graphic in place and removes the backing paper by slipping it out under itself. This allows you to work on 1 part while the other still has the backing paper in place and floating free of the surface. Working only 1 column of rivets at a time also is more to my liking.
posted
Ditto on what's been said so far. MAINLY, DO IT DRY. That Rapid Tac or soap water mix will never evaporate around the rivets. Squeegie as if the rivets are not even there, remove your t.tape and, with the edge of your squeegie, roll around the rivet. Did a 40' truck trailer (digi. print) and had 1000's of rivets to go over........not intimidating after you know the secret......don't let the customer know that! Good Luck!
Regarding this comment- "Controltac is supposed to have channels to prohibit bubbles"
Controltac has the microsopic beads to enable repositionability...it's the comply line of 3M 2-mils that have the channels...BTW this stuff is dynamite!! Slicker than a greased monkey !
-------------------- Steve Burke Cascades Inc NS Canada
If at first you don't succeed, skydiving isn't for you Posts: 359 | From: NS Canada | Registered: Jan 2002
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posted
I can give you pointers if you call me I will give you a step by step,the first thing I would say your doing wrong is applying vertically run your squeegee horizontially I know this goes against the norm but it works better It took me a little while to get used to it, I tape the graphic about two feet from the top apply that two feet peel off the masking tape then I use the transfer paper as a tool to keep the graphic running straight just roll up the remaining graphic and transfer paper and pull both snuggly and gradually apply sounds confusing but it's easy my number is 610-393-6750 eastern
-------------------- Scott Moyer Canadensis, Pennsylvania 570-595-0310 Posts: 111 | From: Canadensis PA. USA | Registered: Mar 2000
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-------------------- 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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posted
How do you like those little rascals that are really tall, half-a-sphere, domed more than others with a square bit head to really mess you up. I just cut out around them and be done with it. I don't mind the flatter ones unless I get one of those "ain't never too many rivets" trailers, then I get fiesty, oh well, they'll get charged more so I don't care. Anyways rivets are better than spot welds done by people who can't weld like I see on dirt track cars. I think I will carry my air-grinder and compresser next time I get a race car with 'em on it....HA!HA!
-------------------- John Thompson JTT Graphics "The big guy with a little sign shop!" Royston/Hartwell Georgia jtt101@hotmail.com Posts: 626 | From: Royston Georgia | Registered: Feb 2002
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posted
Hate rivets....get sick to my stomach thinking about rivets..did a search for fun and there is 280 posts on them...yuck! Did a school bus a few years back and must have replaced the letter E (I remember as if it was yesterday) about five times due to one darn rivet....
-------------------- Mario G. Lafreniere (Fergie) J&N Signs Winter did show up! Posts: 1257 | From: Chapleau, Ontario | Registered: Jun 1999
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posted
Pat, Gerber makes a line of foil that has tiny vents in it. You can lay it over rivets and it conforms easily. Have no idea how much it costs. I tried it at a trade show, it seemed to work well.
Arlon also has a special line of vinyl that is good over rivets. We've used that with success. You can still mess up, but the vinyl is much more forgiving to the handling associated with rivets, that is, it tends to hold its original shape even when horsed around. You just pound on the rivet with a rivet brush and the vinyl lays down dry.
In our case, we only did vehicles with rivets for our regular/good customers. Everybody else got a high price so they would go somewhere else. Needless to say, this was not our primary business. Vic G
-------------------- Victor Georgiou Danville, CA , USA Posts: 1746 | From: Danville, CA , USA | Registered: Dec 1998
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posted
It doesn't matter if you use 2,3 heck even 1 mil. if they made it cast or calendered. When you come up on something like Mario did it'll still mess up. Next time I come up on something like that, I'm gonna cut it out and get the closest one-shot color and paint the darn thing.
-------------------- John Thompson JTT Graphics "The big guy with a little sign shop!" Royston/Hartwell Georgia jtt101@hotmail.com Posts: 626 | From: Royston Georgia | Registered: Feb 2002
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posted
Hello and good mornin'! Well, after much trial and error, I got a funny looking little screwdriver thing with eight sides and did the old remove the rivet trick! Oh! it looks so good! Whoa! Now I'm going to push the rivets through cardboard and paint the heads, I guess with Krylon. Thank you all, once again. You're right-on Dave, yep, I was using a gold squeegie. How'd ya know? The film is 2 mil Controltac Plus; Graphic Film with Comply Performance 180C. This job is for a very good customer who is certainly willing to pay for quality. Since we're still in our first year of business, I want to try different material to find out what we like best. I was told this was good stuff. With the rivets out of the way not a bubble or wrinkle one! Next, I will be making a rivet practice board, with various types of rivets. I will practice, practice, practice with the goal of not allowing these little critters to be intimidating. I have no doubt the intimation factor plays a big role here. Thanks again and I really believe that my Letterville taxes were paid for several times with just the information shared with me from this one post, (not to mention the several hundred other ideas shared!). You're all pretty kewl - thanks!
-------------------- Pat Foley Foley Signs 35812 Wells Road Coarsegold CA 93614 foleys@sierratel.com (559) 642-6264 Posts: 73 | From: Coarsegold, CA | Registered: Jan 2002
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posted
Thats a good idea, a rivet practice board. Just make sure to get some of those "MEGA-DOME", bio-sphere, looks like an elephant man tumor, half inch tall it seems buggers.
-------------------- John Thompson JTT Graphics "The big guy with a little sign shop!" Royston/Hartwell Georgia jtt101@hotmail.com Posts: 626 | From: Royston Georgia | Registered: Feb 2002
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had a big trailer with tons of rivets, they were just sheet metal screws with a star bit head removed them placed down the vinyl then replaced the screws...would have been a nightmare, had multiple layer in the design.
That tip alone was worth the 50$ resident fee!!
chris
-------------------- "We have been making house calls since 1992"
Chris Lovelady Vital Signs
NOW WITH 2 LOCATIONS! Tallahassee, Florida Thomasville, Ga.
to add to what's been said (in case you don't want to read through my bs) -clean well around rivets -keep vinyl up/off till you squeegee it there (dry) -squeegee the right direction -> /. -- .\ <- not -> \. -heat AFTER getting the rivet down (air trapped under will expand and too much heat will soften vinyl = popped bubbles + wrikles)
-------------------- Compulsive, Neurotic, Anti-social and Paranoid ... but basically Happy Posts: 2677 | From: Rochester, NY, USA | Registered: Nov 1998
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