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Lifting Oracal Reflective Vinyl

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Graphic Extremes

Knows To Little
I have a good one for you guys.

I pressure washed and prepped a small trailer for some reflective decals. Cleaned everything meticulously, applied the graphics. Went back the next day to finish installing more graphics and the graphics I had already done had bubbles under the graphic. I know when I left there were no bubbles. These are large bubbles not just little air bubbles here and there.

Graphics had out gassed for two days before lamination. Dry installed graphics. I think something is coming out of the paint, but no way to tell.

Any ideas out there.
 
DL Signs

DL Signs

Never go against the family
Is it a new trailer, or an older one that may have some surface oxidation?
Even a small amount of oxidation will cause anything to lift/ bubble. I run a buffer over them quick when they're not in shiny new condition.

Are the exterior panels painted, or powder coated?
If it's a new/ newer one, some trailer companies do powder coat exterior aluminum wall panels, they last longer, don't oxidize as quick, clean easier, but they're less receptive to graphics. If you have any vinyls laying around for low impact surfaces, take a piece of that and the vinyl you used and do a side by side adhesion test. If it sticks better, that's probably your issue, and you may need a high tack reflective for low impact surfaces.

If it was prepped right otherwise, washed, wiped down with Iso, that's all I got...
 
G

Graphic Extremes

Knows To Little
Trailer is approximately 12 years old. I did a pressure wash, buffed whole trailer then pressure washed again. The right before putting the graphics on I did the alcohol wipe down.. Flat surface where I removed the screws and reinstalled the screws.

That is why I am so stumped. Trailer sat outside and didn't move. It was about twelve to sixteen hours from when I left and showed back up..

Graphics were still stuck on and took some work to get off. The bubbles were different sizes, randomly through the graphics in weird shapes, almost like something was being released from the paint itself. Sorry for no pics, I was so pissed that I forgot to take them, this is the first time I have ever had any problems with lifting.
 
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Bengt Backhaus

New Member
I have had the exact problem with Oralite.
Installation goes well without bubbles, but in a matter of minutes they start coming.
I talked to one customer and we just let it be.
One week later the bubbles were gone.
 
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ChaseO

Premium Subscriber
Not to be a doom and gloom guy, but last year I did a sheriff vehicle with 5600 and it bubbled and didn't go away. I ended up doing it again with 3m and it was fine. I love Oracal products as a whole, but I am trying to get away from their reflective.
 
G

Graphic Extremes

Knows To Little
It's getting real bad with quality control with all these companies. Something that has worked forever all of a sudden turns to crap. Have to find other products on a chance they will work. I have had quite a few bad experiences with 3M, but I will say they actually sent new material but the didn't cover the labor lost or the ink.

As for the trailer, I have a steam pressure washer, I am going to steam clean the trailer and see what happens. Maybe they used silicone based products to clean and wax the trailer and the silicone is coming out of the paint. Don't really know what else I can try.
 
Chuck B

Chuck B

Riff Meister
Graphic Extremes said:
I have a good one for you guys.

I pressure washed and prepped a small trailer for some reflective decals. Cleaned everything meticulously, applied the graphics. Went back the next day to finish installing more graphics and the graphics I had already done had bubbles under the graphic. I know when I left there were no bubbles. These are large bubbles not just little air bubbles here and there.

Graphics had out gassed for two days before lamination. Dry installed graphics. I think something is coming out of the paint, but no way to tell.

Any ideas out there.
Click to expand...
Happened to me using 3M-680...only thing I could come up with was that the car paint (new car) was still out-gassing. Customer took the vehicle, but I'd check on it from time to time. On a warm day...bubbles---following that on a cool rainy day...no bubbles; and eventually the bubbles did disappear/work themselves out after about a month or so. It caused me so much stress, I've used 680CR exclusively since, so that there are air relief channels for any anomalies that occur to work their way out through. Just recently I had this issue with a new truck as well using IJ-40C. It's a heart dropping moment for sure.
 
gnubler

gnubler

Active Member
Thread noted for future reference, thanks for posting this.
I bid some trailer graphics using all reflective. Oralite is my house stock but now I have second thoughts.

I did a trailer a couple years ago using Oralite reflective and had all kinds of problems going over rivets, though that was probably more due to the installer's lack of experience (me) than the material.
 
G

Graphic Extremes

Knows To Little
UPDATE:
So I steam cleaned the trailer on one side to do a test. On the side I did not steam clean I put another piece of reflective on and it bubbled from underneath in various positions.. About a foot away I placed Saran wrap. I also placed some other vinyl on the trailer close by. The reflective bubbled up but the plastic wrap and the other vinyl didn't bubble up.

On the side I steam pressure washed I had the same exact results.. Now I am contacting Oracal about the problem to see what they say.. I am waiting for a call back from a chief engineer sometime today.

I will post a follow up again once I hear from them.
 
gnubler

gnubler

Active Member
I'm bidding on a trailer with reflective graphics. Customer painted it with latex enamel, so I want to do some adhesion tests first.
I see that 3M 5100 comes in removable and permanent. Can anyone shed light on the difference and what application each one is best suited for? Permanent just has a higher tack adhesive, right?

I'm going to test this and Oralite 5600.
 
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