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  1. offgassing question

    Short answers: NO - Prints will not off-gas after being laminated. (at least not in a way meaningful to this question) YES - Prints laminated before sufficient off-gassing handle VERY differently than intended. More importantly, prints that have not been off- gassed can/may/will fail -...
  2. Avery 1105/1360z + HP360 Latex ink = FAIL!

    Yeah, it's a real problem (as in, "makes the material unusable"). Contacted Avery, they assured us that they have NEVER heard of this- thank you for the sanity confirmation. This happened to me the first time I was testing this new product on a very simple application: the rear doors of a van...
  3. Vehicle Wrap - Best Squeegee To Use

    3M's PA-1 (plastic applicator 1) is the best thing they make (blue painter's tape being #2, with wrap films down the list after ventilator filters and floor-scubber pads somewhere). Monkey Strips, or the home-made buffers I dumpster-dived out of the upholstery store in the alley. Avoid anything...
  4. chrome wrap issues

    Chrome is tough. Volumes can be written. I usually suggest a two-tone option, because some aspects of a vehicle may be outside of performance range, regardless of installer skill. On the other hand, are you a pro? Chrome is tough. . .
  5. Fellers is too Funny.

    And in my honest opinion.. Plastidip paint is going to kill colorchange wraps in the long run. The only thing colorchange wraps have going for them right now is textures.. I mean seriously have you been todipyourcar.com , they have metalizers, colorchange effect, gloss, matte, pearls, juices...
  6. Geek Wrap / 3M Training question

    "Worth it" is the hard part to determine. I did the 3M 3-day training in St. Paul 5ish years ago. Impression based on my experience: Don't expect a lot of game-changing "tips and tricks" from 3M- it's very focused on material properties, warranty requirements, percentages, etc. 3M's program is...
  7. Completely frustrated with applying long panels on RV (Please Help!)

    Contrary to the videos posted, I would absolutely second the "remove all the paper, pull taut, only squeegee when it looks good" method. Working in little sections with the paper on creates tension/wrinkles- the paper becomes a raised object (i.e. obstacle) to work against. Even when the surface...
  8. Chrome comments/cautions

    Perhaps of little interest, but I only post here when I have comments about things I haven't seen. . . -The Boss wants to wrap the front end of his car in chrome - quarter panels, front bumper, and hood (the rest is print). -Avery SF100 with DOL 1460 for fenders and bumper -The hood is too...
  9. Rawk Car - Wrap MCC Smart.

    My thought exactly! I usually cite the rear corner/tail light area of smart cars as one of the most technically demanding common commercial wrap obstacles, but that version looks easy-breezy.
  10. Did 3M change their warranties?

    I haven't looked at those charts in years, but in practice I believe "non-vertical" refers to areas of the vehicle such as the taper of the 1/4 panel toward the hood, or on most vehicle sides above the bottom of the windows, as they taper (non-vertically) toward the roof, a front bumper that...
  11. How to wrap with chrome film?

    Yeah, chrome is completely different- with a steep and expensive learning curve. I second Kentucky wraps advice about those videos. Beyond that. . . - Not sure about Vivid materials, but most of those great-looking chrome wraps are Avery conform chrome. I've heard good things about Hexis as...
  12. Oracal fans: help me convert

    Thanks for the input. Oracal doesn't seem to directly present 3751 as "mid-grade" or in any way inferior to 3951, but I notice it's a bit cheaper- ironically, that's a turn-off. 293 laminate (1-mil) sounds like a great idea, but Oracal's literature mostly presents it as a good option for...
  13. Oracal fans: help me convert

    Background: 3M 180 prints great but has adhesive problems, Avery 1005 installs great but won't print consistently. . . So maybe it's time to try Oracal. I've read the technical specs and such, but am interested in experienced opinions. I'm unclear about the precise differences between Oracal...
  14. Cut & Drop Reconsidered - new vans

    Good old days: Sprinters have notoriously deep and therefore failure-prone channels. There is a near consensus among wrap installers (on this board in particular) that attempting to form, or stretch (such a dirty word) those channels was was not worth the failure risk. Thus "cut & drop" is...
  15. 3MIJ180Cv3 Is anyone else having a problem with the vinyl?

    The problems I've had with 180cv3 over the last year are exactly like solvent saturated prints that have not been off-gassed- but we print latex (no solvent), and the unprinted white film, as mentioned, has the same issues.
  16. 3MIJ180Cv3 Is anyone else having a problem with the vinyl?

    I did a fun demo for my boss to explain the issues I was having with 180cv3: I took similar sized scraps of 3M 180 and Avery 1005 and dropped them- no pressure applied, just gravity- adhesive side down onto a car hood. I leaned in and blew on the vinyl like a birthday cake- the Avery blew away...
  17. 3MIJ180Cv3 Is anyone else having a problem with the vinyl?

    The "adhesive issues a while back" have been in full effect for close to a year. The experience you're describing sounds like the new normal for 180cv3 to me. I installed 180 exclusively everyday for five years- I knew what it felt like, looked like, and smelled like (literally). Then one day...
  18. How do I get the average Joe to understand about high quality artwork?!!!!!

    The best I've been able to come up with in terms of explaining "vector vs. raster" to customers: It's like the difference between an MS Word document and a picture of a page in a book. In a text document you can change fonts, sizes, move things around, and words don't get fuzzier if you increase...
  19. Chrome Curious

    It's great, thanks, for asking. Plenty of room to pack with cars for wrap jobs. A good thing.
  20. Chrome Curious

    Uh. . . yep. 10 years. "Hi".
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