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3M Certified Poser

mzick

mzick

New Member
I got a call from an installer friend of mine in the area and he had a story that made us mad and laugh @ the same time.

A local printhouse, who has their own install staff, was working on a 24' bobtail (flat w/ rivits). They were supposed to cover the box w/ a solid color. They chose 3M 180 (controltac) w/ premask and no lam. Slam Dunk....right...you would think so. The installer doing the install claims to be 3M certified. The real problem is that he couldn't install the material without putting wrinkles in it. He is obviously not certified because if he took the test I recently took, he would have failed!! So, if 3M did certify this guy then wow...my testing doesn't mean very much. Who is the bad guy here ...3M for certifying him, printhouse for claiming he is certified, or installer for saying he is certified?? You decide!! It is guys like this that hurt the certification movement. Especially for those of us who think there needs to be some kind of certification in place. It also fuels the fire for those who don't think certs are necessary.


This really pisses off the people who have put the time and effort into learning and perfecting their craft. I personally don't claim anything I am not and I truly try and learn something new every day! It is posers like this that are hurting the industry!! You have a bunch of wanna be know it all "Bailey's" out there that can't even make a living @ what they say they are experts @. Reality will catch up to those pose and the real installers will be left standing with a few less people around them.

I will now step off my soap box. Wheew.. I feel a 'lil better now but I am going to keep fighting aginst the posers!!
 
D

DGDesigns

New Member
I agree that a training standard should be set so that quality work is recognized. It's tough to do at this point because a lot of companies dropped these programs due to the economic situation. I actually believe the certification should involve more than a weekend workshop; it should cover all types of projects. Unfortunately, this could become very costly.
As far as posers, it's always going to be out there. There's good and bad in all industries. A lot of people jump on band wagons when things become popular. It's just the nature of business.
I say try not to let those people dictate your emotions. But I do hear your message.
 
Mikeifg

Mikeifg

New Member
Certified or not in the end the printhouse probably had to redo the truck. And the installer had to do it for free.... I hear you too.
 
702 graphics

702 graphics

New Member
mzick said:
I got a call from an installer friend of mine in the area and he had a story that made us mad and laugh @ the same time.

A local printhouse, who has their own install staff, was working on a 24' bobtail (flat w/ rivits). They were supposed to cover the box w/ a solid color. They chose 3M 180 (controltac) w/ premask and no lam. Slam Dunk....right...you would think so. The installer doing the install claims to be 3M certified. The real problem is that he couldn't install the material without putting wrinkles in it. He is obviously not certified because if he took the test I recently took, he would have failed!! So, if 3M did certify this guy then wow...my testing doesn't mean very much. Who is the bad guy here ...3M for certifying him, printhouse for claiming he is certified, or installer for saying he is certified?? You decide!! It is guys like this that hurt the certification movement. Especially for those of us who think there needs to be some kind of certification in place. It also fuels the fire for those who don't think certs are necessary.


This really pisses off the people who have put the time and effort into learning and perfecting their craft. I personally don't claim anything I am not and I truly try and learn something new every day! It is posers like this that are hurting the industry!! You have a bunch of wanna be know it all "Bailey's" out there that can't even make a living @ what they say they are experts @. Reality will catch up to those pose and the real installers will be left standing with a few less people around them.

I will now step off my soap box. Wheew.. I feel a 'lil better now but I am going to keep fighting aginst the posers!!
Click to expand...
Good for you if the print house is competition
 
M

mark galoob

New Member
ok, so here is a newb question...? why would'nt you lam this...i would not even attempt to install that w/o lam...

mark galoob
 
mzick

mzick

New Member
Nothing against the newbee but that is what got the other installer in trouble. He didn't know how to work with material that was not laminated and had no air channels. A well rounded installer....who does it for a living, should be able to work with just about anything that he/she is given and make it look professional. If you are a newbee, get some other materials that do not have air channels and practice....dump the lam also and use premask instead. If you can work those types of materials, the newer vinlys will be a breeze.
 
Mosh

Mosh

New Member
Being certified I don't think it means as much as people think. Of course if you are one who is certified you are going to say it means alot. I have been asked only one time in 21 years if I was. I still got the install job. I have a friend who was 3M certified, he hangs drywall now, guess being certified wasn't that great for him.
 
mzick

mzick

New Member
Controltac is repositionable but has no air channels. Comply has controltac adhesive features with air channels.
 
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