Anyone have tips on wrapping a steel drum?

[biggmann]

We have a customer that has brought in 40 steel drums that he wants wrapped for a nearby speedway with sponsor logos. I am on number two and it takes a couple hours and even then I am not happy with the result so I am looking for any advice that anyone might help here. They are large oil drum types *new of course) so they have two small ridges all the way around. We are using Arlon 6000 as the media and my technique is to wrap the drum just tenting the material over the ridges and apply them afterwards but the problem is that if you dont have perfect tension on the material as you go then a small wrinkle starts and your fighting that all the way around. So does anyone have an idea that might make this easier? I have even thought about trying 3M Control tac to see if it can be easier to position.

 

[rjssigns]

If you have help I would make a simple roller system that you can lay the barrel on. Then do a print with bleed that is the larger than the height of the barrel. Then figure circumference and add bleed. (C=3.1614 x D) Place barrel on rollers. Attach an inch or two of the print to barrel. Tape tail of print to rigid straight-edge. Have assistant strip backer then rotate barrel while you hold tension on print.

 

[thmooch]

I can't speak for the Arlon, but the 3m control w/ matching lam that we use would be same method. Using cloth gloves(not squeeges) will help with the wrinkles. you might have to throw some heat to make it seat correctly. Good luck.

 

[ProWraps]

either wrap the barrels in 3 strips and dont wrap the ridges, or deal with it.

there is no way around it. you/he should have used smooth drums.

 

[wedosigns]

Wow, Way less then the max for bridging(stretching) vinyl!
Wrap the drum then heat the bridge, use a cotten glove soaked in baby shampoo and h2o, start pressing down with the glove in the center of the indent. force air out, and mold the vinyl into the indent. Make sure there is a path for the air to escape. When going to the back side of the barrel make sure you prep(iso) the next overlap(so the baby shampoo is gone) extend your overlap 3/4 of an inch. Post heat all bridged vinyl to spec to lose memory. Post heat to the mans. specs. Also if you hit it wth the heat gun it will show where it needs more heat., Bubbles will start to show right away! IR s are great for knowing how hot you get it. I always go about 10% more and never have install issues!
Good Luck
Bruce

 

[Fatboy]

either wrap the barrels in 3 strips and dont wrap the ridges, or deal with it.

there is no way around it. you/he should have used smooth drums.

 

[wedosigns]

Also if it is taking 2 hours to wrap just 1, mabey hire it out to someone more qualified.
It should take no longer than about 20 min. And most of the time should be post heating!

 

[ProWraps]

Also if it is taking 2 hours to wrap just 1, mabey hire it out to someone more qualified.
It should take no longer than about 20 min. And most of the time should be post heating!

so you have wrapped these before? cause eh... no.

 

[wedosigns]

Hey pro Wrap
What do you mean eh no?
I do not understand your response.
No I have not wrapped a barrel, but that is a flat surface, is it not? Other some minute indents.
It is so simple. Come on Pro wraps you could do it 10 min, I have seen some of your threads. You are fast, AND YOU ARE GOOD!

 

[ProWraps]

i mean if you have not wrapped a barrel, it is not what you think it is. what the OP posted is 100% the truth. its not about just tenting and heating. the circular shape of the barrel does not allow for that like you think it does.

they are very hard to wrap.

 

[WrapYourCar]

can you send photos of the barrel and your small wrinkle? i'd like to see what it looks like...

 

[WrapYourCar]

3M control tac is great stuff, grab a test piece of that and see if that solves your problem, just heat up your wrinkle and it may just disappear.(depending on how big it is!)

 

[biggmann]

Here is the type of drum we are wrapping

these ridges are what is giving me the problems and the prints are small logos on white on the bottom two spots with a checker board pattern on top ( I dont have a picture here at home)

 

[James Burke]

Hey...do they make a shrink wrap that can be printed? I'm looking at all the stuff on the store shelves...in wierd shaped containers...and they're all printed on shrink wrap that tightly conforms the funkiest of contours. By those standards, a barrel would seem to be the simplest of all...even with the ridges.



JB

 

[WrapYourCar]

never done this before.. but i'd say you'd apply carefully and exactly to the ridges first, (not the flat panel areas) and then with the aid of a heat gun or torch start shaping inwards, alternatively you could make it into 5 pieces, applying 3 flat pieces and 2 ridge pieces,(this would be even easier i think).

 

[Signed Out]

why not lay your graphic on a table upside down peel the liner and roll the barrel straight over the graphic and then heat and conform as needed? ... never have done this...

 

[nashvillesigns]

as a fellow signmaker, i would not attempt this without a bottle of whiskey.

 

[andy]

So does anyone have an idea that might make this easier?

Sure.

Print your design onto heavy duty banner material and "wrap" it around the barrel. Weld or VHB the banner back onto itself and voila. Gain the added benefit of being able to change adverts in seconds not the hours associated with vinyl removal and re application.

If you want something more solid that's easy too. Print onto vinyl, apply vinyl onto a piece of thin aluminium sheet which has been pre trimmed to the correct dimensions. Roll the aluminium into a tube shape and secure the ends with VHB tape. Your printed aluminium tube can now slide over the barrel.

The easiest way to do this job is via a non adhesive sleeve. Easy, quick, cheap and profitable.

 

[CanuckSigns]

This is how I would attack this

1) Paint raised ridges white
2) apply vinyl to the 3 flat areas
3) profit

 

[Signed Out]

yea ignore my post