Best method?

[Signmaker1234]

Never had to do this before. What is the best method for covering a sheet of aluminum with 751? It's painted white (factory paint). Wet? Dry? Trim the edges after? Thanks in advance!

 

[GAC05]

How big is the sheet?
If it is 4'x8' or so do it wet.
Quart sprayer with a squirt or two of dish soap. Don't overdo it on with the soap.
Cut the vinyl larger than the blank
Get everything clean and lay the material down with the backer sheet up.
Mist the back side so it sticks to the blank.
Pull the whole backer off and flood the adhesive side.
Flip it over line it up and squeegee from the center out.
Go light for the first pass to get the material to smooth out.
Use firm pressure with overlapping strokes to move the water out to the edges.
Trim the overlap using the edge of the blank and the squeegee them down again.
Once it has a chance to dry trim the edge of the material back a 1/16 or so from the edge of the aluminum.
Leaving a small gap will help keep the edges from lifting and picking up dirt.
After you done it for a while and get the squeegee skills down you can skip the wet part and do them dry (faster).

wayne k
guam usa

 

[Signmaker1234]

Thanks

Thank you! Cutting back a 1/16" from the edge sounds like a great idea, I wouldn't have thought of doing that! I would imagine a felt covered squeegee would work best since no application tape?

 

[Gino]

A gold squeegee is best. Must be flat and straight. Hard, even, deliberate strokes from the middle out. You wanna get all the liquid out, so it doesn't bubble up later. You'll be squeegeeing almost like you're trying to squeegee through to the back side. A felt squeegee is primarily for air egress media.

 

[Signmaker1234]

Thanks

Thank you for the replies!

 

[GaSouthpaw]

I concur with the wet application, though I would suggest getting one of the squeegees that the guys who do window tinting use. Mine has a plastic handle with a firm (not hard) urethane blade. Cost me eight or nine bucks on Amazon. I have found it makes wet apps so much easier.

 

[rjssigns]

If you have a laminator use that to apply the vinyl. A Big Squeegee would work a treat too. We've dry applied tons of vinyl with them.

 

[signguy 55]

Here's the way I do it, for me it's easier and less stressful. I clamp the halfway point (on a 4x8 for example) to my table with print side up EXACTLY where it is to go on the substrate. Fold back and trim the backing paper on 1/2 the sign, flood substrate and vinyl with soapy water solution, lay down and squeegee just enough to grab. Remove clamps, fold the other half back and repeat. I have a felt squeegee about 18" wide, the soapy water will just shoot out of the print, Easy. I work by myself, this is easier than trying to flip over and risk getting dirt, etc. under the print. Basically it's the hinge method, no reason you couldn't do unlimited sizes right by yourself.

 

[jfiscus]

If you have a laminator use that to apply the vinyl. A Big Squeegee would work a treat too. We've dry applied tons of vinyl with them.

X2 on the laminator if you have enough room in your shop to do it. Once you learn to mount using a laminator you'll wonder what took you so long to try it! PERFECT mounting every time, just peel an inch and hand mount that and then run it through the laminator.