Boatwraps,seal With Edge Tape?

I heard the same thing just today.

Never even heard of it before so maybe someone can enlighten us both.



Bradster.

 

You didn't got to Prints in Motion today did you wraps??

OOPS.. edited - just saw the time on the post...

 

Signgold makes a product for edge sealing,never used it, only purchased it and passed it on to the applicators. Firemen clean their trucks regularly (every day) so I believe it would be a good idea for any boat app.

 

There's a difference of opinion on this subject, as far as material selection and edge sealing goes. Personally, I would only use a non-air release vinyl on a boat wrap. Why, those tiny air channels provide a pathway for high speed high pressure water to enter under, and cause failure of, the wrap. It's not just a supposition-I have witnessed in personally. Controltac is not for boat wraps, folks! Would I seal the edge? I've done a lot of boat stuff, and I can say that at a minimum I would seal the leading edge and the waterline, with a 1/2" strip of the best cast material I can get my hands on, and I would heat set this stripe, too.

Please remember that boats are subjected to forces far greater than and more damaging to wraps than that of a car, truck or van.

If you want a customer to be satisfied with a $100 + a foot job, do it right the first time, cause the wrong materials on a boat wrap will haunt you for a long long time.

 

Good advice Typestries..
That being said....I do utilize air egress but seal the edges with 3M edge sealer. The Seal-it pens are to light weight for this particular application. The key to the edge sealer success is to make sure you have a flat surface for the edge to adhere to. Some chines are too short for this application, in this case, cut the edge a bit short of the chine.

 

Prepping for a hull side app on a 35' donzi. Got advice from Merrit this morning (said they've done plenty of boats and no failures) that said the air egress was alright if you use a sealer. Are you talking about a tape sealer or Primer 94? 94 would be applied prior to the vinyl, is the product you're mentioning applied after? This particualr app is an older hull, quite heavy. Only good for about 55 with twin 250's. Not an offshore 100+ boat here.

 

Actually, its a post prep sealer and not the primer. Im pretty sure you can get it from fellers. Its a petro based sealer much like rubber cement. Not that gooey though. Is gooey a word?
Anyway, IMO primer bad... good luck getting the wrap off. Heat set and edge seal. Good to go.

 

Yeah, I heard that Primer 94 is a *****. Works, but it's near permanent. Don't need that on a Donzi hull......

 

Tape Seal

I use a thin line or coating of Primer 94 on the chine nearest to the waterline. After install is complete, use an optically clear 1/2" tape made by 3M, the model from Fellers is 8914 if I remember correctly. Its basically a 1/2" roll of laminate, but works well.