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Calling all WRAPPERS.............

WB

New Member
What Justin was saying is that you should do #2,1,3,4... Makes lining things up a little easier...

How does it make it easier? your still laying 1 panel at a time why does it matter if it's the 2nd last panel or that last panel. When I do a 53' trailer I always start from the back I'll adjust my panels so I don't have any seems falling on a line of rivets, thats it. If you lay your 1st panel correctly then it should matter.

The only time I've gone the opposite direction is when I was working with 3 other guys and we started in the middle of a transit bus, each guy took corner and the wraps were only on for 3 months.
 

Bly

New Member
This is another one of those big issues like "which glove do I put on first" that is discussed on a motorbike forum I'm on.
 

GAC05

Quit buggin' me
Yes. More than once. Usually not on sides though but I've seen it more than once on roofs that had a seam facing forward.

Is it normal to wrap the roof with short panels running from left to the right?
The roofs I have done (which I admit are not many) if we couldn't cover in one have been 2 long panels running the length of the roof - front to back.

wayne k
guam usa
 

WrapZone

New Member
If you have a really long trailer it is easier starting in the middle that way if you got the first panel wrong it will not be as bad in the end. We always start in the back and go forward because it feels better but I don't see a problem with the seams catching the wind a truck is not exactly streamlined and I don't think wind etc is all that bad on the sides. Since the guy is doing it by himself it is probably to hard to get everyting 100% straight if starting at the end of the truck moving forward.
 

Joe Diaz

New Member
I'm not sold on this. It's certainly not a big enough deal to call someone stupid or an idiot over. Especially when there is just as good of reasons to doubt it as there is to believe it. Like others have pointed out, why isn't this a huge issue with partial wraps, the front panel, or cut graphics that experience the same wind and weather "resistance". LOL, reminds me of my brother and dad. When those two are working together on a job it's almost inevitable that the two get in a small argument about what exact steps to take to finish the task at hand. This will eventually result in someone pulling a reason out of their butts, however minuscule of a reason it is, on why their way is the one and only way. This reminds me of that. I'm almost picturing this rule started that way. Two guys like my brother and dad working on a job, fighting over what panel they should put down first.
 
I'm not a wrap guy at all, but one thing I'm considering is that a seam on a wrap is actually a double layer of adhesive vinyl, therefore wouldn't the likelihood of failure at a seam be twice as likely than on cut vinyl?

Another point is that the laminate on a wrap is adhered to the ink below it that is (hopefully) bonded well to the vinyl below it and is properly out-gassed, as well. I would say that also increases the likelihood for failure on an exposed seam.

And one more thing that I don't know about, but am curious about, is even though wrap materials are cast, if they are only intended for short to medium term signage wouldn't the adhesive be different than a cut vinyl film? Perhaps not as permanent, since it's designed for easier removal?
 

ddarlak

Go Bills!
Experienced people just said failure happens, and you say it's silly to worry about the wind.

k

the vinyl will not fail because of the wind, it will fail for other reasons. the fact that it will catch wind it if it has failed is inconsequential as the vinyl has failed anyway.

hence it's silly to even think of it...

i've done box trucks before they were called wraps, and i live in buffalo where the weather can move 40 degrees in a day and guess how many faliure's i've seen.....zero

stick the sticky sticker right and it stays.....
 

WB

New Member
I'm not a wrap guy at all, but one thing I'm considering is that a seam on a wrap is actually a double layer of adhesive vinyl, therefore wouldn't the likelihood of failure at a seam be twice as likely than on cut vinyl?

Another point is that the laminate on a wrap is adhered to the ink below it that is (hopefully) bonded well to the vinyl below it and is properly out-gassed, as well. I would say that also increases the likelihood for failure on an exposed seam.

And one more thing that I don't know about, but am curious about, is even though wrap materials are cast, if they are only intended for short to medium term signage wouldn't the adhesive be different than a cut vinyl film? Perhaps not as permanent, since it's designed for easier removal?


The main difference the Wrap Cast vinyl vs. Cast you'd use for lettering is the adhesive and the air release. The reason Manufactures recommend having your seems face the rear is because of the tiny air channels in the adhesive. If you don't seal one of those tiny channels properly and water/air starting making it's way in then your going to have a failure. Easiest way to prevent that is to have you seems face the rear.

Like I said before why risk it.
 

WrapZone

New Member
There is no way the wind would get into the air channels when the vehicle is driving, that is just ridiculous. It its not the space shuttle
 

ddarlak

Go Bills!
that's the word i was going to use, but i have a hard time remembering how to spell it, so i went with silly.....
 

HulkSmash

New Member
This is a Forum where people ask for help. Why on earth would I or anyone want to tell someone the wrong way to do something. Don't be ignorant on the subject, obviously if you're doing a partial wrap you can't avoid the exposed edge. But you're doing a full wrap where it is possible to not have seams facing the wind, you do it the right way, rear first with the seams facing backwards. If you start in the middle or in the back, how does that in any way affect measurements? If you get the first panel lined up, then you're set for the rest of the wrap. If you have no idea how to use a tape measure, don't wrap. You guys come here to learn, and teach someone to do something the right way, and I find it funny some people are "OK" the wrong way of doing something. It devalues this website.

Dark, you've told me before you don't do many wraps. I've seen failure lots of them from having seams the wrong direction. Last year we wrapped a car, and our installer wrapped the bumper with the seam facing forward. Failure withing 3 months. It lifted. Had nothing to do with us installing it wrong, dirt.. or what not. But the wind peeling it back We had to replace it. A small look over. Luckily for us, it was just a piece. But most time if you have to pull up a full panel on the side of a box truck... it will have a domino affect.

If you guys want to take a chance and start in the middle. Please by all means. But why do it when you can avoid problems all together.. If you don't know, don't assume. That's the problem with this place - people thinking it will be OK with no experience in the matter.
 

signage

New Member
The thickness of the vinyl is the same if it is the first piece or a seam farther back on top of another piece!
 

ddarlak

Go Bills!
wrapping a bumper and and flat panel beer truck are two different animals.

i stand by my opinion that the guy gino was talking about is doing the right thing for the job he's doing.

sure you could do it your way, sure it might be infinitesimally better, but i think it's silly to say he is doing it wrong.

i don't see his way failing, therefore it is correct - there is more than one way to skin a cat....
 

ProWraps

New Member
hell, i say wrap wrap everything thing from front to back.

do anything and everything you can to do it wrong.

makes my phone ring more.
 

fmg

New Member
Back to front is how I was taught and had no failures whatsoever.It makes sense not to have dirt build up on the seam which eventually will lead to some kind of vinyl lift or failure.I agree with Colorado and pro wraps here.
 
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