Need Help Can I Apply Laminated Cast Prints Wet?

Yes, you're just more prone to getting bubbles.

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My answer is no. Since it has commandform, it would trap the liquid in and fail. Most printable vinyls you should only apply dry. Why would you want to wet apply it?
4' X 8's are extremely easy to lay down if you do it the proper way. Also some people do the dish soap route, but I won't, I use Rapid Tac for any wet apply application. I trust a professional product made for vinyl adhesive over trying to mix something myself and getting it wrong.

 

My experience is that the liquid gets trapped in air egress material. We use glass cleaner if we have to wet apply against all the do gooders recommendations and have never had any failures. It's easier and faster dry, just hinge it in the middle. Grab an extra person to hold the vinyl while you squeegee if you cant on your own. Can you run it through your laminator?

 

Always dry if possible. When wet I use only RapidTac 2.

 

Did you buy the prints or produce them yourself?

If you have a laminator, then its the best way to mount with the least amount of effort and best results. Using liquid on material with air egress like others have said, defeats the whole purpose. If you are worried about stretching of the image running it through your laminator, use transfer tape over the whole thing and it won't stretch.

If we hand mount prints that large, we use two people, a hinge about a third of the way in on the side we start with and the whole process takes but a few minutes.

 

If you apply transfer tape over the prints, they won't stretch. I know its an extra step and a little more material, but transfer tape is cheap and it insures that you'll get a good result.

 

Dry applying should not be hard... was trying to post a video of it but I cant figure it out

 

Not recommended due to the chemicals in it, but make sure it does not have ammonia in it.

 

Run it through like youre laminating a single piece. Start at the front, then youre removing just enough backing paper to keep it from sucking back under the roller as it pulls through rather than removing half of it at once. The backing paper will keep it from stretching.

 

I will share a secret about laying down 4' X 8's with two people. Get a 4' ruler and attach it to the edge 1" in. Have the person hold the ruler, one hand at each end of it. This will keep it perfectly flat and it will go down like glass. The person holding the ruler should slowly lower the vinyl to the material as you squeegee it. The ruler is also great if you need to pull it back off the material for like creases or anything. Helps prevent stretching.

 

https://photos.google.com/share/AF1...?key=cmNESUNWbUhjX2FGYXBQRVBmNXdzdV9uMTBzVjNR

 

This guy needs to try the big squeegee.

 

Was I pissed? I don't usually walk around with a perma-smile.

I don't like the BS

 

Didn't realize it was you. Nothing wrong with the video, but in my experience the big squeegee is much faster with same results.

 

At the beginning while you were murdering the plastic, you looked like some of my employees when I tell them to get off their phone.

 

Maybe I should of videoed the first one, That was my I think fifth panel so by that time I was mentally checked out.

 

3951 Commandform is NOT an air egress vinyl, Yes it can be applied wet.
3951RA (Rapid Air) IS an airegress vinyl and should not be applied wet.