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Chrome vinyl

"Deposit Please"

"Deposit Please"

New Member
Set my cutter to proper speed & downforce. Chrome vinyl doesn't wanna lay flat going through cutter, vinyl lifts off backing, weeding sucks, gets little fine scratches & this crap promotes bubbles. I remember having same issues working with diamond plate vinyl. Not sure if all brands of chrome vinyl behaves like this. I'm using Chrome by FDC. Wondering if there is another brand of chrome that is easy to work with or is it just what it is???
 
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Bigdawg

Bigdawg

Just Me
It's chrome overall IMHO... I had some (know it wasn't FDC or Avery - was probably Oracal) and it did the same crap except for lifting off the liner...

I think it's just the nature of the beast, but I haven't used enough to know.
 
Jillbeans

Jillbeans

New Member
Any chrome (even Gerber) that I have ever tried has tunneled and been a PITA in general.
I haven't touched the stuff in years.
I think a lot of it sits on the shelves in warehouses because hardly anyone uses it since it sucks out loud.
Then when you do get forced to buy a roll for some stupid job where someone insists upon it, it never wants to play nice.
Then you get to see your own p!ssed off face in it as you try to weed it.
:)
And it sucks even louder to remove.
Love.....Jill
 
D

Dzrt1st

New Member
I haven't cut chrome vinyl in years (with a Gerber 4B) but we would premask it before cutting to prevent scratches. Don't know if this would solve the lifting problem though.

FWIW,
Todd
 
Joe Diaz

Joe Diaz

New Member
Jillbeans said:
Any chrome (even Gerber) that I have ever tried has tunneled and been a PITA in general.
I haven't touched the stuff in years.
I think a lot of it sits on the shelves in warehouses because hardly anyone uses it since it sucks out loud.
Then when you do get forced to buy a roll for some stupid job where someone insists upon it, it never wants to play nice.
Then you get to see your own p!ssed off face in it as you try to weed it.
:)
And it sucks even louder to remove.
Love.....Jill
Click to expand...

:goodpost:

I agree, we can't stand it either. We try like the dickens to talk customers out of it when ever they ask. Most of them are either indoor only or 1 to 2 year and it scratches like nobody's business.
 
rcsign

rcsign

New Member
I use a holographic film for only one customer, a trucking firm down the road from us, and it does the same thing, using this stuff sucks. Always try to talk the customer out of using it.
 
A

Alphonse43

New Member
Jillbeans said:
Any chrome (even Gerber) that I have ever tried has tunneled and been a PITA in general.
I haven't touched the stuff in years.
I think a lot of it sits on the shelves in warehouses because hardly anyone uses it since it sucks out loud.
Then when you do get forced to buy a roll for some stupid job where someone insists upon it, it never wants to play nice.
Then you get to see your own p!ssed off face in it as you try to weed it.
:)
And it sucks even louder to remove.
Love.....Jill
Click to expand...

Well said 100% spot on.
Alphonse43:banghead:
 
J

JeremySI

New Member
"Deposit Please" said:
Set my cutter to proper speed & downforce. Chrome vinyl doesn't wanna lay flat going through cutter, vinyl lifts off backing, weeding sucks, gets little fine scratches & this crap promotes bubbles. I remember having same issues working with diamond plate vinyl. Not sure if all brands of chrome vinyl behaves like this. I'm using Chrome by FDC (Avery) Wondering if there is another brand of chrome that is easy to work with or is it just what it is???
Click to expand...


FDC chrome isnt avery it is rtape.

i havent had any prob at all with chrome. my roll of FDC cut fine and weeded extremely easy. just switched to oracal and it is fine as well.
 
surf city

surf city

New Member
about 3 years ago I used Oracal chrome, not so much fun to weed, did lift in places while cutting and it scratched alot. So I never used chrome again and I always steer customers away from selecting it.
 
daveb

daveb

General Know-it-all
:banghead: I agree totally with Jill (and everybody else) that it's horrible. Only one bit of advice, if you HAVE to use it.... it's been years since I've had to but I do seem to remember that it helps a lot if you roll it out on a flat surface overnight and just let it hang off the plotter instead of rolling it up, that got rid of most of the buckling and bowing you're having trouble with. And of course at that time I was using an old 4B which was a lot better for cutting stuff like this than the new plotters. Good luck:rolleyes:
 
Mosh

Mosh

New Member
I refuse to use it. I have hicks come in here all the time looking for it. I tell them the stuff suck and looks stupid, most of them don't understand I am meaning they are stupid too...
 
tomence

tomence

New Member
I never had problems with Chrome, I use Oracal all the time never had troubles weeding or cutting. I use the same settings that i use to cut regular vinyl but little bit slower than usual.
 
W

wetgravy

Guest
new chrome doesn't have that problem something about the polyester blend they use on all of that stuff that causes long term issues with cutting if it sits on the shelf. In the shop I'm working in, we do a lot of big rigs and as a result we use A LOT of chrome, brushed aluminum and diamond plate (i personally think it looks cheap ... but customer is always right) ... so we end up with ordering chrome once a month and we never have the problem since our supplier only sends us new stuff (a perk for over 15 years of business with them)

It could also be the blade, i normally throw in the 60 degree cutting blade to reduce drag ... dulls the blade out faster with the increased pressure but i never have it lifting while cutting.
 
"Deposit Please"

"Deposit Please"

New Member
Tried talkin customer into silver, but he was set on chrome. So i had to fiddle with this stuff the last couple hours. Definitely not a fan of chrome. Funny as hell what jillbeans said, so true. lol
 
Kemble

Kemble

New Member
Schein Holographics Chromes from SignWarehouse. I use it ALL the time, I keep every color in stock.

I know exactly what you mean about it wanting to lift from the liner while cutting. I switched to a 60 degree blade and the problem stopped. There are only 2 colors that seam to lift on me still but thats only till I get down to the end of the roll (Green & Gold). To prevent it at the end of the roll I just unwind a good 2-3 feet off the roll before it enters the machine and it seams to stop it (usually). I cut it at 25-30 speed depending on the amount that's being cut.
 
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