Cold weather application strategies

[eomedia]

In the Midwest where I am, it's below application temperature for most of the adhesive-backed products about half the year. What do you guys that don't have a lot of space in your shop for vehicles or are doing outside window (etc) application do during cold periods? One rep I spoke with had a few clever ideas they had used in her shop, including renting out an airplane hangar for a few days to do some truck wraps.

Any types of companies that you have found that have space that fits the situation? What about window application

 

[96XP]

Pending job size, I use 500 watt quarts lamps on tripods to heat up the area I'm working in and on when conditions are poor.

 

[DizzyMarkus]

Window app is simple in the freezeing cold lol-- I live in Upstate NY so I understand totally. Works on the vehicle surface as well very nicely -- sorry about wraps havent done them

Rapic Tac (cast) and Rapid Tac 2(intermediate)

Markus

 

[jfiscus]

75%+ of our business is vehicle graphics, and we have quite a large garage here (4 bays), so that is never a problem for us.

For things like windows that have to be applied in the cold, we use a heat gun after application; but be careful. We have used a "torpedo heater" to warm up a large area in the past, but that was only once or twice.

Whenever possible for signs we make or alter, the face comes here. However, most of the time it's easier to just replace a face than to remove/restore/replace lettering on an existing face.

 

[eomedia]

Hey thanks for the responses, guys. After the post I read up on Rapidtac - interesting that it lowers the temp to make the signage adhere. Cool stuff.

When using heaters/lamps around something like glass, any concern about cracking it from the heat differential?

 

[anotherdog]

I have seen it happen (glass crack) with a heat gun on plate glass, too long in one spot and the job becomes a loss maker. I have done -5c perf on glass during snow using rapid-tac. I had them turn up the heating inside for a few hours to give me a warmer surface.
I did hear rapid-tac2 is better for cold.

Vehicle though, unless you have a heated place I put people off till the warmer weather. You need that stretch in the vinyl.

 

[Mosh]

Just curious but, we are in the midwest too, and IT IS 90 DEGREES OUT!!!!
Why are you thinking about cold weatehr apps now?

 

[eomedia]

Just curious but, we are in the midwest too, and IT IS 90 DEGREES OUT!!!!
Why are you thinking about cold weatehr apps now?

Because it's coming. It's ALWAYS coming Such a large chunk of the year is under 50 degrees it's important to know. Plus, by the time I get through the first round of contracts so sign those to rep it will be Fall or later before I can actually start selling to where there will be something to apply.

 

[CentralSigns]

A large chunk of our year is below 10 f and we get by. You shouldn't have too much trouble where your from. The arctic air is much colder. Sometimes we have to light the wood stove in our igloo shop, well snow shop. Don't like to do that cause it drips then. You know the ice starts to melt. I always try to keep the temp in the igloo close to 32 f and we have no troubles. Sometimes you can preheat the metal that helps a bit. Rapid Tac sells a colder temp formula as well, but mostly we do stuff dry. Sometimes you got to heat the mask to get it to release.

 

[Al Checca]

I've gotten rather good with a torch to pre warm the surface (metal, glass) but I have to admit I've seen the videos of Rappid Tac and like what I see, impressive vids....

 

[ICeMAnAbk]

I acctually prefer to app in cold. 50-60 degree room. The adhesives at this temp work very slow. So if you're doing harder apps it's easier to pop to vinyl back off and reposition it. Sometimes in 80+ if I try that it'll stick too well and ruin the piece.

For cold app though, it's easy. You can preheat the surface with a heat lamp (the kind that holds 7 bulbs max, I'd only use 3 or so). Or apply, then heat gently with a heat gun (notice the word gently) then remove your tape, gently. Pull with the surface, not away from it.

Wet apps, I avoid in cold. The adhesive like I mentioned, doesn't activate fast in cold temp, so there is really no need for it.

When you are heating a surface especially a vehicle, make sure to have one of those IR Thermometer's. They cost around 50 to 90 bucks a piece, but they are great for things like this. The surface only need to be 80ish to work easily on. If you're heating it beyond 100 degrees you're taking a risk destroying that surface. Figure, if it's too hot for your hand to touch, then it's too hot for your vinyl.

I still prefer to app cold, put a heat lamp on it til it's 80, then just peel away. Cold is your friend

 

[bob]

...Vehicle though, unless you have a heated place I put people off till the warmer weather. You need that stretch in the vinyl.

Why do you want to stretch something that's going to spend it's entire life figuring out a way to assume its original dimensions?

Or do you mean merely malleable when you use the word 'stretch'? That I can understand.

 

[ICeMAnAbk]

I have seen it happen (glass crack) with a heat gun on plate glass, too long in one spot and the job becomes a loss maker. I have done -5c perf on glass during snow using rapid-tac. I had them turn up the heating inside for a few hours to give me a warmer surface.
I did hear rapid-tac2 is better for cold.

Vehicle though, unless you have a heated place I put people off till the warmer weather. You need that stretch in the vinyl.

Heat gun on glass, yea. I can see that happening. Best to get a heat lamp like what body shops have. The laws of physics. Rapid change in temp will destroy many types of materials. The gradual change in temp with a heat lamp isn't as drastic as a heat gun. I have some high end heat guns in the shop (military shop) for shrink tubing, and other applications, they claim to get up to 1000 degrees at most. Heat lamps, I'd leave about 4 or 5 ft away from the surface, only 2 or 3 bulbs on, come back n 10 mins, we're ready to rock. It's not as severe of a temp either, I'd sit infront of it sometimes to warm up. Will save ya money too y just heating that spot as oppose to doing a whole bay/room.

Stretch in the vinyl?

 

[Mosh]

Pull stuff into our shop, we have room for 3 semis with trailers.