Getting vinyl to stick to a 3M plastic hard hat

[TimToad]

We have a good customer building a cool pizza/brewpub/music venue that we're doing a complete signage package for who just dropped off a cheapo 3M yellow plastic hardhat that he wants us to put a cut vinyl logo on for his partner. Its more of a gag, but I want to take care of him.

I just cannot get the vinyl to stick to this thing. I even coated it with the 3M primer 94 and it went on, but wouldn't bond. I could just rub it right off with my finger.

Any ideas on how to make this work?

 

[Gino]

Clear coat it, then stick it on.

 

[GAC05]

Might not be worth the trouble for a gag but take a look at this:
http://www.signwarehouse.com/blog/vinyl-sign-graphics-and-low-energy-plastics/

wayne k
guam usa

 

[OldPaint]

ive run into that with baseball head gear. also construction hard hats. seems there is some kinda stuff they use in the molds like PAM, so the hats will not stick to the mold. this gets sorta imbedded in the hat. if its just a one time item, get a propane hand torch, ON LOW FLAME.... and heat the area where the vinyl will go......wait a couple seconds and wipe with alcohol. do this a couple times.....and get a scrap piece of vinyl to try on it.....you will see the difference in adherence.

 

[SignProPlus-Chip]

High tack vinyl, same stuff they use to put decals on HDPE kayaks.

 

[DIGIXTRA]

We have a good customer building a cool pizza/brewpub/music venue that we're doing a complete signage package for who just dropped off a cheapo 3M yellow plastic hardhat that he wants us to put a cut vinyl logo on for his partner. Its more of a gag, but I want to take care of him.

I just cannot get the vinyl to stick to this thing. I even coated it with the 3M primer 94 and it went on, but wouldn't bond. I could just rub it right off with my finger.

Any ideas on how to make this work?

Just use concrete or sidewalk vinyl.

 

[TimToad]

ive run into that with baseball head gear. also construction hard hats. seems there is some kinda stuff they use in the molds like PAM, so the hats will not stick to the mold. this gets sorta imbedded in the hat. if its just a one time item, get a propane hand torch, ON LOW FLAME.... and heat the area where the vinyl will go......wait a couple seconds and wipe with alcohol. do this a couple times.....and get a scrap piece of vinyl to try on it.....you will see the difference in adherence.

Dude, that worked awesome!


Thanks a lot.

 

[phototec]

ive run into that with baseball head gear. also construction hard hats. seems there is some kinda stuff they use in the molds like PAM, so the hats will not stick to the mold. this gets sorta imbedded in the hat. if its just a one time item, get a propane hand torch, ON LOW FLAME.... and heat the area where the vinyl will go......wait a couple seconds and wipe with alcohol. do this a couple times.....and get a scrap piece of vinyl to try on it.....you will see the difference in adherence.

Good positive post, very informative!

 

[TimToad]

Good positive post, very informative!

Customer just picked it up and is totally stoked. We didn't charge him because he was here earlier to discuss the rest of the signage which is looking like a really nice sized project, so he chuckled when I said "Its on us" and told us we've got free pizza coming for a while.

All's well that ends well.

 

[Gino]

There is absolutely nothing wrong with pizza.......... and free is just better, yet.

 

[mark-s]

I use Lacquer Thinner to clean the area where the decals going, works good.

mark-s

 

[Techman]

the corona technique/heat technique. Slightly changes the plastic molecular structure so adhesives will stick.

Use it on dumpters, trash carts etc.

 

[GMS Product Manager]

When plastic is molded, they usually spray the mold with silicone. So it's on the plastic when it's removed from the mold. Alcohol will take it off. As far as vinyl goes, CONVEX® is a brand specifically made for complex curved surfaces such as helmets and hard hats. It comes with GearWrap™ psa, which is cleanly removable, and High-Bond™ psa, as well as a few other flavors and matching laminates.

Doug Goodloe
Product Manager
800-232-8018
www.Convexvinyl.com

 

[OldPaint]

YOU ARE RIGHT...........
When plastic is molded, they usually spray the mold with silicone. So it's on the plastic when it's removed from the mold.
ALCOHOL ALONE....... will not remove it!!!!! waste of time..............
UNTIL YOU HEAT the plastic/poly.......the silicone is sorta embedded in the material. as most of this stuff is molded WHEN HOT..........the HEAT.......CORONA EFFECT... releases the silicone from the plastic........
THEN WIPE 2-3 TIMES WITH 99% ALCOHOL.

 

[GMS Product Manager]

Thank you for the tip. It has worked well according to those who told me it works well. But if they have a heat source, I will suggest it. People use all kinds of caustic chemicals too, and I'm suggesting they don't have to.

Thanks again,
Doug Goodloe

 

[skyhigh]

good call Old Paint.

 

[Bill Modzel]

It's not the heat, it's the actual flame. If it was the heat you could accomplish this with a hair dryer or heat gun. Corona treating is done with an electrical charge and is used commercially to make the various "poly" plastics printable. For the rest of us, a propane flame works just fine.
If you just "dust" the flame over the had you will see a slight blush kind of like the condensation from the torch if you're sweating copper connections. That blush is what he flame is burning off, there's very little heat involved or you will quickly be blistering the substrate.