Laminating with the Big Sqeegee

[GoodPeopleFlags]

Talking about the surface you're laminating on, we actually mounted the prints first then laminated, so the surface it the board - polymetal in this case. Very hard and smooth.

I did use some application fluid and wound the laminate around a roll of vinyl and used the big squeegee. Worked great! I tried without the application fluid and there were all kinds of bubbles. I got bubbles using app fluid, too, but at least I could get them out.

 

[gnatt66]

i use the top of our dry mount press. very smooth and flat. and i found that the FDC lam i had worked WAY better than 210.

the fdc was simply a push and go application. perfect every time. 210 was a PIA.

 

[Salmoneye]

This new solution is a PITA as well. I don't want to mask 4' x 10' pieces of laminate. That being said, maybe I will switch brands of lam as the BS is my favorite tool in my shop, that and the 3/4" plate glass that covers my tables.

 

[jiarby]

I don't think I'd mask it either... we have got 210 down pretty well, but it is a 2 person job on large pieces. 24x36 & smaller I do solo.

 

[ddubia]

... the BS is my favorite tool in my shop, that and the 3/4" plate glass that covers my tables.

Dang! 3/4" plate glass?!

We have 1/4" plate on our two 4'x8' tables, (on rollers, arranged end to end), and we love it. It makes for a perfect masking/cutting surface using #11 x-acto blades. After nearly 3 years there's only a few light scratches due to people using dull blades but other than that it holds up really well. I'm thinking we paid about $250 for the glass delivered and laid on the tables.

I've been wanting to try the BS for a long time. Should just jump on one. Everything I hear about it is positive. We have a Royal Sovereign 64" cold laminator. But there are times we have a small job that needs a different lamination than is loaded on the machine and what a pain to swap out laminate for a short-run, only to swap it out again for the next jobs.

Right now I'm undecided on which size to buy thinking that as soon as I buy one I'll wish I got a different size.

 

[The Big Squeegee]

Dale.. in that video are you masking the BACKING? Is that just to make it thicker/stiffer?

Yes, it is to make it thicker and easier to manage. I show full coverage but it don't have to be.

 

[TheSnowman]

I am buyin' me a roll of FDC next round.

 

[wesley]

Hey guys what in the world is FDC lam???? thanx

 

[scarface]

the silvering WILL go away after about 24 hrs, I get this all the time and when i first started i freaked out.

All i do is laminate it, then put the lam's backing over the print and take a hard squeegee and go over it a few times. Always works.

I use 210 lam and have no problems now.