My old squeegee and me

[Bengt Backhaus]

I have finally decided to retire my old 3M PA-1 squeegee.
It has been my companion for over 18 years and seen a lot of action,
but now its time to let go. If i straighten the edges again, it will just become too small.

Admittedly i've kept it more for fun than any practical reason, but it's a bit sad anyway,
since i've used it for almost exactly half of my signmaking "career".

 

[Johnny Best]

What material is the blue? My condolences.

 

[visual800]

now that is cool! Ive got about 4 squeegees and every now and then they have to be wetsanded and then restraightened on the edges. retire it and keep it!

 

[gabagoo]

3M gold squeegees last forever. I use those for regular vinyl application as the material it is made of does not slide easily over the premask and you can get good pressure on it. Alternatively I buy the cheap Avery white squeegees for premasking as those ones slip over the mask very easily although over the course of a week or so the squeegee sort of breaks down...then they are given to customers to use...

 

[Bengt Backhaus]

What material is the blue? My condolences.

That's just cheap printed vinyl with my personal "logo" to make it look a little better

 

[Bengt Backhaus]

retire it and keep it!

I was just thinking that i should nail it to the wall
in my office

 

[JBurton]

Admittedly i've kept it more for fun than any practical reason, but it's a bit sad anyway,

Buy a fidget spinner, pop out the bearing and covers, drill a hole in the middle of old faithful, keep on your desk as a souvenir/trophy/fidget spinner.

 

[tulsagraphics]

attach it to a wall with wrap film. Next time you lose all your squeegees, it will be there waiting to save the day. "in case of emergency, rip wrap"

 

[Texas_Signmaker]

those gold squeegees are the best.. had the right amount of flex. I always put them in my mouth so i wouldn't let it get that dirty.

 

[Mike Paul]

Love them too.
But you have to let them every few years

 

[Mike Paul]

They work great,
Sharpen them /clean them up a bit with 600 grit sand paper

 

[Bengt Backhaus]

They work great,
Sharpen them /clean them up a bit with 600 grit sand paper

I've done it so much that its getting to small to be comfortable.

 

[A Signage]

I was taught to sharpen a squeegee by rubbing it into the bump edge of another squeegee. It gets hot and smooths the edge right out.
You can sand squeegees? I got a few with large dents from using the wrong way, lol, gotta try this!

 

[JBurton]

Am I the only one who doesn't attempt to repair squeegee's for an extended time? Like, they are under $1 each...

 

[kcollinsdesign]

The 3M PA-1 (Gold and Blue) hand applicators are by far the best value in professional squeegees. The cost is negligible in comparison to the performance gains. There is no practical reason to sharpen them unless you need to do so for an emergency (then throw it away). I use the golds for everyday vinyl tasks (they are nylon reinforced and last a long time before the edge becomes curved and performance compromised), and keep a few blues on hand for when higher compliance is requires (the blues are softer and more flexible). I keep a box of cheap new plastic squeegees on hand for customers who need one (I wouldn't give a customer a compromised squeegee which would likely produce trapped air pockets). The cheap plastic squeeges work fine when new, but wear out after a few hours of use. The 3M PA-1 golds will last for weeks (months) if used correctly, making them a far better value for a production shop.

 

[Bengt Backhaus]

Am I the only one who doesn't attempt to repair squeegee's for an extended time? Like, they are under $1 each...

Normally i throw them away when they're uneven. But for some reason i've forgotten it became a thing to see how long i could use this one.

 

[Johnny Best]

I have an old Spehar squeegee sharpener https://www.amazon.com/Ehdis-Squeeg...11f623521be3408abfd0f67c4&psc=1&tag=hyprod-20 that takes the edge back to new.
I buy Geek wrap Squeegees which are really nice.