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optically clear laminate

JBurton

Signtologist
When you took the liner off the reel was it still taped to the tube? If so, it's not slipping on the core. As others have implied, the core is slipping on the hubs of your laminator. If you have the ability to increase the pressure of the hubs on the end of the cardboard tube, that may help. Otherwise, the tape the others are mentioning is not connecting the liner to the cardboard tube, but instead being used to increase the friction of the hubs on the inside of the cardboard tube.
Increasing the pressure on my takeup only limits the slip at the motor to the spindle, it doesn't effect the spindle's grip on the tube. I want to say Arlon's tubes work out better, since they are twice the thickness of 3m tubes, and a nice run of duct tape on the tube, in a spiral, connecting to the spindle. It'll give more hold power if it wraps around at least once one both cardboard and spindle, compared to a ring of tape at the ends.

Geneva, what laminator are you working with?
 

Geneva Olson

Expert Storyteller
Take piece of masking tape (about 1” long). Bring your lamination to the take up real with the lamination facing out. Tape the the leading edge to your take up reel. 1 piece in the middle is all you need. Make 1-2 revolutions on the take up reel. Score the lamination. Pull back the lamination and feed into your laminator. Make sure your feed is good. From there you should be able to laminate you vinyl or substrate. Proper thickness settings of course.
that's for norrmal lamination. That's exactly what I do every time and it did not work with the plastic liner. That's why I came to the forum to ask what others do. Please read the other comments.
 

Geneva Olson

Expert Storyteller
Increasing the pressure on my takeup only limits the slip at the motor to the spindle, it doesn't effect the spindle's grip on the tube. I want to say Arlon's tubes work out better, since they are twice the thickness of 3m tubes, and a nice run of duct tape on the tube, in a spiral, connecting to the spindle. It'll give more hold power if it wraps around at least once one both cardboard and spindle, compared to a ring of tape at the ends.

Geneva, what laminator are you working with?
I have a Royal Sovereign RSC-1420CW
 

White Haus

Not a Newbie
Take piece of masking tape (about 1” long). Bring your lamination to the take up real with the lamination facing out. Tape the the leading edge to your take up reel. 1 piece in the middle is all you need. Make 1-2 revolutions on the take up reel. Score the lamination. Pull back the lamination and feed into your laminator. Make sure your feed is good. From there you should be able to laminate you vinyl or substrate. Proper thickness settings of course.
This is exactly what we do, with paper backed/plastic backed/optically clear or any laminate. Never have an issue.

As long as you know how to properly set the tension on your laminator, they should all behave the same.
 

unclebun

Active Member
There are only three things that could cause problems with the slippage you are encountering, Geneva. The first should be easy to dispense with, that of the tape which holds the liner sheet to the takeup tube not holding on. If, when you finish laminating the liner is still taped to the takeup tube in the same place where you originally taped it, then this is not your problem.

The second would have to do with the cardboard takeup tube slipping on whatever is inside it holding it to the takeup bar. I looked at a picture of your laminator, and whatever it is is completely inside the cardboard tube, probably sliding on a hexagonal cross-section takeup bar. There should not be any slip possible between the hub and bar, so if there is slip there it is between the cardboard tube and the hubs. Our laminator has this type of hub on the bar which holds the roll of laminate, and some brands of laminate can slip on the hubs. To fix this we use a long screwdriver to scar up the inside of the cardboard tube so the hubs can grip the cardboard better. (our hubs have floating metal strips which angle to grip the inside of the cardboard tube). If your hubs have a different way of gripping the cardboard tube, you may have to devise another way of increasing the hub's friction/purchase on the cardboard.

If there is no slippage occuring outside or inside the takeup tube, the other problem could have to do with the "takeup pressure" adjusting clutch, i.e. the takeup reel just isn't pulling hard enough on the liner. If that is the case, adjusting the takeup tension knob will fix that.
 

Modern Ink Signs

Premium Subscriber
that's for norrmal lamination. That's exactly what I do every time and it did not work with the plastic liner. That's why I came to the forum to ask what others do. Please read the other comments.
No different for ANY lamination that we do. Calandered, cast, floor, dry erase, polycarbonate, etc etc etc

So yes I did read your post. I just think you may not be doing it correctly.
 
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