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Rear Window Perf - compound curves = liquid lams??

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ShoNuff

The Doer of Things
I recently had a 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo come in for rear window perf. The curvature was so intense that our first install attempt proved to be our first fail at installing laminated window perf on anything, including 2010 Honda Odyssey mini-van. While reading up on different suggestions, tips, tricks, etc. I seen someone suggest floating the perf unlaminated and using a liquid overlam. Im in Central IL wheres its cold and icy season, so perf needs lamination. And its for corporate client so I gotta get it right.

Any suggestions on liquid lam, setting up the design differently to account for curvature, or even trimming the graphic with a curves to accommodate the most tedious installation.

OH, and theres a plastic spoiler with rear light that drops down in the center of the dang window that proved to be a stubborn mule.

anyone? Bueller?
 
Malkin

Malkin

New Member
I know that 3M makes a CAST window perf, that might choose to be a better choice if you need a little heat and stretch to ease it on.

course the stuff is rather pricey....


are 2014 vehicles already hitting the streets? unreal.
 
CS-SignSupply-TT

CS-SignSupply-TT

New Member
LIQUID LAMs

Les at XtremGraphix said:
I recently had a 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo come in for rear window perf. The curvature was so intense that our first install attempt proved to be our first fail at installing laminated window perf on anything, including 2010 Honda Odyssey mini-van. While reading up on different suggestions, tips, tricks, etc. I seen someone suggest floating the perf unlaminated and using a liquid overlam. Im in Central IL wheres its cold and icy season, so perf needs lamination. And its for corporate client so I gotta get it right.

Any suggestions on liquid lam, setting up the design differently to account for curvature, or even trimming the graphic with a curves to accommodate the most tedious installation.

OH, and theres a plastic spoiler with rear light that drops down in the center of the dang window that proved to be a stubborn mule.

anyone? Bueller?
Click to expand...

Checkout the CLEARSHIELD product line http://www.marabu-northamerica.com/products/product-overview/liquid-coatings.html
 
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parrott

New Member
Not trying to threadjack, but we are doing the rear window of a Honday Odyssey this week. It has a bit of a curve to it and are worried about the perf going down smooth. Are there any tricks? Install without laminate?
 
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ShoNuff

The Doer of Things
parrott said:
Not trying to threadjack, but we are doing the rear window of a Honday Odyssey this week. It has a bit of a curve to it and are worried about the perf going down smooth. Are there any tricks? Install without laminate?
Click to expand...

We used a really flexible cast overlam on that graphic. It was a painfully tedious install but the end result was a happy one for us and the client. My first suggestion is take off rear shield wiper (I suggest this only whenever its necessary. some of those nuts and ones with hinge pins dont like to go back on.) It stands up on its own but not very far and almost cost us a reprint a couple times during the install. Also with it off, you can squeegee right to edges of wiper base, cut window, squeegee toward more, then make a nicer trim than attempting to slit the bottom and meet the pieces back together.

Patience needs to be on thick that day because of those harsh angles in the glass. Its not so much the curves that made that install hard, it was the creased angles on top of the protruding curvatures in the center.

I didnt even hinge that one. I registered the corners and centers with tape, peeled each side to trim away paper in center of the graphic, laid side paper back down with just center exposed, applied and walked it out from there. I didnt want anything else touching after the hinge gave us trouble ala wiper blade.
 
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ShoNuff

The Doer of Things
Im thinking I may also have to trim the perf into a distorted shape to anticipate laying it down evenly on both the flats and the curves. Similar to certain wrapper and package designs. Convex shape for compound curves?
 
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trimitbyrich

New Member
I read a post that said heat and stretch? No no no! You have to think heat and shrink. Position it in the middle and use the heat gun to shrink the outer material. Problem is the curvature causes the material to bunch up so you need less of it not more of it.
 
rjssigns

rjssigns

Active Member
trimitbyrich said:
I read a post that said heat and stretch? No no no! You have to think heat and shrink. Position it in the middle and use the heat gun to shrink the outer material. Problem is the curvature causes the material to bunch up so you need less of it not more of it.
Click to expand...
Click to expand...

Just like window film...hmmm. Never tried to shrink it before. Will give it a shot. Some rear window installs will prematurely age a person.

FWIW I spray perf with S-W Kut-In clear. Easy-peasy and no call backs.
 
graphics guru

graphics guru

New Member
Coloradosigns said:
lam on perf is pointless. just do it without.
Click to expand...


if it is pointless, how do you see out when it rains...cause all the holes fill up with water..Big liability i think if ever anyone pressed the issue of why they bumped into or wrecked a vehicle...i would check your local state laws regardless to see if it has been addressed
 
MrSalumi

MrSalumi

New Member
I've done this both ways. The liquid lam I used was clear shield. I applied it on the perf before installing it while it was still on the backing paper. I used a very thin foam roller and applied it very very lightly. In total there were about 3 coats. When I peeled it off the backing paper any holes that were filled with lam pulled through so you could see through the lam like normal. While the ink was now laminated and could hold up to UV and abrasion the result in the rain was the same as not laminating.

When I lammed with film I used Oracal 290GF Optically clear. While it was a little harder to apply to the compound curve on the rear window of a Caravan, it was doable with a little heat. You just have to watch getting the optically clear too hot or it's not so clear anymore.

So ask yourself why you want to laminate. Is it to see in the rain? Or is it to protect from abrasion/UV? Either way it's doable.

Good luck!
 
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ShoNuff

The Doer of Things
we have a mechanic coming in to remove the rear faring/ spoiler thing that drops into the center of the window. I will report back after install to see if that was the problem in the first place. The combination of obstacles and curvature really made this install a bear. Client will be back on Tuesday. I decided to extend the graphic size both wide and tall to account for any surprises the curves give us (last time, even with bleed, the material didnt cover the bottom corner edge.)

I figure heat, patience, and removal of the obstacles should prove for easier install. Ive also decided to do some pre trim on the graphic to help ease the crease and fold effect that a rectangular graphic wants to do on curves. In theory, Im expecting this to act just like making relief cuts on the fly.. in process, im initiating a few tricks in taught in product package design and labeling.
 
natedawg9640

natedawg9640

New Member
I refuse to deal with the stuff. lam makes it look like hell. no lam fills with dirt and looks like hell. to hell with perf.
 
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ShoNuff

The Doer of Things
And the Saga continues... no wu-tang. So.. we took the rear faring/spoiler and windshield wiper off the jeep and made for a night and day difference on the install. Was still a pain in the a$$ but we made it down and look great.

NOW... Client just returned. The rear window looks icy, glazed over. Im fearing that my optically clear laminate may have had too much tension while laminating and caused the optically clear to not be so clear anymore. So... once again we have to push through another redo in order to abstain from liability of having a glazed window.


ANYONE HAD THIS PROBLEM BEFORE???
 
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ShoNuff

The Doer of Things
and those curves on the 2013 Jeep Cherokee Laredo are some of the worst Ive encountered bar none. Its the placement and degrees of said curves that make it such a pain... and the finished result, although looks nice to client, is a distorted mess in my eyes which did the design and layout, plus install. They love it... but its dangerous now and I can tell how it looks wrong but have no idea how to fix the bulge distortion in the layout of text and such without theoretically warping the text into a fisheye/upper lower arc bulge itself to appear to lay strait.

wind in my sails - 0
wind out my sails - 2
 
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