SAV graphics with laminate not adhering well.

[TheCPC]

I put up some graphics today on glass, 1.2m x 2.3m (x2) using permanent white SAV with gloss clear laminate.
I wet applied on glass and it hardly tacked onto the glass and we needed a heat gun and lots of elbow grease to apply. Surely this shouldn’t be the case? And just pressing out the water with a squeegee should have been enough.
Was told maybe the memory from laminate is curling it off the glass.
Anyone encountered this or similar?

 

[rjssigns]

Was this on a vehicle?
Was it air release vinyl?
How well was the glass cleaned and with what product?

 

[TheCPC]

- Not a vehicle, no contours, just flat panel glass
- Nope not air release
- Glass was cleaned with soapy water before applying the vinyl

I went and took a look at the job again and it looks fine, slight curling on some edges which I pressed down.

 

[Joseph44708]

I put up some graphics today on glass, 1.2m x 2.3m (x2) using permanent white SAV with gloss clear laminate.
I wet applied on glass and it hardly tacked onto the glass and we needed a heat gun and lots of elbow grease to apply. Surely this shouldn’t be the case? And just pressing out the water with a squeegee should have been enough.
Was told maybe the memory from laminate is curling it off the glass.
Anyone encountered this or similar?

I had a know it all person tell me that it was the memory of the laminate or the memory of the vinyl. Then I showed him the same graffixs printed and laminated 90 degrees and they curled the same.
After trial and error found out I was using too much wetting agent.

 

[citysignshop]

The 'wetting agent' is well-named. The ONLY purpose of putting a few drops of soap in your spray bottle of water is to change the surface tension character of the water...you want a continuous film of water, so that the adhesive doesn't bond prematurely, before you have a chance to move the air out, right? Many folks put a healthy squirt of soap in a 1 quart bottle, which makes a nice foamy spray, but interferes with the bond of the vinyl...effectively it has contaminated the surface!
If you have tech info on the SAV, follow those instructions. For example, the last one I read from 3M dictated a 'few drops' of Ivory dish soap,or 1/3 teaspoon Baby shampoo/quart of water..... Not dawn, or Sunlight, or the Palmolive you have in the kitchen.......those may have oils and fragrance and junk added. The test is; if you spray on the glass, and the water beads and leaves dry spots, you need more surfactant.
and most of the film makers recommend re-squeegeeing after 24 hrs....who does that? well, it might increase the success of your application...once the residual water evaporates, applying pressure ....with some lubricant on the surface ....will improve the bond.