I was liking the wet application, I did a whole big sign on polycarbonate without any problems, but today I tried it on the rear windshield of my van and it was nearly impossible to get the vinyl to stick. I squeegeed and squeegeed as firmly as I could, and it seemed like there was no adhesive at all. Came right off with the backing. I finally scrapped the decal, made another one, and applied it dry. Do any of you guys use wet application for glass windows and if so, what might I have done wrong?
-
I want to thank all the members that have upgraded your accounts. I truly appreciate your support of the site monetarily. Supporting the site keeps this site up and running as a lot of work daily goes on behind the scenes. Click to Support Signs101 ...
Wet vs Dry Application
- Thread starter Ripcord
- Start date
Gino
Premium Subscriber
You didn't wait long enough is the fundamental problem.
You can use all kinds of formulas for the juice, but in the end..... time is what decides it all. Also, the colder the area you're working in..... the longer it will take. You can soak a piece of glass in the middle of summer and it might be removable within two minutes.
You can use all kinds of formulas for the juice, but in the end..... time is what decides it all. Also, the colder the area you're working in..... the longer it will take. You can soak a piece of glass in the middle of summer and it might be removable within two minutes.
Billct2
Active Member
Different methods for different substrates & conditions.
We are of the "dry" school but use app fluid when needed, mostly for those times we have to layer and may need to re-register.
When vinyl first appeared I made the mistake of trying to do a wet app on a glass storefront on a chilly day, never again.
We are of the "dry" school but use app fluid when needed, mostly for those times we have to layer and may need to re-register.
When vinyl first appeared I made the mistake of trying to do a wet app on a glass storefront on a chilly day, never again.
MikePro
New Member
$1 says the window had RainX on it. #justsayin'
i prefer dry for speed, wet for difficult applications & illuminated signage.
also, after wet applying a masked graphic: spray the transfer mask & squeegee again prior to removal. softens the bond between the mask & vinyl and makes for easier removal.
i prefer dry for speed, wet for difficult applications & illuminated signage.
also, after wet applying a masked graphic: spray the transfer mask & squeegee again prior to removal. softens the bond between the mask & vinyl and makes for easier removal.
Kottwitz-Graphics
New Member
I personally have never had luck with a wet application on glass, even with RT II.
Glass installs are always dry, polycarbonate installs wet, and any other substraites can be done wet, but I do them dry.
Pixels Are Bad Mmmkay?
New Member
Using the wrong paper towels will do this too. Make sure you don't use Viva towels as they have lotions that will leave your vinyl unable to grab the surface. I learned this the hard way.
d fleming
Premium Subscriber
I definitely prefer to do glass dry. But if I'm doing full coverage printed windows I will float them on in a heartbeat. No need to worry about tape for that.
If that was true, none of us would ever see an installation done by some lowballer or inexperienced hobbyist who undercut us to get a job riddled with bubbles even months or years later. It is one my biggest pet peeves about this industry in my daily travels. I can live with losing a job to a better craftsperson or superior design, but when I see a poorly designed AND poorly installed job that I provided a perfectly fair, good quality bid on, it drives me batty driving past it day after day.
Bubbles don't just mysteriously travel great distances like Free Willy to escape from under the oppression of a waterproof, mostly airtight, high adhesive material.
Grizzly
It’s all about your print!
I did a 3 layer sticker with 2 metallic colors and chrome on a semi one time. It was super hot and it was before we had an install bay big enough to pull a semi in. It was hot (100 degrees with full sun!) and the truck was so hot, the clear masking would just shrink and wrinkle. By the time we got it on it looked terrible, bubbles all over! You would have thought it was our first job ever. All done dry. We told him to watch it for a week and see if it improved. If it didn't we'd replace it and do it early in the morning. Needless to say, he never came back or told us. And yes he was a regular customer and wouldn't go anywhere else. About 6 months later he came back for us to add something so we looked over the sticker. It was PERFECT! I was amazed, not even a single bubble. The sticker material does expand and contract which will help the bubbles go away.
J Hill Designs
New Member
Grizzly
It’s all about your print!
What would you have rather I said, Gerber 220 series or oracle 951? It was meant to be generic. What's wrong with sticker material?
bob
It's better to have two hands than one glove.
More properly; 'vinyl'.
People with Cricuts make stickers. People with actual equipment in actual business do vinyl lettering and graphics. Moreover, those same Cricut wielding beings speak of 'a graphic' in a semi-literate attempt to turn an adjective into a noun.
Knowing the nomenclature is at least half of all understanding. And most certainly all of not appearing a mouth breathing buffoon.