Vinyl Numbers

[[email protected]]

For years I've prepped the area by buffing to remove wax and contaminants, then centered the numbers and started in the middle. Just to find numerous bubbles trapped under the Vinal........Ugh!!! This morning I buffed the area to apply new COBRA decal to a trailer, wiped the area with a towel and was about to tape on the Vinyl when the low sun angle disclosed little lint balls everywhere! I had imparted a charge to the surface by buffing it. I gave it a few minutes to disparate, then wiped away everything with my hand and guess what? NO BUBBLES!
JJ

[Charlie M. (UH & 002 owner/pilot)]

Shocking revelation. Hope you didn't get to much static from the bubbles......;-)

Realistically, low humidity (winter up north, lots of times in deserts) static builds up. A damp towel (acetone or similar) as a final wipe seems to help.
Don't be wearing wool or polyester as they tend to build up a charge just by moving around.

[Michael Opitz]

At 16:02 18 June 2018, Charlie M. UH & 002 owner/pilot wrote:
>Shocking revelation. Hope you didn't get to much static from the
>bubbles......;-)
>
>Realistically, low humidity (winter up north, lots of times in
deserts)
>static builds up. A damp towel (acetone or similar) as a final wipe
seems
>to help.
>Don't be wearing wool or polyester as they tend to build up a
charge just
>by moving around.
>

About 33 years ago, I asked fellow glider pilot Ron Webster to make
us some Team USA stickers, as he was then President of Gerber
Scientific (which had the patents on all of the new vinyl sign
computer controlled cutting technology). Anyway, he gladly made
up our stickers and furnished application instructions along with
them.

Yes, you have to clean the area, but then you are supposed to use a
spray bottle containing water with a dash of dish soap to spray down
the surface area where the sticker will go, as well as the back of the
sticker. You then apply the sticker. The water solution will even let
you shift it around some until you get it right where you want it.
Then, you use a semi-hard plastic squeegee (starting from the
center) to squeeze out the water and air bubbles working it all
towards the edges. You do this all with the top transfer paper still
attached to the top of the sticker so the squeegeeing doesn't mar
the sticker surface.. When you have the air and water bubbles all
worked out, let it sit overnight, or at least for a few hours so that
the transfer paper can dry out, and the adhesive can set. Then,
finally peel the top transfer paper off at a very sharp angle so that
it doesn't try to lift the new sticker underneath. Done this way,
almost all air/water bubbles are eliminated. Any small ones that
are left can be poked and drained by using a needle.

RO

[[email protected]]

On Monday, June 18, 2018 at 1:15:05 PM UTC-4, Michael Opitz wrote:
> At 16:02 18 June 2018, Charlie M. UH & 002 owner/pilot wrote:
> >Shocking revelation. Hope you didn't get to much static from the
> >bubbles......;-)
> >
> >Realistically, low humidity (winter up north, lots of times in
> deserts)
> >static builds up. A damp towel (acetone or similar) as a final wipe
> seems
> >to help.
> >Don't be wearing wool or polyester as they tend to build up a
> charge just
> >by moving around.
> >
>
> About 33 years ago, I asked fellow glider pilot Ron Webster to make
> us some Team USA stickers, as he was then President of Gerber
> Scientific (which had the patents on all of the new vinyl sign
> computer controlled cutting technology). Anyway, he gladly made
> up our stickers and furnished application instructions along with
> them.
>
> Yes, you have to clean the area, but then you are supposed to use a
> spray bottle containing water with a dash of dish soap to spray down
> the surface area where the sticker will go, as well as the back of the
> sticker. You then apply the sticker. The water solution will even let
> you shift it around some until you get it right where you want it.
> Then, you use a semi-hard plastic squeegee (starting from the
> center) to squeeze out the water and air bubbles working it all
> towards the edges. You do this all with the top transfer paper still
> attached to the top of the sticker so the squeegeeing doesn't mar
> the sticker surface.. When you have the air and water bubbles all
> worked out, let it sit overnight, or at least for a few hours so that
> the transfer paper can dry out, and the adhesive can set. Then,
> finally peel the top transfer paper off at a very sharp angle so that
> it doesn't try to lift the new sticker underneath. Done this way,
> almost all air/water bubbles are eliminated. Any small ones that
> are left can be poked and drained by using a needle.
>
> RO

That works really well as long as the transfer or release paper backing doesn't go soggy in water. Test first.
UH

[[email protected]]

On Monday, June 18, 2018 at 2:07:10 PM UTC-7, wrote:
> That works really well as long as the transfer or release paper backing
> doesn't go soggy in water. Test first.
> UH

The transfer paper *should* be waterproof enough to do what Mike O describes. I hang out at a place that does vinyl lettering and that is the technique they use. You're not soaking the surface or decal, just getting it damp enough to let it slide around as you place it. Also, it can take several days for the bubbles to completely go away - if you still have any.

5Z

[[email protected]]

On Monday, June 18, 2018 at 7:19:13 PM UTC-4, wrote:
> On Monday, June 18, 2018 at 2:07:10 PM UTC-7, wrote:
> > That works really well as long as the transfer or release paper backing
> > doesn't go soggy in water. Test first.
> > UH
>
> The transfer paper *should* be waterproof enough to do what Mike O describes. I hang out at a place that does vinyl lettering and that is the technique they use. You're not soaking the surface or decal, just getting it damp enough to let it slide around as you place it. Also, it can take several days for the bubbles to completely go away - if you still have any.
>
> 5Z

The 3M 7125 series material I use (intended for sign making and such)has a backing release paper that does not tolerate water. Other than that issue it is great. Thin, goes on easily, available in many colors.
My point is simply check your materials before you go crazy.
UH

[KEN]

On Monday, June 18, 2018 at 11:33:03 AM UTC-4, wrote:
> For years I've prepped the area by buffing to remove wax and contaminants, then centered the numbers and started in the middle. Just to find numerous bubbles trapped under the Vinal........Ugh!!! This morning I buffed the area to apply new COBRA decal to a trailer, wiped the area with a towel and was about to tape on the Vinyl when the low sun angle disclosed little lint balls everywhere! I had imparted a charge to the surface by buffing it. I gave it a few minutes to disparate, then wiped away everything with my hand and guess what? NO BUBBLES!
> JJ

The material that you want to ask for is called air release vinyl. No need to use water. You can install dry with no air bubbles.

[[email protected]]

Guess I didn't explain it too well, I believe the air bubbles are caused by lint on the surface. Check for lint with low light angle, then wipe surface with a painters tac-cloth before applying Vinyl.
JJ

[Craig Funston[_3_]]

On Tuesday, June 19, 2018 at 8:14:13 AM UTC-7, wrote:
> Guess I didn't explain it too well, I believe the air bubbles are caused by lint on the surface. Check for lint with low light angle, then wipe surface with a painters tac-cloth before applying Vinyl.
> JJ

JJ, you were perfectly clear. Thanks for the head's up.

The rest is just thread drift. Should we move on to PW-5s?

Cheers,
Craig

[[email protected]]

Wonder if a lint roller would be useful just before vinyl letter application...

[Charlie M. (UH & 002 owner/pilot)]

I understood, the static can attract all sorts of crud from the air, even small flying insects. A damp wipedown can help kill the static as well as remove any final stuff on the surface.
A tack cloth can pull crud, but may do nothing about the charge.