my version of the big sqeegee

[jeremySI 18]

just bought me a new 26" BS for $40 shipped off craigslist. im thinking bout just getting in contact with a company that does plastic molds and having my own made up, will cost a lot less.

[Alien 11]

Thanks Banner John!! I saw your post and went to Harbor Freight and got two and fixed them up using your directions. I have one and Mech has the other. WE made a 48" x 96" two color banner with it and a 18" x 94" decal for a Ford 3500 van. It worked great on both! I have $9 dollars in both not counting the trip. I had made two 12" from an old fiberglass Danger sign. They work good but not as good as your design. I did not use the first aid tape on mine, just the felt. Thanks again!!! PS if you need a very inexpensive 72" straight edge see my post on it.

[SandyM114 0]

I found a trim guide today for 1.50. It didn't come with the plastic guard though. I'll have to figure how to pad it a little.I figured to add felt and duct tape.Sandy

[SandyM114 0]

Alien, how did you attach the felt to the guide? I used gorilla glue, then duct tape over that. It worked ok, but I think I would use an 18" one more. I'm not sure you can buy a trim guide 18 in., but I think I'll look for one. I wish I'd saved my money on the BS for sure now...Sandy

[BannerJohn 1,324]

I used banner hem tape because I already had some.

[Dakotagrafx 7,297]

John - where do you get your hem tape?

[SmallSigns 23]

Just built my "Harbor Freight" squeegee ---- used felt and duct tape. Works like a charm!!!

Thanks John for the idea and inspiration.

[BannerJohn 1,324]

John - where do you get your hem tape?

I had always gotten it from  http://www.mclogan.com/shop/index.php  via ebay, but their price kept going up and now I just get it from my local supplier.

[smithmotorsports99 1]

After falling over at the price of the "big Squeegee" I quickly searched here and found your post.  I went and bought my supplies and used it last night to make 72 vehicle magnets that were 15 wide by 24" tall.  This worked amazing to apply the transfer tape and then the digitally printed material to the magnet. 

THANKS SO MUCH!!!

[BannerJohn 1,324]

I like helping people....glad it worked for you!

[andy 0]

I have a question that I hope you guys can answer, a customer wants some 2 colored reflectorized decal that he will be applying by himself, the size is 12"x 60", my question is this...How can I layer the 2 colors and put transfer tape on it this big? how do I align the registration marks this big? help!

[pyrophire 0]

I have a question that I hope you guys can answer, a customer wants some 2 colored reflectorized decal that he will be applying by himself, the size is 12"x 60", my question is this...How can I layer the 2 colors and put transfer tape on it this big? how do I align the registration marks this big? help!

do your reg marks on the 12" side and throw a couple like every 20" to make sure you are still aligned as you lay it out.

[JLDesigns 1]

Just built my "Harbor Freight" squeegee ---- used felt and duct tape. Works like a charm!!!

Thanks John for the idea and inspiration.

Just built my 'squeegee'!  Found some old plexi glass stuff and had a friend trim it and sand it down, add felt with adhesive spray.  Did my first 4'x8' banner and was a piece of cake with my new squeegee!  Thanks for all you insight!

[JoeBlow 5]

:)

Joe

[boomerbabe 0]

Is this similar to the one from Harbor Freight?

http://www.grainger.com/Grainger/items/2FDK4

I want to try making one too! We struggle getting app tape off the roll and onto our vinyl ( probably because we're pretty new to this sign making business. Rather spend $$ on more vinyl.

Thank for any input. And thanks, John, for this DIY tutorial.

[Truckntran 0]

John, even after duplicating your big squeegie  down to the velcro covering and trying your technique, I am still fighting lines of tiny bubbles on the flutes of the coro. Is it possible I have too great a tack for my app tape and it is pulling the vinyl back off when removing? I am careful to pull it back over itself parallel to the surface, not pulling up from the sign... Oracal 651 or better vinyl, black on yellow coro.

I'd be pulling my hair out on this but it is already gone! 

After a week or two the majority of the bubbling goes away but I can't sell anything right after I apply it as it looks like  beginner work.

[BannerJohn 1,324]

could be your tape..do you wet it and let it sit for a minute or two before you pull it? Sometimes this helps. On Coro, it has a lot to do with the direction you go too. I get those tiny bubbles if I go with the flutes instead of against them,when I squeegee.

[Truckntran 0]

I've tried wet and dry... if the lines run right to left would you squeegie right to left or up and down? Intuitively I would say right to left to push the air along the lines, but ......maybe I  am wrong..

[Booper 2]

I would squeegy parallel to the coroplast flutes, not perpendicular to them, so the squeegy can press the vinyl down into the grooves personally.

[andy 0]

I have a question that I hope you guys can answer, a customer wants some 2 colored reflectorized decal that he will be applying by himself, the size is 12"x 60", my question is this...How can I layer the 2 colors and put transfer tape on it this big? how do I align the registration marks this big? help!

do your reg marks on the 12" side and throw a couple like every 20" to make sure you are still aligned as you lay it out.

thanks

[SpareParts 3]

I know this is an old thread, but I just have to say THANK YOU SO MUCH BannerJohn for posting this! I had a large order for large 2 color layered decals and was having a hard time getting them to layer without bubbles as they were mostly a big block of vinyl with a slightly smaller block of vinyl over it (some text cut out of the top layer). Getting that much solid vinyl to layer nicely over more solid vinyl was killin' me. So I found this old thread, went to Harbor Freight and bought the exact same trim guard. WORKS LIKE A CHARM! Layered three at a time and it went perfect my first try. I could not believe how well it worked. So again, I must say, THANK YOU!! Saved me so much BS....

[BannerJohn 1,324]

I know this is an old thread, but I just have to say THANK YOU SO MUCH BannerJohn for posting this! I had a large order for large 2 color layered decals and was having a hard time getting them to layer without bubbles as they were mostly a big block of vinyl with a slightly smaller block of vinyl over it (some text cut out of the top layer). Getting that much solid vinyl to layer nicely over more solid vinyl was killin' me. So I found this old thread, went to Harbor Freight and bought the exact same trim guard. WORKS LIKE A CHARM! Layered three at a time and it went perfect my first try. I could not believe how well it worked. So again, I must say, THANK YOU!! Saved me so much BS....

I still get the tiny bubbles from time to time. I think it's mostly 'touch'...you have to develop a 'touch' for doing it and I don't do enough to get really good. BUT the big bubbles are a thing of the past. I have found that the MORE you squeegee after you remove the tape, the WORSE they seem to get.

[Namchief 1]

Ok,so I broke down and bought the smallest BS they had..the 14". I think it was around $30 with shipping. It works great! No more wet on corplast for me! Anyhow, I got to looking at the prices for the bigger ones,and looking at the one I had..and thought' what's so special about it? that it should be $60?

So I went to harbor freight, spent $3 for the 24" trim guard...put some felt on the edge,covered it with cotton first aid tape..and BINGO! It works easily as good as my genuine BS. Honest..I wouldn't kid you.

Total cost about $4. It's nice and rigid, doesn't flex.

I know this post was about 18 mths ago but holy crap did this work as explained

Thanks I owe ya one

[chanisco 1]

I know this is an old post, but I made 3 of these this past weekend. You can find these paint guards at Home Depot and Lowe's. Home Depot had a 24" and a 12" and Lowe's had a 23" and 12". (They run between $3 and $7.) I bought some already-cut remnant felt at WalMart for $1.25. I used spray adhesive (3M Super 77) to cover the metal 'blade' with the felt. They work wonderfully for applying app tape to the vinyl and for applying the vinyl to glass. I'm still planning to buy a real BS for my larger stuff, but this method is helping me a great deal with a current project.

Thank you so much for this great solution!

[Coaster36 327]

Would you be able to post a close up picture of the edge of your new squeegee? Maybe John if he still has one?