vinylmotivations

Proper Vinyl Storage

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I have been tossing around the idea of building a cart, on casters that would allow me to roll my vinyl supplies into and out of my truck and into and out of craft shows etc, and move around easily.... POSSIBLY, with a work surface on top.....

THAT being said, I have always wondered- I have seen folks store rolls laying down in tubes or cubbies, hanging on stems sticking our or running paralell to a wall- and some standing on end just as in a box. Vinyl is shipped in boxes with deals that prevent rolls from collapsing etc-

My question is- What is the best way to properly store rolls to prevent collapse, keep the material from mottling/scuffing/scratches etc, and also ease of access/possibly portability?

Right now mine is all in boxes and it makes it really difficult to move around :(

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From the Oracal FAQ Page:

The self-adhesive products ORACAL®, ORAJET®, ORAGUARD®, ORABOND®, ORALITE®, and ORAMOUNT® are supplied in rolls and should at all times be stored either suspended or standing on end on the roll blocks provided, and never lying on the material side. For storage and processing they should be kept in a cool dry place protected from sunlight. Relative air humidity between 50% and 60% and temperature between + 64°F and 72°F should be ensured. Direct sunlight, storage beside radiators, etc. should by all means be avoided. Please observe the shelf life instructions contained in the technical data sheet available for each film at www.oracal.com.

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I took a 2x4 and drilled 1" holes on a 45 degree angle up the long side and cut wooden dowels down stuck them in the holes and "hang" the vinyl on the dowels. I was always told you didn't lay the vinyl down because you didn't want to create flat spots on the material. I just got to the point to where I am going to have to build another one due to ordering multiple different rolls and having alot in stock now

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That is very good to know Jay. I have a ribbion holder hanging in the closet of my craft room and I am currently working on the same style to hang my vinyl rolls from. The sticks poping out of the wall look unsafe and I'm short so that won't work at my house. Not to mention if you have long rolls of vinyl that wouldn't work at all.

But I use 2 chains wraped around a closet dowel at the top to support metal rods which the vinyl will hang on. The rod the vinyl will hang will need to be a bit thicker to support the weight so my chain will also need to have a more open loop. Here is a picture of my ribbion rack. I've see the racks in the "show your workspace" in the general or off topic section but seemed to me like those guys spent more money then what they had to. They had more dowells then room for their vinyl. Which they probably didn't think about untill after they went to hang their vinyl. I had mine standing up but I crinkled the end and now they are laying down on large bubble wrap untill I finish my new rack.

Why not build a A frame rack on wheels? Similar to a ladder rack of what you see in hardware stores containing spools of rope? It would be mobile and allow for a large varity of vinyl and if you set it up right could sit behind/under the table and load directly onto the machine without having to move the roll. That's my next project! Build and A frame vinyl rack. I'll post pictures when it's done.

post-20615-0-76032500-1322008100.jpg

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Even just the rod part holding the chain would work. I saw someone has a setup on casters with 16 verticle pegs and a roll of vinyl on each peg. Just leave the core plugs in place to keep them from moving around too much. Could maybe even set it up boxed in on two levels.

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I thought about building something out of PVC with casters on it, since PVC is lightweight and cheap.... yet durable. Just trying to debate designs. Would like something at an angle so rolls can't work themselves off, but also small enough to be portable, big enough to hold everything. I usually keep 5 and 10 yard rolls of basically everything. If I need something for a large order, I tend to order it JUST for that order....

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I like that idea Jay. That design could be lighter if it's frame was pvc or even 2x2s. You wouldnt have to worry about the weight of the vinyl rolls hanging off the pvc because the base is more of the support in that design. However the vinyl is more likely to tip the cart over due to the lightweight of the material.

Vinyl my only concern with making the hanging vinyl rack with pvc is that it may not be strong enough to hold all the weight. I've never used pvc to hold weight really, Have you?

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The other thought I has was instead of the hinge, use drawer slides. Then the cart could be shorter or have 3 levels.

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