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tim46

Need Help with Oracal 651 and RTape

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HI Everyone - Need a little help, what is the best Clear Tape to use for Oracal 651, I have RTape AT 65 which works but is very difficult for me and I have been doing this for over 8 years so I'm sure your average customer will not be able to make this work, and I have to use clear tape for this customer.  Thanks In Advance.

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I think most of the people here will recommend a medium tack paper tape over a clear.

If clear is the only way you want to go,  and you don't have a reasonable turnover time for your inventory of app tape, you might want to check how hold your vinyl and/or tape are, because those are contributing factors as to ease or difficulty of usage.

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When needed I use the AT65 like you have. Clear is just not that great even though some customers seem to prefer it. I usually just tell them that I'll do it but that I highly recommend a quality paper app tape so they know I didn't recommend it in the first place. I do the recommending in an email or something written that can be sent to them to remind them later because some seem to forget what you told them. 

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So what IS the best transfer tape for 651? I used the MT80P and it just doesn't seem to lift detailed vinyl off the backing paper. My customer destroyed his vinyl trying to apply using this transfer tape. The HT55 I have does not seem tacking enough either.

I'm producing a logo cut out (customer provided) that is fairly detailed and is kind of a pain to weed I might add. Maybe it's too detailed for vinyl cut out application? I tried to get him to change the font, but that was a no go. Some of the tiny little pieces just don't want to lift off the backing paper. Should I even continue trying this?

 

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First off, you don't lift decals from the backing, you will actually lift the wax paper backing up also doing that, and it will stick to the back of your decal.  You squeegee the decal front transfer tape, real good, then turn the decal face down and slowly peel the backing away from the decal.  It makes a huge difference.  I actually write this on every decal that I sell.   I use Main  ( NEKOOSA) medium tack paper tape, and have for many years.  No problems or complaints. I sell some very large and detailed designs.    I had to look that tape up  MT80P.  Paper tape is the way to go. Not that clear stuff. You cannot, roll, bend ,stretch or use the  MT80P wet. Pros use paper tape.  

Another problem, could be that your cutting too deep and pushing the vinyl into the backing. Possibly you are using the wrong blade depth instructions that are out there.  . Never use instructions that use a credit card or post it notes for setting blade depth. This is the correct way to set your blade depth.

To start with, you should set your blade depth correctly, by taking the blade holder out of the machine, and firmly cut across a piece of scrap vinyl, you will be cutting. You should only be cutting the vinyl and barely a mark on wax paper backing, Adjust blade to get there, Then put the blade holder back in machine, and use the force of the machine to get there, same results, only cutting the vinyl and barely a mark in wax paper backing. You should just barely see and feel your blade tip out of the blade holder.

The transfer tape that I use is very similar to this.  I have bought mine from another dealer for many years now, closer to me. 

https://www.uscutter.com/Main-Tape-GXP750-PerfecTear-Plus-Medium-Tack-Transfer-Tape

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Thanks Skeeter. I figured you'd have an answer. So much for following the manufacturer's guidelines. I'll make the suggested changes and see what happens. I do think I may have the blade depth too deep, as you say I can clearly see where the decal was cut after it has been removed from the paper.

[Sometime later] OK, checked blade out of cutter. That thing is BARELY out of the end of the holder. But I could still see the cut on the backing paper. So I adjusted it some more. I didn't think it would cut. Sure enough it cut the vinyl and barely made a mark on the backing paper. Still have to test out a machine cut, but wow. I suspect I will have to make more adjustments now with offset and such. I do try and cut at lower speeds to keep things clean (and I don't really have a lot of volume to demand speed).

Now to order some of that new transfer paper....

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A quality paper tape medium or high tac  according to the size and how detailed your design is.  I also squeegee the back of the backing paper...then as Skeeter said remove the backing paper from the cut vinyl. To remove the mask spray rapid tac on the paper take your hand and rub it in when the mask bubbles it is very easy to remove.

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I use R Tape Conform. Its a love hate relationship with this stuff. 

Best clear tape I used was some hobbyist stuff I got from Swing Design. Doesnt come in big rolls I dont think, but it was just soo easy to work with. It was clear with blue grids on it. 

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