Okay.......I'm getting sick of popping bubbles in vinyl......

[Truckntran 0]

I don't know what I am doing wrong  but I can't seem to get larger signs made without some nasty bubbles that just won't go away.    Even with wet apps I run into it occasionally.

I have been using some reclaimed Omegapanel that the old vinyl was peeled off of, adhesive cleaned with lacquer thinner, even sanded down with 220 grit on an orbital... altho I had similar problems on Coroplast, and even on top of reflective vinyl I have problems with black oracal.

I've been cleaning with rapidprep or rapidtac, using cheapo paper towels, and using paper transfer tape (main perfect tear?) Oracal 751 and also some old Avery /Vector vinyl. I have been applying both wet and dry... wet helps a lot, but they say not to wet apply reflective. I made my own big squeegee and now applying transfer tape is going a LOT better but still, a 1 foot wide piece of reflective seems to always get the better of me. Either it goes crooked or bubbles.

While squeegeeing I try to use the same technique as the videos  linked to here lately. Pretty flat for the first go round, then increase the pressure. Some bubbles will move to the edge of a letter, other times they are trapped and more pressure just stretches the vinyl, making an ugly mark after you pop the bubble and get the trapped air out.

I have a transfer tape tool coming (Signwarehouses version of the Weber made tool) to help out on the larger stuff.. What else could I be doing wrong that makes all these dang bubbles!!??

BTW a sample of the signs I have been trying to make would be a 5 foot long by one foot high engineer  reflective background with black 2 inch brush stroke letters  saying OVERSIZE LOAD. Small 2 inch by 6 inch decals come out perfect....its just the larger stuff that gives me fits.