keith olsen

A VINYL / MASK QUESTION FOR THE EXPERTS

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Hi

I want to pre manufacture a bunch of vinyl stickers to sell. I am using Oracal 651 and Ultra Transfer Rite Tape Medium Tack. The question is this.

If I create the sticker ( a set of words), weed it and then apply the mask, what is the maximum length of time recommended do I have before installing it on a vehicle? ?????

Follow up question

Is there anyway around this issue?

Thanks a bunch for the feedback!

Keith

 

 

 

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If you want to make money on vinyl, first off, lose the word "sticker."  Vinyl graphics or decals, mean more money.  In our world a "sticker" is what  kids get at a Dr's office.  A "sticker" means cheap.  printed on paper , peel/stick.   I have never used that brand of transfer tape. But like any masking tape, paper transfer tape, it starts drying out, after applied. Guess, month-6 weeks.    Maybe some one has a better answer.  I ship all of my products, they don't sit around.  But I know how paper transfer tape is, if it sits around,  I have it stuck to my walls. It drys out once exposed. Adhesive gets horrible. Put some pieces of transfer tape on scrap vinyl and see how long it lasts. 

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Yep your right about the term stickers...  sometimes easier to type than custom vinyl graphics...  Might have to change my whole way of thinking about this business idea

What I am observing is more often the masking is  not lifting lettering off the  backing and you end having to walk off, with assistance from your fingertips the vinyl.  Likewise once applied and squee geed the letters lift of with the mask..

 

OTHER COMMENTS PLEASE FROM THE EXPERTS

 

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Your removing the vinyl wrong.  You squeegee the top transfer tape real good. Turn the decal over, transfer tape down and peel the backing away slowly at angle, and make sure that the vinyl is not lifting with it.  it makes a huge difference.  I even write it on my instructions.  The masking/transfer tape is not supposed to lift the vinyl.   You will bring up the wax paper backing doing that and it will be stuck to your decal. Also, if you are cutting too deep, you will drive the edges of the vinyl down into the wax paper backing, making it harder to remove. How did you set your blade depth? 

Just use the word decal. We know what your talking about. 

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651 is a known element with regards to trouble lifting off the backing. Even Oracal recommends doing as Skeeter suggests (pulling the backing off rather than trying to lift the vinyl off the backing) when circumstances permit, which isn't always an option. Sometimes you can't do it that way of it's a large piece and it has to be taped in a precise spot etc... I always use the highest tack tape I can find ( Rtape 4076) when I use 651 vinyl. It helps a lot. You have to be a little careful pulling it off so you don't un-install the new vinyl. 

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Skeeter...  

Sure do appreciate the input... Quite sure I got the depth right I used a feeler gage for the initial depth... there are no marks on backing... I was indeed doing it wrong lifting the masking. 

Any other tips for an old dog?

 

Keith

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You don' t need a feeler gauge to set blade depth correctly. This works for any vinyl that your cutting.   And it does not hurt to have a little mark on the backing, it helps if you need to replace a piece of vinyl, You have the outline of the vinyl piece.  Here is how to set your blade depth correctly.   Your welcome. 

 

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 the blade tip out of the blade holder. 

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I really wonder how much humidity plays a role in the longevity of a "completed" decal.  There are a dozen or so sitting on a file cabinet that were cut and taped over a year ago and they are fine.  But at other times, some have curled or wrinkled transfer tape in less than a day.

 

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I use strips of transfer tape, to hold my vinyl, on the ends, when I put it away, so the whole roll doesn't unroll.  If that color is not used for awhile, the tape is all dried out and adhesive crusty. Tape will just fall off, when pulled slightly. 

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I build some graphics kits for concrete mixer trucks out of 751 and they have me pre-make quite a few so they just have them on hand when they get ready to repaint or repair a truck. I know for a fact they let them sit around for most of a year and apparently they still go on ok. I usually put a piece of cardboard on top and bottom to help keep them flat and protected. 

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