Calendard vs cast Vinyl

[rnjgraphics]

I am a newbie who has used mid grade calendard vinyl on several projects and have had no problems. I am make some 6" x 12" aluminum signs that are going to be up for a long time, so I ordered Oracal 751 and I am finding it much more difficult to work with. Is this the case between the two types of vinyl? During weeding I keep getting the excess stuck to the letters, which I can't remove without ruining the letter. Then I finally got one weeded properly, and when I applied it the to the aluminum there are many air bubbles and some rough looking patches. Do I need to use a different application tape? I am using a medium tak. This is just white lettering on green aluminum. Would the calendard vinyl be a good choice too? Or should I just keep fighting with the Oracal 751. The roll of vinyl had some problems on the edges where the vinyl had come off the backing and was sticking together. Could the vinyl have not been stored properly to make it more difficult to work with??

I searched for a while on this and found a nice post about air bubbles working themselves out, or not... But I am curious to know if this vinyl is just more difficult to work with and if there are suggestions on how to get it to work better.

Thanks so much.

jean

 

[jscarl]

Welcome to S101. You might have better luck if you go ti the foyer and introduce yourself. Problem mostly sounds like a lot of lack of experience. Where did you get the vinyl?.

 

[Jim Doggett]

Technique is king, when applying dry. Cast/Premium is thinner and has a more aggresive adhesive than Calendered/Intermediate. So it's tougher to handle, initially. But if your signs need to last a long time, Cast is the way to go. Calendered will shrink a lot more and start to come off faster than Cast.

Basically, if the transfer tape is wrinkle-free and well-applied, that helps, greatly. Then, apply with angled stokes, pressing firmly on the initial pass. A pin (bubble-popper) will save you, while you get better at it.

Also, remove the transfer tape by pulling from a low angle ... don't lift straight up.

Good luck,

Jim

 

[Billct2]

Do a little research on application methods. There are lots of videos around.

 

[WhiskeyDreamer]

since you're going on alum and have never used cast before...do a wet application...

 

[J Hill Designs]

+1 for wet - also, when applying, I use a herringbone-type pattern with my squeegee - observe:

 

[ChiknNutz]

Personally, I think Oracal 751 is one of the finest vinyls out there (best value vs. performance). Sounds to me like operator error, not the material.

 

[rnjgraphics]

Thanks so much for the responses, I am quite sure it is operator error. I now know that the cast vinyl is thinner and has a more aggresive adhesive, which is pretty much what I was experiencing, and makes it a bit harder to work with. I have researched application methods in the past, before my first attempts, and things were going so smoothly on my projects with the calendared vinyl, I guess I got over confident. When using this type, it was problems from the get go. I have plenty of extra vinyl and extra pieces of alum, so I will just do more research, follow the directions offered on this post, get out my application juice and practice practice practice!!

Thanks again for all the help!!

 

[The Big Squeegee]

Welcome from OK