Chrome wrap vinyls - Which one?

[CSOCSO]

I wonder what other people used to wrap a vehicle in chrome.
After 3M sent me some chrome sample piece what they are working on I wasn't expecting anything good from other companies. 3M chrome was super thick! Probably twice as thick as the ij40!
Then I decided to get some samples from other companies like avery and hexis. Hexis came in first. First thing I wanted to try is to see how nicely stretches in to concave places like a trunk (around the license plate part).


Hexis=FAIL!
It surprised me how thin the material was. Problem is:
It does not stretch! Does not stay down not even with Primer 94!
As soon as you heat it up and lay it down it will come right back up. Never seen a vinyl doing that. Yet it was super sticky. I had hard time pulling it off once it touches the surface


Avery: Same thickness maybe a tiny bit thicker than Hexis
But so far it looks like it stays down nicely with primer 94


You can easily pill off the hexis from primered surface. (why??!?! never seen this before!)
Hexis look SUPERIOR compared to 3m or Avery! Hexis had super smooth chrome finish while 3m and avery had orange peel - ugly - hard to see your own reflection finish.

Did anyone else used these yet?

 

[Xcesiv]

I haven't used any but have sold it to other people who have installed with it.

Most people like the Avery more from what rope tell me

 

[Charlie J]

I haven't even found a distributor that carries it yet.

 

[Xcesiv]

I have 2 that stock Avery and 1 for hexis in Australia and 1 supplier I use o/s when they are out

 

[synergy_jim]

it was my understanding that the chrome vinyls only allow for 10 to 15 % stretch.

 

[GZ SIGN DESIGNS]

Have the Avery in stock used it on many apps.Even printed on it No probs so far.

 

[CSOCSO]

Well.. my Avery chrome just came in. I will rewrap my trunk probably next week. I will snap a few pic to compare the mirror finish of both hexis and avery vinyl.

Btw my Avery test piece stayed down on a concave part of my vehicle without coming back up for a whole week. ( vs Hexis few seconds)

 

[COOKY]

Have the Avery in stock used it on many apps.Even printed on it No probs so far.

Wow. What sort of printer ?

 

[HulkSmash]

avery has the best chrome with the best stretch. It even has an air release liner

 

[WhiteWrapper]

How long did you let hexis sit? My understanding is hexis is a time sensitive adhesive and is easily removable until a certian amount of time passes while other films are pressure sensitive.

 

[CSOCSO]

Finally had a slower day at work so I installed the Avery on the trunk. ( Yes... I didn't had any slow day for almost two months)
Loved the avery chrome compared to the hexis one.
You can slide it around, adhesive is not super aggressive.
Air release <3
Darker chrome than the hexis which is very good because the hexis was very cloudy / milky?!?!
But it also has much more orange peel look.
Managed to scratch it with a brand new squeegee and the felt had soapy water on it.
Not much stretch. I was surprised that I could stretch it in license plate area. It felt super rigid around there.

 

[CSOCSO]

How long did you let hexis sit? My understanding is hexis is a time sensitive adhesive and is easily removable until a certian amount of time passes while other films are pressure sensitive.

Hexis was on my car 2 maybe 3 months yet it came off in small pieces.
time sensitive? Hexis popped back up in seconds. While Avery stayed down for days. We are talking about a very very simple concave area.

If you want to know we are talking about the back of my rear spoiler. The two sides where it has a concave area. Not even as aggressive as a door handle area or the trunk license plate area.

 

[kanini]

 

[crystalcoastgraphics]

Which one had the worse orange peel? The hexis or the avery?

 

[zymogenesyst]

I see 3M now offers chrome in they're 1080 series. Is that the sample they sent you?

 

[WrapZone]

From what I hear 3M is the best, Hexis is coming out with a new chrome (both white and colored) after new years have tried the one they offer now and it is no good at all, same thing with Mac Tac and I spoke to Avery and they were not to confident in their own product.

We are getting some preview samples of the Hexis to try out, we have a client who wants to do his Fisker Carma blue chrome

 

[CSOCSO]

Avery looks horrible compared to hexis when it comes to orange peel
Avery does have a better chrome color! Much deeper /darker chrome. Hexis chrome color was too bright
Avery is superior compared to hexis when it comes to installation. I would not do any installation with hexis even if they pay me 15 grand to do a car. It was a nightmare!
I did my trunk with hexis and as I said before. Vinyl popped back up right away in front of my face seconds after I stretched in the vinyl around the license plate. Primer 94 does not work with hexis chrome.
And after installation , the car being on the sun several wrinkles started to appear out of NOWHERE!

About the 3M chrome. Not sure if its the same what they sent me a few months ago. I hope not because that thing felt twice as thick as the hexis or avery chrome. And for $2800 for 25' roll they should have come out with a 60" width to begin with.
EDIT: just checked the pdf for the 3M chrome. Thickness should be the same (6.5mil) It also comes with a 2 mil protective film.