Glue on tractor-feed pegs... why?

[_Neil]

I'm getting a lot of residual glue on my tractor-feed pegs, and I can probably understand why this would happen, but I can't understand why I get so much with just about 10 yds of vinyl. I also occasionally see some round vinyl cutouts suggesting that the vinyl did not have the holes completely punched through, though I've yet to see any un-punched holes on the vinyl. This causes alignment issues, as all I do is very small decals. Using Oracal 651.

So my questions are: Is this normal that it happens so fast? And is there a safe solvent that will clean this off easily (rather than me picking/scraping it off with a pair of tweezers)?

Thanks.

 

[James Burke]

This happens when you use vinyl that extends all the way to the edges of the backing paper instead of being trimmed back approx. 1/2" on each side. After the vinyl is punched, it will continue to shrink a bit (or perhaps shift a little) on the backing paper. That slight misalignment between the vinyl and the paper allows the adhesive to come into contact with the pegs...albeit ever so slightly. Over time, you get the buildup like you show in your photo. I absolutely hate using vinyl that doesn't have trimmed edges just for that very reason. I've seen old rolls of vinyl where the backing paper holes were half covered by the vinyl on each side.

DO NOT use chemicals. Repeat...DO NOT use any chemicals to clean the pegs. You risk damaging the plastic, or it may get on the drum and destroy the rubber.

Simply take a Bic stick pen (Round Stic) and pull out the ink cartridge. Use a razor blade to carefully cut a 1/8" "V" notch in the end of the pen. Place the pen over each peg and give it a few twists. The glue will come off like magic, fairly quickly. It's almost fun to watch how easily it comes off.

JB

 

[_Neil]

Excellent, thanks! Will try this.

Which vinyls are trimmed back like that? I suspect the Gerber ones, but any others?

I'm not in the sign business (mostly just do decals for in-house products and use a 50 yd roll of vinyl in approx 2 years) so spending a bit more on better vinyl should not be an issue. BTW, yes I know it was ridiculous to buy one of these for the minimal decals I need, but the convenience is priceless.

 

[James Burke]

We only use sandblast stencil which is always trimmed. I'm sure your supplier or other forum members can recommend something.


JB

 

[James Burke]

...and use a 50 yd roll of vinyl in approx 2 years.

Ahh...that's most likely the reason. As noted in my post above, the vinyl is shrinking considerably. You may want to order your vinyl in smaller quantities and use them up on each run.



JB

 

[_Neil]

Ahh...that's most likely the reason. As noted in my post above, the vinyl is shrinking considerably. You may want to order your vinyl in smaller quantities and use them up on each run.

JB

Ahhh... makes sense! Thanks!

 

[letterman7]

When I had my 4B that was a very common problem. Didn't matter what kind of vinyl I ran through it, just seemed to collect the adhesive from the holes. Once a week with a brass brush and all was good. A little alcohol went a long way as well.