Large propane tank - vinyl graphics

[Gino]

• Cut the numbers out and put them down in any scrap vinyl you have.
• Next, draw a line top and bottom and run a piece opf painter's 2" tape top and bottom.
• Draw in the curved edges.
• Take a roller in what ever color it is and roll it on.
• Cut the rounded corners in with a 2" brush.
• Let it set up.
• Before it's dry, remove all the vinyl letters and tape.
• It'll be done in less than 1 hour including drawing your guidelines and clean up.
• Cost will be about $25. for that portion, cause you can use sh!tty vinyl for the template.

 

[Moze]

It will go right over the weld without a problem, no heat should be needed. Use a top hinge method.
We do load of these up here. We did one up to look like a dairy cow with black spotches.

+751 Oracal, that is all we use on outdoor stuff.

I agree - I'd just go over the weld. A lot of the vinyl will stick to it. If it doesn't, it's not going to be enough to make the other vinyl come loose. Top hinge it, apply a letter or two at a time and call it a day.

Center hinge the phone number portion. Can't hurt to apply wet, but dry would be fine as well.

 

[phototec]

• Cut the numbers out and put them down in any scrap vinyl you have.
• Next, draw a line top and bottom and run a piece opf painter's 2" tape top and bottom.
• Draw in the curved edges.
• Take a roller in what ever color it is and roll it on.
• Cut the rounded corners in with a 2" brush.
• Let it set up.
• Before it's dry, remove all the vinyl letters and tape.
• It'll be done in less than 1 hour including drawing your guidelines and clean up.
• Cost will be about $25. for that portion, cause you can use sh!tty vinyl for the template.

Gino, do you have a recomendation for the paint?

 

[Gino]

1Shot or Ronan lettering enamel.

 

[TheSnowman]

This is one we did probably five years ago. I think I had maybe four hours in it total. We didn't even wash the tank first, they just said apply it as is. We cleaned it a little, but it was so massive it wasn't doing much. It hardly stuck when we removed the transfer tape, which made it really easy to get air out from under the 751. I was worried about it, but 5+ years later, it's still up there looking good as the day we installed it.

It had welds in it too, just went down like they weren't there, then worked the air out of it. No problem. It was a good profit job too. Letters were 4' tall, so I just ordered a 4' roll of the colors I needed and off we went.

Oh yea, a scissors lift makes this easier too!

 

[phototec]

This is one we did probably five years ago. I think I had maybe four hours in it total. We didn't even wash the tank first, they just said apply it as is. We cleaned it a little, but it was so massive it wasn't doing much. It hardly stuck when we removed the transfer tape, which made it really easy to get air out from under the 751. I was worried about it, but 5+ years later, it's still up there looking good as the day we installed it.

It had welds in it too, just went down like they weren't there, then worked the air out of it. No problem. It was a good profit job too. Letters were 4' tall, so I just ordered a 4' roll of the colors I needed and off we went.

Oh yea, a scissors lift makes this easier too!

Wow, 4' tall letters, that must have been a challenge to lay down dry, did you have help?

Looks good!

 

[TheSnowman]

Just me and my wife. It wasn't hard because it didn't stick real well. Like I said, I was worried about it coming up, but five years later, I'm convinced it's not going to.

We did this at spur of the moment on a 50 degree day in November. Didn't think we would be doing it till spring, but it worked out all at once, so we just decided one afternoon to knock the whole thing out. We got the big stuff done in a couple hours, then I had to go back the next day and do the little stuff under the CF.

We were going to shoot it with a transit to get a level line, but ended up that the welded joints were able to be measured from, and we went from that.

 

[vinyl jedi]

I've lettered a few tanks, never used any special vinyl for them. what ever you typically use for lettering a trailer or vehicle should work fine. had no issues with install, the only thing that wasn't smooth was the weld lines that ran vertical on the tank every 6-8 ft. Good luck, should be easy money!

 

[vinyl jedi]

Hey guys, I have one more question regarding this large propane tank job, the phone number will now be a large reverse graphic (see photo below) 15" tall and 18' long.

What is the best way to apply a large reverse graphic this size, can it be done in one piece, wet or dry?

Thanks

absolutely. I would lay it out, run a couple of overlapped pieces of tape vertical in the center. Then move your ladder all the way to the right side, bringing the left half of the vinyl with you. peel the paper back just a couple inches and tape the mask to the tank. Now peel the backing paper all the way to the tape, cut, then re-apply the backing back on the vinyl, leaving a couple inches of the backing folded over so you have something to grab onto when peeling back. now move your ladder all the way back to the left side bringing the left half of the vinyl back with you and pull taught and tape. now you have the backing paper back on so you can peel as you apply in both directions. I hope you can make sense of this its kind of hard to explain. or you could always to a hinge from the left or right side and manipulate the vinyl as you go following some reference marks. as far as for wet or dry, the only thing i have done wet in the last ten years is on the back side of acrylic. best of luck!