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Translucent vinyl on Polycarb

3Dsigns

New Member
I'm getting ready to apply some translucent vinyl to some polycarb panformed faces. Is there any prep I need to know about? Thanks I apologize if this is the wrong forum.
 

JBurton

Signtologist
Both, rapid prep followed by rapid tac.
If it's black, it'll bubble up after a few weeks unless you get it to offgas, easiest way I've seen to offgas polycarbonate is to apply black and stick it in the sun.
Now that I think about it, if it's panformed, then it's likely already had all the gasses baked out of it...
 

JBurton

Signtologist
Most of those preps and rapid and homemade concoctions work, but I always follow up with an alcohol bath.
Hey now, I use rapid tac all the time. It's the one thing that will take any of the citrus oil based removers off a surface in one go.
 

Gino

Premium Subscriber
Ohhh...... excusa me, but you musta misunderstood. :help I didn't mean waste any alcohol on a piece of plastic. At the end....... I soak in alcohol. :toasting:
 

GaSouthpaw

Profane and profane accessories.
Yes, RapidTac or Prep would be acceptable for cleaning. A quick spray with your air hose (to get rid of dust) helps, too.
 

Johnny Best

Active Member
I don't know what's a more disturbing picture... Gino naked in a bathtub of alcohol...or Gnubler.
A reading from Gnubler's diary..."Ah, those peaceful evenings soaking in the alcohol with Gino and learning about the sign world. When I first got in my kutch would burn."
 

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gnubler

Active Member
Now that I'm done retching, to get back on topic...

Regarding polycarb offgassing, should there be any special treatment done to stock that isn't panformed? With all the pc panels I've done they've been wiped down with isopropyl and then vinyl installed. So far no problems.
 

JBurton

Signtologist
Now that I'm done retching, to get back on topic...

Regarding polycarb offgassing, should there be any special treatment done to stock that isn't panformed? With all the pc panels I've done they've been wiped down with isopropyl and then vinyl installed. So far no problems.
It's an odd phenomenon mostly limited to nearly full black coverage on printed materials. I've installed black 3m cast on a face at 90% coverage and it was fine. I've also done a full black out print on clear that did bubble up.
Drying it properly is cost prohibitive, unless you're executing a something like a national program of signs that you know will bubble without proper treatment, even then you'd likely opt to go a different route.
TLDR, don't worry about it, unless it happens to you, then at least you'll know what happened. Faces that have had the film removed and in the sun for a time will not present the issue, only new sheets.
 
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