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How to Apply Vinyl Stripes

snopercod

Well Known Member
So my vinyl stripes arrived today from Aerographics and now I have to figure out how to apply them. The stripes are 18' long, straight, and taper from 3/4" wide in the front to 2" wide at the tail. The material is 3M Scotchcal 220. Aerographics sent instructions describing a dry method and a wet method. I'm thinking the dry method is what I should use. They suggest placing the vinyl on the aircraft with small pieces of tape to hold it in place, then taping a continuous "hinge" along the top edge so the material can be lifted up and the backing pulled off. Does this sound right? Does anyone have any advice or suggestions? Thanks in advance.
 
professional goo

I put vinyl stripes on my -7
http://ukfigs.blogspot.com/

I first tries the water and soap method on the wheel pants and the graphic touched the surface and stuck in the wrong place and I destroyed it trying to get it right, ordered another set and figured putting the graphic on the fuselage would be mission impossible. I decided to talk to a few experts (one who puts graphics on commercial airliners) and came up with the following:
1. It is a 2 person job
2. If there is a place to cut the graphic to have shorter pieces then do it (on mine the fuselage decal cuts are at the cowl intersection and aft of the cockpit where is a skin overlap), makes it easier to place the pieces.
3. The professionals use a gel like substance that you paint on the back of the decal, you can then slide the decal into the correct place and squeegee out the gel and the decal adhesive then sets up. Mine is 7 years old and still stuck solid even the edge by the cowling.
4. Place the decal with the backing on on the plane and use masking tape on the plane and the decal to line everything up and make alignment reference points to help you align the decal when you do the actual install.

I cannot remember the name of the gel but maybe aerographics will know. The name of the company that helped me was called namplates Inc (now NPI) in Tulsa.
Hope this helps.
Figs
 
Just saw a guy put on long stripes on a freshly painted Zenith and he:

1) Had help as in two person job.

2) taped the decal roughly in place with masking tape.

4) Used secret spray on subtance to allow repositioning the decal.

5) Worked from the middle outward to both ends using squeegee (bondo spatula)

His secret spray on ingredient?

Windex

Results looked perfect but he said he grew up in the auto body biz so he's done a lot of anything to do with finishing vehicles.

YMMV
 
I put decal stripes on a VW Beetle 35-years ago and use a wet method similar to what is described above. I did not use Windex but did use water and dish soap mixture with great results.
 
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Thanks!

Thanks for responding. The stripes on your RV-7 are beautiful. If mine come out that well I'll be happy. So you used the "wet" method using "application fluid". I can see how that would definitely take two (or more) people. I understand about using little pieces of tape to align everything. I was hoping to do it "dry" but am unclear if I can peel off the backing on an angle without moving the stripe. I guess I'll watch some more YouTube videos :D
 
So my vinyl stripes arrived today from Aerographics and now I have to figure out how to apply them. The stripes are 18' long, straight, and taper from 3/4" wide in the front to 2" wide at the tail. The material is 3M Scotchcal 220. Aerographics sent instructions describing a dry method and a wet method. I'm thinking the dry method is what I should use. They suggest placing the vinyl on the aircraft with small pieces of tape to hold it in place, then taping a continuous "hinge" along the top edge so the material can be lifted up and the backing pulled off. Does this sound right? Does anyone have any advice or suggestions? Thanks in advance.

I did Dry, like you described. I have large nose art and stars-n-bars, just not anywhere as long as your stripes. Sounds like two pairs of hands will be needed. A tool that worked well is the felt wrapped plastic squeegee, bought at vinyl wrap supplier helped, and kept pressure marks to a minimum.
https://www.metrorestyling.com/High-Quality-Felt-Edge-Squeegee-6-inch-p/feltsqg6in.htm
 
Just saw a guy put on long stripes on a freshly painted Zenith and he:

1) Had help as in two person job.

2) taped the decal roughly in place with masking tape.

4) Used secret spray on subtance to allow repositioning the decal.

5) Worked from the middle outward to both ends using squeegee (bondo spatula)

His secret spray on ingredient?

Windex

Results looked perfect but he said he grew up in the auto body biz so he's done a lot of anything to do with finishing vehicles.

YMMV


I used this method.
Works great.
Make sure you spray the outside of graphic too.
Makes squeegee slide easy.
 
I'm in the middle of my 4th condition inspection at the moment, so I won't be applying those stripes for at least week or so. One thing I'm planning on doing is laying down a 4' strip of polyethylene sheet on the hangar floor to set the vinyl on while I stretch out the stripes so as not to get them dirty. Before applying the stripes I'm planning on cleaning the fuselage sides with wax and silicone remover. Does that sound OK?

Besides Windex, has anybody used Rapid Tac application fluid?

I have another question. This will be the design on top of my vertical stabilizer (white squares will be stars, of course).
sFmjnR.jpg


How should I wrap the two blue pieces around the front and top? Butt joint? Overlap? I have a roll of single thread knifeless tape but, to make a butt joint, I think the pros use 3M Tri-Line Knifeless Tape.

Here's a 3M video on how to use the Tri-Line tape: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pw44tc3rI20
 
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My DIY experience, now flown 5 years; don’t put either type of seam on a leading edge. Wind and rain will wear thru the material. I’m not sure about your printed vinyl’s ability to stretch around the compound curve of the stab. But if it were like the 3m 1080 I used I would plan the seam an inch behind the leading edge, either seam type. I also used 3m primer under such a seam giving a stronger bond to hold down the now stretched one inch. A fix in any case is seam sealer applied over the seam to slow down the leading edge wear and/or tack it down, but this shows some brush marks.
These products are also on the link I posted.

Here’s my old/tired DIY thread, where I did many seams wrong, on the leading edge.
http://www.vansairforce.com/community/showthread.php?t=98932
 
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I've always used an old credit card or autobody squeegee along with lots of masking tape to hold things in the perfect position. Automotive foaming window cleaner works well for being able to reposition the decal after install.

And as Bruce mentioned, edge seal makes your decals last many times longer. If you want clean edges with it, just mask 3/16" from the edge of your decal, both on the decal and on the skin, and pull the masking tape off once the window is thin coat of edge seal starts to set up.
 
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Iv used rapid tack. On truck only. Works well. Increases working time and allows you to move the decal around. Also once your happy with the placement you are to supposed to soak the application paper and wait. Low and behold. It practically falls off illuminating the potential for tearing letters and numbers while removing the film.
 
Iv used rapid tack.
Thanks for the PIREP. I think I'll buy a spray bottle of the stuff and try it. It has 4-star reviews at Amazon. Some reviewers reported that it only had two minutes working time. That could be a problem on an 18'-long stripe...
 
More questions

For molding the vinyl around curvy places like the wingtips, is a standard hair dryer OK or do I need one of those really hot heat guns?

I'm getting nervous...
 
I replaced the stripes on my RV-6A dry and ended up with plenty of little bubbles. They eventually went away. Recently placed lots of vinyl trim around some AirCam windows using Rapid Tack, with mixed results. Tried it on a thick clear vinyl "bra" that goes under the front canopy and it didn't work at all, ruining a $125 piece. So far the best product has been Gila Window Film Application Solution, available at Home Depot. As long as the vinyl is wet with this stuff you can move it, and then it dries out perfectly. The padded squeegee (from Amazon) is helpful, along with a plastic putty knife.
 
So my vinyl stripes arrived today from Aerographics and now I have to figure out how to apply them. The stripes are 18' long, straight, and taper from 3/4" wide in the front to 2" wide at the tail. The material is 3M Scotchcal 220. Aerographics sent instructions describing a dry method and a wet method. I'm thinking the dry method is what I should use. They suggest placing the vinyl on the aircraft with small pieces of tape to hold it in place, then taping a continuous "hinge" along the top edge so the material can be lifted up and the backing pulled off. Does this sound right? Does anyone have any advice or suggestions? Thanks in advance.

Definitely go wet. The spray liquid is called RapidTac. Buy it at a sign supply store or over the internet or make it. Basically it's a few drops of liquid soap in water. Google it for the exact portions. Use it liberally. The hinging as described is correct. Squeegee from the hinge down to force out all the bubbles. Don't be afraid to bear down the vinyl is tough. You may take a piece of the non-hook velcro and fold it over the edge of the squeegee if you want to soften the application, but i would first squeegee out the bubbles without it.
 
Thanks guys. I ordered some Rapid-Tac, a felt squeege, and some 3M #94 primer which I intend to use on the leading edges and other places where I really need a strong bond. When I think about it, though, I'm not sure how the primer will play with the application fluid. I plan to practice on the tips of my horizontal stabilizer so if I screw it up, it won't be difficult to do over. I'll check out the Gila Application stuff, too.
 
Wet method

This video seems like a good example of using the wet method to apply stripes. These guys used the body line to align the stripe and, since I don't have a body line, I'm wondering what the best way would be to get the stripe properly aligned. I guess I could use pieces of "register tape" cut in half with half on the fuselage and the other half on the overlay material. Does that sound like a plan?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c1GFAsicHLY
 
Really dumb question

OK, now I have a really dumb question. I'll be using that knifeless tape to trim my stripes where they wrap around the leading/trailing edges, but how do I do that with the transfer layer still on the vinyl? If I first install the knifeless tape where I want the edge to be, then squeegee the vinyl down through the transfer layer, will the filiment in the knifeless tape cut through both the vinyl and the transfer layer, or do I have to remove the transfer layer before pulling the filament in the knifeless tape? I'm trying to think this process through before launching off, but keep getting wrapped (no pun intended) around the axle.
 
This video seems like a good example of using the wet method to apply stripes. These guys used the body line to align the stripe and, since I don't have a body line, I'm wondering what the best way would be to get the stripe properly aligned. I guess I could use pieces of "register tape" cut in half with half on the fuselage and the other half on the overlay material. Does that sound like a plan?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c1GFAsicHLY

Get some car painters fine line tape and make your own reference line just outside of where the final stripes will go.
 
I'm just about done applying my Vinyl trim. The main thing I've learned is that it's not near as easy as it looks on YouTube. The other thing I learned is that there is "wrap", which is just vinyl with a backing sheet, and there are "decals", which also have a paper application layer on top to hold everything in alignment. Most of what I've used has been with the paper application layer on top. My results are pretty crappy by professional standards, but I'm sure it will look good from 10,000', inverted. Here's a brief explanation of how the wingtip process went:

First, lay the decal in place and align it how you want. The long blue tape is a "hinge", and the short blue tape is a registration mark.
HPBWrP.jpg


After alignment, fold the decal back and remove the backing. Spray both the wingtip and decal with Rapid-Tac.
PZqbmH.jpg


This is knifeless tape which I had intended to use to make a nice edge. It didn't work at all. I used a knife.
KRjyMK.jpg


Fold the decal back into place and spray the top of the application paper with Rapid-Tac. This lubricates the squeege and also facilitates the removal of the paper application sheet several minutes later.
5QNZuV.jpg


After squeegeing and the Rapid-Tac has had time to work, pull off the application layer at a 45 deg angle.
xqjJwR.jpg


This vinyl doesn't like compound curves at all
u3FYjo.jpg


I used a hair dryer to heat it up, squeeged and stretched it as best I could, with not much luck
6LANHB.jpg


The final result has some wrinkles on the outside edge that I could never get out. It is what it is.
FPZUQB.jpg
 
Vinyl is Vinyl

Nobody is commenting or asking questions but I applied the long stripes on the fuselage today (less cowling). Transmitting in the blind:

h9zK1r.jpg
 
We hear you!

Sorry you did not receive more help John. The producer of the decals should have been more help it seems to me. The red wing tips would be easier to do with 3M 1080 if the color was close enough. Then the knife-less tape and compound curves would have worked. But you did a good job anyway. Take some time to fly and enjoy.
 
The producer of the decals should have been more help it seems to me. The red wing tips would be easier to do with 3M 1080 if the color was close enough.
One would think so, but AeroGraphics said they didn't know anything about the application of their product. Strange, but true. The main problem was that I didn't know what questions to ask...like "What 3M product would be best?" and "Should I have an application layer or not?" Well, I muddled through regardless. We did have one mis-communication about the length of those fuselage stripes and the ones they sent were 2' too short. Since I had accepted the proof they sent without noticing the error, I offered to pay for the extension pieces on the cowling. They printed me some at no charge. They also sent me extra wingtip pieces without the application layer in case those would work better. Aerographics' customer service was supurb, but I just didn't know what I was doing. I'm patching up a few places on the right side before applying the stripes over there, then I'll be putting the cowling back on and flying.

Thanks for your comment; I was thinking that Doug had me shadow-banned or something :D

Edit: In looking up the specs on the ScotchCal 220 that I used, it's only recommended for simple (not compound) curves. Oh well...
 
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Thanks For Posting This Thread

Just read through it all. Interesting process, thank you for sharing your experience with the vinyl.

Something to think about for my project.

Do like your colors and final look!

Best regards,
Mike Bauer
 
Thanks, Mike, I'm happy with how it came out, wrinkles and all. I have found that I can cut out any bad spots and patch them without it looking too ugly. Where I have done that, I used the 3M #94 primer for good adhesion. I posted a video on the "Brotherhood" thread where a couple of wrinkles are clearly visible on the right hand blue stripe. I may fix those today.

The Eagle design you came up with is going to look AWESOME!
 
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Try som judicious application of a heat gun and you should be able to smooth out the wrinkles. That?s what I used over rivets
 
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