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What is the
most important step in applying Rvinyl products?
An absolutely clean surface is the key to any good application. Rapid
Tac Products were created for this reason.
Why shouldn't I
use cloth towels or shop rags to clean an application surface with?
We recommend using paper towels. Shop rags are great for wiping a great deal
of things like oil, tire dressing off of tires, cleaning engine parts, auto
detailing, etc. All of these oils, waxes, and silicone contaminants can
become "trapped" in the rags, and when cleaned by a commercial linen
services your shop rags will come back with contaminants from other
businesses. There is NO way to ensure that you are getting rags back that
are free of these contaminants. Stick with the cheap paper towels, and you
will have substantially more consistent applications.
Do
I need to buy any "other" cleaning solvents or chemicals?
No. Rapid Tac and Rapid Tac II are both cleaners
as well as application fluids. If you are concerned that wax, or silicone or
oil may be present, then clean once with Rapid Prep.
Should I use
"lint free / static free" paper towels?
No,
use the "cheap" grocery store kitchen paper towels (they do not contain
chemicals).
What about paper towels marked "Super Absorbent" or " Absorbent Pockets?"
No, they also may contain chemicals that will contaminate your application
surface, cause bonding problems, and failure.
When applying
vinyl to glass should I use a quality glass cleaner?
No. Glass cleaners can contain ammonia, silicone, and other chemicals that
not only degrade vinyl, but will also contaminate your application surface
and cause bonding problems.
Why is the vinyl not sticking to the glass when I try to pull off the
application tape? What should I do?
The two most common problems associated with glass applications are
surface preparation (cleaning) and transfer tape. You must first (as the
instructions on each bottle read) clean the surface twice with Rapid
Tac or Rapid Tac II, and cheap paper towels. Second,
you must NOT use "High Tac" application tape on non premium-cast vinyl. Low
Tac or Mid Tac is what should be used on wet glass applications.
I'm following the instructions on the Rapid Tac bottle for "Glass
Application" but I'm still having problems getting the vinyl to Bond to the
glass in less than 90 seconds.
Use Rapid Tac II. Rapid Tac II promotes a faster
bond, and works well with less aggressive adhesives like those found on
intermediate calendared, metal-ized, Mylar, and polyester films. Rapid
Tac II also works well in areas of high humidity and also cold
temperatures.
How hard should
I press when I squeegee?
You
must press VERY hard. The adhesive on pressure sensitive vinyl film consists
of a layer of microscopic beads that must be burst by applying pressure to
the film, hence the name "pressure sensitive".
How are Rapid Tac and Rapid Tac II
different than soap and water solutions?
Mixing soap and water to apply vinyl was originally started to aid in
positioning. This worked marginally well, but also required an extremely
long time to bond (if it would bond at all in some cases). Not only does
soap and water NOT promote adhesion and bonding, but "mixing-you-own" also
opens the possibility of inconsistency, contamination (what was in the
bottle or bucket before you mixed your soap and water formula?). Rapid
Tac and Rapid Tac II accomplish several things during
an application. First, Rapid Tac and Rapid Tac II
are always the same uncontaminated, consistent product every time you need
them. They both clean the application surface, and leave only a compatible
residue. Next, Rapid Tac and Rapid Tac II allow
the user to position and reposition the vinyl being applied up to the point
of applying pressure with a squeegee. Rapid Tac and
Rapid Tac II also activate the adhesive on pressure sensitive vinyls
by breaking the surface tension (softening so to speak) of the adhesive
beads. Another great benefit of Rapid Tac and Rapid Tac
II are their abilities to release the transfer tape from the vinyl
once positioned and squeegeed. The best thing is that all of this can take
place in 90 seconds or less.
What should I use for the Carbon Fiber II, Chrome and Brushed Aluminum
series films?
Rapid Tac II. This new product is not a replacement for Rapid
Tac the original, but was designed to work better with less
aggressive films such as these. |