Vinyl Striping Tape

[BroomBroom]

Anybody have any experience/hints/tips in applying this please?

I understand the theory - no problems - but I'm concerned about getting a dead straight line.
I'm going to use it to re-instate the stripe as originally found on Broom Saturns/Scorpios (except I'm not taking it right round the front of the hull - always looks odd to me...)

Thanks in advance...

Cheers,

R

[se7en]

Get your self a spray atomiser, the kind you spray pot plants with, or the sort of thing that a lot of kitchen cleaners come in, fill with water and couple of drops of washing up liquid, spray the area that the vinyl is going on, the water film lets you move the vinyl about, when its in the right place, wipe with a rag to get any air out, leave over night to dry, the water will not damage the glue on the vinyl, thats how we do it on the boats in the yard.

[BroomBroom]

Thanks Clive! Heard about that method - always nice to get it confirmed though...

R

[twister]

There's a theory that using soapy liquid under decals etc can cause lifting later on, although I've never had a problem when using it. The alternative suggestion is to use isopropyl alcohol (rubbing alcohol) mixed with water, which I think is what professional signwriters use. More info at http://www.nymarine.ca/DECINSTALL.html

[WinnerCobra]

Hi

Another tip is to apply masking tape as a bottom line to follow. This means you can have as many goes apply the masking tape and ensuring it is straight before you need to apply your expensive roll of decal.

I replaced the waterline stripe of my Jeanneau Merry Fisher on Saturday, I was planning to do exactly this, however once I removed the old stripe the difference of the gelcoat colour that had been under the old stripe and the rest of the hull left me with a exact guide of where the new stripe needed to be applied. I also used water spray as suggested by others, although I never add any soap content.

But also something I was give a while ago which makes the job so much easier is a decal applying plastic scraper, I was given this by the signwriters I use, the one I have is made by avery, it is only a small thing, about double to size of a credit card, with one flexible hard edge and the other a cloth edge. It is the cloth edge that you use and it will make the job easy.. If you go to any signwriters they may give you one if you ask nicely, I think they get through them by the hundred.

Good luck!

[BroomBroom]

Cheers WinnerCobra :cheers:
Armed with all this info as soon as the temp gets up around here I'll get stuck in.
I'm going with low tack masking tape, squirty bottle and pukka decal applying scrapertypethingy.
watch this space...

R