Small refit Merry Fisher 805

[jakew009]

Hello Jake, I've never thought of vinyl wrapping small parts. Always dismissed wrapping in favour of spraying but for small parts this has given me ideas. I think we'd all appreciate it if you could give a brief run-down on the process. Or even better, a step-by-step with pics! You can get it published later!

I’m definitely not an expert at vinyl wrapping but I’ll see what I can do.

The “architectural” vinyl is very forgiving because it stretches miles

In terms of wrap versus spray, I think they both have benefits. the more complex the shape the more it favours spray rather than wrap. Wrap is good for big flat surfaces.

 

[jakew009]

The window frames were not wrapped. Jake epoxy primed them and painted them with 2K satin black paint

Actually I did wrap the front windscreen pillar as I couldn’t easily remove it to spray it. But yes the rest were painted with an epoxy primer and then 2k black gloss. I’m crossing my fingers it sticks.

 

[Pleinmont]

For the middle pillar of the windscreen I did actually vinyl wrap it.



You just need to use a decent “cast” black vinyl rather than a polymeric or monomeric. Cast vinyl will stay conformed to a shape whereas poly/mono always wants to return to being a flat sheet even after you heat it.

I actually used Oracal 751 but other brands are available
https://www.mdpsupplies.co.uk/gloss-sign-vinyl/oracal-751-gloss-sign-vinyl-1260

Depending on your window frame shape, I see no reason why you couldn’t wrap the entire frame in situ as long as the substrate is reasonably good.

The trick is basically to try and fit it as best you can without heat stretching it to get rid of wrinkles. Then where it’s really hard to get rid of the wrinkles apply some heat to shrink it up and remove the wrinkles.

Then apply heat all over it evenly to help it ‘set’ as you say.

Be carefully not to trim it back before you have finished heating it, because it will shrink back from your original cut line.

You don’t have to do it in one piece, if you just overlap the joins by about an inch they are barely visible and it makes it’s much easier working with smaller pieces.

You need a decent scalpel for cutting it.

Nice one, thanks for the advice, I've not tried vinyl wrapping before but it looks like a good solution to spruce up surfaces.

PS - did you paint 2K satin black for the stripe on the windscreen glass or is that still the metal frame?
I have to reapply the silver strip to the bottom of my windscreen every other year as the paint peels off the glass (used Hammerite smooth in the past).
Not found anything that sticks to glass very well - maybe the epoxy primer and 2k might be much better.

 

[jakew009]

Nice one, thanks for the advice, I've not tried vinyl wrapping before but it looks like a good solution to spruce up surfaces.

PS - did you paint 2K satin black for the stripe on the windscreen glass or is that still the metal frame?
I have to reapply the silver strip to the bottom of my windscreen every other year as the paint peels off the glass (used Hammerite smooth in the past).
Not found anything that sticks to glass very well - maybe the epoxy primer and 2k might be much better.

There are some silvers on here: https://www.mdpsupplies.co.uk/gloss-sign-vinyl/oracal-751-gloss-sign-vinyl-1260

I expect MDP supplies might be able to cut them into stripes for you, or failing that I could do it for you.

I would then apply it wet, squirt some fairy liquid / water mixture on the glass and 'float' the stripe into place. Then squeegee the water out.

A decent cast vinyl should last 10 years or so on glass.

 

[Pleinmont]

There are some silvers on here: https://www.mdpsupplies.co.uk/gloss-sign-vinyl/oracal-751-gloss-sign-vinyl-1260

I expect MDP supplies might be able to cut them into stripes for you, or failing that I could do it for you.

I would then apply it wet, squirt some fairy liquid / water mixture on the glass and 'float' the stripe into place. Then squeegee the water out.

A decent cast vinyl should last 10 years or so on glass.

Thanks Jake, that's good to know and thanks for the offer of assistance