What are you using for event numbers / decals?
04-01-2013, 12:16 AM
#1
Instructor
Thread Starter
What are you using for event numbers / decals?
I had spent the money on some nice static cling panels to use for autocross but quickly discovered that they were somewhat transparent, so the numbers came out looking a bit darker, and the inevitable bubbles were pretty apparent...
(that was the better side of the car, by the way; passenger side had been sitting in the sun prior to applying the panels, and bubbled much more)
I could also get them to peel up pretty easily by blowing on them, so I put clear tape on the leading edges and a few other places... That worked well, but was a mess after sitting in the sun all day. Came off of the car somewhat ok, but now the static clings have goop on them.
Does anyone have a source for static clings that are a bit more opaque and better suited for this use? Any thoughts on getting individual numbers and letters instead of whole panels? Is that easier? Or, is there some other better approach that I'm not aware of?
Thanks.
(that was the better side of the car, by the way; passenger side had been sitting in the sun prior to applying the panels, and bubbled much more)
I could also get them to peel up pretty easily by blowing on them, so I put clear tape on the leading edges and a few other places... That worked well, but was a mess after sitting in the sun all day. Came off of the car somewhat ok, but now the static clings have goop on them.
Does anyone have a source for static clings that are a bit more opaque and better suited for this use? Any thoughts on getting individual numbers and letters instead of whole panels? Is that easier? Or, is there some other better approach that I'm not aware of?
Thanks.
Last edited by Weston; 04-01-2013 at 12:19 AM.
04-01-2013, 08:22 AM
#4
Pro
I had spent the money on some nice static cling panels to use for autocross but quickly discovered that they were somewhat transparent, so the numbers came out looking a bit darker, and the inevitable bubbles were pretty apparent...
(that was the better side of the car, by the way; passenger side had been sitting in the sun prior to applying the panels, and bubbled much more)
I could also get them to peel up pretty easily by blowing on them, so I put clear tape on the leading edges and a few other places... That worked well, but was a mess after sitting in the sun all day. Came off of the car somewhat ok, but now the static clings have goop on them.
Does anyone have a source for static clings that are a bit more opaque and better suited for this use? Any thoughts on getting individual numbers and letters instead of whole panels? Is that easier? Or, is there some other better approach that I'm not aware of?
Thanks.
(that was the better side of the car, by the way; passenger side had been sitting in the sun prior to applying the panels, and bubbled much more)
I could also get them to peel up pretty easily by blowing on them, so I put clear tape on the leading edges and a few other places... That worked well, but was a mess after sitting in the sun all day. Came off of the car somewhat ok, but now the static clings have goop on them.
Does anyone have a source for static clings that are a bit more opaque and better suited for this use? Any thoughts on getting individual numbers and letters instead of whole panels? Is that easier? Or, is there some other better approach that I'm not aware of?
Thanks.
04-01-2013, 07:29 PM
#5
Instructor
I have used these guys before for reusable vinly decals.
http://www.soloperformance.com/Track...bers_c_50.html
http://www.soloperformance.com/Track...bers_c_50.html
04-01-2013, 07:43 PM
#6
Team Owner
How they look and stay on has a lot to do with how you put them on the car.
I use a set of static clings I bought from a local graphics shop and they have lasted for close to 6 years now.
When I put thes on, I first clean the sides of the doors to make sure there is no dust, dirt, or road film and dry the area with a towel. Then I wet the area with a squirt bottle using plain water. I apply the static cling where I want it and use a piece of hardboard to squeegee out the excess water.
I first go across the top of the decal and then down the center. Then I work from the center outwards to the edges. The trick is to use just enough pressure to remove the water and any air pockets. One thing you should do is to cut the corners of the decal so they are rounded off and not square. That helps keep the corners in place.
I use the same number set for track days and never had any issues with them becoming loose or blowing off.
When you remove them make sure they are clean and placed on a backer sheet. These sheets should have a shiny, almost plastic side to them. Any graphics shop should have rolls of that material.
I use a set of static clings I bought from a local graphics shop and they have lasted for close to 6 years now.
When I put thes on, I first clean the sides of the doors to make sure there is no dust, dirt, or road film and dry the area with a towel. Then I wet the area with a squirt bottle using plain water. I apply the static cling where I want it and use a piece of hardboard to squeegee out the excess water.
I first go across the top of the decal and then down the center. Then I work from the center outwards to the edges. The trick is to use just enough pressure to remove the water and any air pockets. One thing you should do is to cut the corners of the decal so they are rounded off and not square. That helps keep the corners in place.
I use the same number set for track days and never had any issues with them becoming loose or blowing off.
When you remove them make sure they are clean and placed on a backer sheet. These sheets should have a shiny, almost plastic side to them. Any graphics shop should have rolls of that material.
04-01-2013, 08:48 PM
#7
Burning Brakes
That's a bummer. I can get a season out of mine and I make sure the surfaces is always really clean before applying them.
04-02-2013, 08:38 PM
#8
Instructor
How they look and stay on has a lot to do with how you put them on the car.
I use a set of static clings I bought from a local graphics shop and they have lasted for close to 6 years now.
When I put thes on, I first clean the sides of the doors to make sure there is no dust, dirt, or road film and dry the area with a towel. Then I wet the area with a squirt bottle using plain water. I apply the static cling where I want it and use a piece of hardboard to squeegee out the excess water.
I first go across the top of the decal and then down the center. Then I work from the center outwards to the edges. The trick is to use just enough pressure to remove the water and any air pockets. One thing you should do is to cut the corners of the decal so they are rounded off and not square. That helps keep the corners in place.
I use the same number set for track days and never had any issues with them becoming loose or blowing off.
When you remove them make sure they are clean and placed on a backer sheet. These sheets should have a shiny, almost plastic side to them. Any graphics shop should have rolls of that material.
I use a set of static clings I bought from a local graphics shop and they have lasted for close to 6 years now.
When I put thes on, I first clean the sides of the doors to make sure there is no dust, dirt, or road film and dry the area with a towel. Then I wet the area with a squirt bottle using plain water. I apply the static cling where I want it and use a piece of hardboard to squeegee out the excess water.
I first go across the top of the decal and then down the center. Then I work from the center outwards to the edges. The trick is to use just enough pressure to remove the water and any air pockets. One thing you should do is to cut the corners of the decal so they are rounded off and not square. That helps keep the corners in place.
I use the same number set for track days and never had any issues with them becoming loose or blowing off.
When you remove them make sure they are clean and placed on a backer sheet. These sheets should have a shiny, almost plastic side to them. Any graphics shop should have rolls of that material.
04-02-2013, 09:00 PM
#9
Le Mans Master
04-02-2013, 09:44 PM
#10
Drifting
My car is a street/track car. Originally, I was putting decals on the doors or pillars and then pulling them off after the weekend. The problem I found was it was difficult to get them back off the paint and I lightly scratched the paint in a few places with my finger nail trying to get the stupid things back off.
After seeing someone else do it, this is what I do now. I just have these decals made and put them on my rear window. 100% easier and I just yank them off when I'm ready to go home and I don't worry about messing up the paint. They come off in seconds.
I think I ordered like 8 sets for $20. Next time I am going to order them a might smaller. They are pretty big. haha
I ordered them from this place.
http://www.graffixunlimited.com/frame.htm
After seeing someone else do it, this is what I do now. I just have these decals made and put them on my rear window. 100% easier and I just yank them off when I'm ready to go home and I don't worry about messing up the paint. They come off in seconds.
I think I ordered like 8 sets for $20. Next time I am going to order them a might smaller. They are pretty big. haha
I ordered them from this place.
http://www.graffixunlimited.com/frame.htm
Last edited by JeremyGSU; 04-02-2013 at 09:47 PM.
04-03-2013, 08:31 AM
#11
Advanced
Member Since: Sep 2012
Location: Lexington SC
Posts: 51
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I have used these guys before for reusable vinly decals.
http://www.soloperformance.com/Track...bers_c_50.html
http://www.soloperformance.com/Track...bers_c_50.html
04-03-2013, 08:56 AM
#12
Team Owner
How they look and stay on has a lot to do with how you put them on the car.
I use a set of static clings I bought from a local graphics shop and they have lasted for close to 6 years now.
When I put thes on, I first clean the sides of the doors to make sure there is no dust, dirt, or road film and dry the area with a towel. Then I wet the area with a squirt bottle using plain water. I apply the static cling where I want it and use a piece of hardboard to squeegee out the excess water.
I first go across the top of the decal and then down the center. Then I work from the center outwards to the edges. The trick is to use just enough pressure to remove the water and any air pockets. One thing you should do is to cut the corners of the decal so they are rounded off and not square. That helps keep the corners in place.
I use the same number set for track days and never had any issues with them becoming loose or blowing off.
When you remove them make sure they are clean and placed on a backer sheet. These sheets should have a shiny, almost plastic side to them. Any graphics shop should have rolls of that material.
I use a set of static clings I bought from a local graphics shop and they have lasted for close to 6 years now.
When I put thes on, I first clean the sides of the doors to make sure there is no dust, dirt, or road film and dry the area with a towel. Then I wet the area with a squirt bottle using plain water. I apply the static cling where I want it and use a piece of hardboard to squeegee out the excess water.
I first go across the top of the decal and then down the center. Then I work from the center outwards to the edges. The trick is to use just enough pressure to remove the water and any air pockets. One thing you should do is to cut the corners of the decal so they are rounded off and not square. That helps keep the corners in place.
I use the same number set for track days and never had any issues with them becoming loose or blowing off.
When you remove them make sure they are clean and placed on a backer sheet. These sheets should have a shiny, almost plastic side to them. Any graphics shop should have rolls of that material.
Exactly. I'm on my second year with mine.
04-03-2013, 11:24 PM
#13
Instructor
I use a roll of Con-Tact brand shelf liner that I bought at Home Depot. It is very thin and has almost no adhesive at all. It comes in a 75 foot roll 18 inches wide. The only draw back is I have to cut new numbers by hand for every event. I printed out some numbers and glued that to the sides of a cereal box to make templates. I then trace the outline of the numbers on the backside of the contact paper with the templates and cut them out with scissors. Entire process takes about 15 minutes. I was worried they would fly off when I first put them on, but they held up to 8 runs (me and co-driver) in some pretty windy conditions. I put them on dry, but the surface needs to be clean. No problem at all taking them off since there isn't any adhesive. They can stay on all day in direct sunlight with no problems.
http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images...utox32013.jpg/
http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images...utox32013.jpg/
Last edited by SteveC68; 04-03-2013 at 11:26 PM.
04-05-2013, 11:10 PM
#14
