Window Tinting
04-22-2006, 04:01 PM
#1
The Evil Twin
Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: Seattle, WA
Posts: 9,294
Window Tinting
What a total waste of a day... I just spent hours cleaning my back window inside and out, removing the hatch, cutting and laying tint just to find out that the window has just enough convex in it to bubble the tint up from the edges. So I guess I have to have this back window professionally done.
Anyone else had any tinting experience with a 2+2 rear hatch?
BTW, I've tinted many flat windows before and they all turned out great.
Anyone else had any tinting experience with a 2+2 rear hatch?
BTW, I've tinted many flat windows before and they all turned out great.
04-22-2006, 04:09 PM
#2
Pro Pumpkin Carver
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Oakland Cali-****en-fornia
Posts: 2,160
I hate it when that happens!!
I have had similar problems with other materials. Only thing that I find can help sometimes is to use a blow drier to heat it and make it pliable enough to manipulate the wrinkles or little humps on the edge. And if need be very carefully use a razor to remove the excess material which will allow it to sit properly
I have had similar problems with other materials. Only thing that I find can help sometimes is to use a blow drier to heat it and make it pliable enough to manipulate the wrinkles or little humps on the edge. And if need be very carefully use a razor to remove the excess material which will allow it to sit properly
04-22-2006, 06:57 PM
#3
Registered User
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: Concord, NC
Posts: 2,826
Help is here!!!
I use to tint for a while and I will try to help you here. Make sure you do all of your cutting with the raw tint on the out side of the glass. Try to find a clean lawn and garden spray bottle and fill it up with water and after that put 4-5 small drops of regular blue Dawn dish detergent in it and just shake lightly. Make sure you use a STAINLESS STEEL BLADE or you could scratch the glass. It also helps if you have a bright light inside of the car aimed at the window to be cut and tinted. Now, spray the outside of the window and lay the tint on it. This is where the light comes into play so turn it on and aim it at the window.
Now, the window is wet and the tint is laying on it, mist the tint lightly and with the sqeegie starting from the middle outward do a PLUS sign then goto the corners in the same manor from the center until you have the tint good and flat on the glass. Now use the light to help you see and carefully make your cuts around the perimeter of the glass. Make sure to cut just a bit bigger then you need. You may see what we called "fingers" which is where the tint gets ripples in it near the edges usually fatter at the edge of the tint. Yes this means your glass is curved. You can usually move these "fingers" from the sides of the tint to the bottom if they are on the sides...you want them on the bottom not the sides or top but some times you have no choice. When you are moving the "fingers to the bottom try to keep them small, a few small "fingers" is better then one BIG finger. You WILL need a heat gun!! Some really hot blow dryers may work but a heat gun works best. Either way or which ever you can use set the heat to HIGH. Use a quick sweeping side to side motion from the top of the finger to the bottom and squeegie after each pass, it may take a few passes.
Just make sure there is plenty of water under the tint. Now if you do the heat gun right the fingers should start to ripple (see picture), thats when you squeegie them, do this till they are gone. Make sure you mist the outside of the tint so the sqeegie slides on the tint...you don't want to do it dry and wipe off the sqeegie after each use to keep it clean. Now if you did this correctly the tint has no fingers or bubbles in it, now you use the light again and do your final trim of the tint, try to stay an 8th of an inch out side of any border so you hide the edge of the tint. If you have to cut near any lift supports, usually round, try to leave an 8th inch gap around them so the tint does not touch them...if they touch them and the tint is not laying flat on the glass, air can get under there and you will get air bubbles and down the road your tint will suck.
Your tint is now ready to be put in the car, make sure you use ALOT of the water/soap solution on the inside of the glass and on the tint...after you peal the clear part of it off to expose the glued side of the tint...SOAK the glue side and get in the car with it taking care not to let the tint touch anything and put it on the glass, move it around a bit till you get it close to where you want it and start the PLUS sign pattern all over from the middle out...always from the middle out. When you have squeegied all the water out you can pat yourself on the back and thank yourself for not doing it for a living like I did. Just be careful and take your time, it helps to practice first but if you can't well do what you must to get the job done...hope that helps and good luck!!!
Attachment 4519
Now, the window is wet and the tint is laying on it, mist the tint lightly and with the sqeegie starting from the middle outward do a PLUS sign then goto the corners in the same manor from the center until you have the tint good and flat on the glass. Now use the light to help you see and carefully make your cuts around the perimeter of the glass. Make sure to cut just a bit bigger then you need. You may see what we called "fingers" which is where the tint gets ripples in it near the edges usually fatter at the edge of the tint. Yes this means your glass is curved. You can usually move these "fingers" from the sides of the tint to the bottom if they are on the sides...you want them on the bottom not the sides or top but some times you have no choice. When you are moving the "fingers to the bottom try to keep them small, a few small "fingers" is better then one BIG finger. You WILL need a heat gun!! Some really hot blow dryers may work but a heat gun works best. Either way or which ever you can use set the heat to HIGH. Use a quick sweeping side to side motion from the top of the finger to the bottom and squeegie after each pass, it may take a few passes.
Just make sure there is plenty of water under the tint. Now if you do the heat gun right the fingers should start to ripple (see picture), thats when you squeegie them, do this till they are gone. Make sure you mist the outside of the tint so the sqeegie slides on the tint...you don't want to do it dry and wipe off the sqeegie after each use to keep it clean. Now if you did this correctly the tint has no fingers or bubbles in it, now you use the light again and do your final trim of the tint, try to stay an 8th of an inch out side of any border so you hide the edge of the tint. If you have to cut near any lift supports, usually round, try to leave an 8th inch gap around them so the tint does not touch them...if they touch them and the tint is not laying flat on the glass, air can get under there and you will get air bubbles and down the road your tint will suck.
Your tint is now ready to be put in the car, make sure you use ALOT of the water/soap solution on the inside of the glass and on the tint...after you peal the clear part of it off to expose the glued side of the tint...SOAK the glue side and get in the car with it taking care not to let the tint touch anything and put it on the glass, move it around a bit till you get it close to where you want it and start the PLUS sign pattern all over from the middle out...always from the middle out. When you have squeegied all the water out you can pat yourself on the back and thank yourself for not doing it for a living like I did. Just be careful and take your time, it helps to practice first but if you can't well do what you must to get the job done...hope that helps and good luck!!!
Attachment 4519
Last edited by thxone; 02-27-2007 at 02:02 PM.
That was a really good write up.
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