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Vinyl Installation and Care Before we discuss vinyl installation let's discuss vinyl removal. Heat Method of removal: If a
person really wants to keep the subsurface in good condition, they have
to plan to heat the vinyl and then use a non-damaging chemical remover.”
The mechanical process of heating the vinyl and then pulling it off can
take many forms and offers its own challenges. At its simplest,
the removal of a stripe may require little more than parking the vehicle
so that it’s hit directly by the sun. Other jobs may require the
use of an electric heat gun. There are some devices on the market designed to help facilitate the process. They include plastic scrapers, plastic razor blades that fit in a regular scraper, and a little box that holds a regular razor blade at a particular angle that’s supposed to cut through two-mil vinyl striping without touching the paint underneath. Alternative method of removing vinyl: An alternative I have not tried is Vinyl-Off. http://www.westendproducts.com/vinyloff.htm I am not sure if this will soften the plastic used on ATV's so if anyone has any experience with this product please drop me an email. Anyway here's a description of the product. Would you like to strip vinyl and adhesive safely and easily from almost any surface in 5 to 15 minutes? The revolutionary new spray-on liquid vinyl remover, Vinyl-Off 10-4, is biodegradable, non-toxic, non-flammable, and water-soluble. This product is environmentally friendly and completely safe. It won't damage paint on factory automotive finishes or most other painted surfaces. (As always, test an inconspicuous spot first.) Just spray on and peel off! It takes all the struggle out of removing vinyl graphics. What was once a nasty job is almost fun when you use Vinyl-Off 10-4. Removing the old stuff can be a laborious, time-consuming chore when scraping dry, and you have to be so careful not to damage the paint, particularly on automotive surfaces. Before, once you had the vinyl off, you still had to remove the adhesive. With Vinyl-Off 10-4, you simply spray it or wipe it on (if you spray it, you might want to give a quick wipe to distribute evenly), and wait a few minutes. The Vinyl-Off penetrates the vinyl to deactivate the adhesive, so it all comes off in one step. Within 5 to 15 minutes you can pull even years old graphics right off - no scraping! Wouldn't it be great to multiply your profits significantly when replacing old vinyl graphics? Vinyl-Off 10-4 is a productivity enhancing product. What does this mean for you? It means you'll get the job done faster - you can do twice the work in less than half the time. Add some heat to make it go even faster! It's possible to take up to 90% less time than ever before! So you can save up to 90% on your labour costs! What's more - it doesn't take a lot to do a big job. Strip 60 square feet or more with only 8 fluid ounces! A gallon lets you remove 1500 to 3000 square feet! You'll be laughing all the way to the bank when you use Vinyl-Off 10-4 Liquid Vinyl Remover. Vinyl Installation: Items You Will Need
1. Completely clean the outside of your ATV or the decal application area to remove any grease or dust particles that may prevent the vinyl from sticking to the surface. Make sure when you dry the ATV that you use a lint free cloth. A clean surface is the most important step when installing any type of vinyl lettering or graphics. If you have waxed the your plastics you must remove the wax prior to installing the graphics. WARNING - Never use an ammonia based cleaning product. For example - window cleaner. Likewise do not use aromatic solvents such as acetone, M.E.K., toluene, paint thinner, lacquer thinner, or gasoline. These are very harsh and can damage the vinyl adhesive, possibly causing the vinyl graphics to bubble or even peel. There is a possibility of damaging your ATVs plastics as well. 2. Test fit the graphic to your ATV to make sure exactly where you want to apply it. 3. Using application fluid or a spray bottle with soapy water, wet the area where you are going to apply the graphics, making sure there are no dry areas. 4. Peel the backing off to expose the adhesive side of the vinyl graphic. Lightly spray with the application fluid or soap and water mixture. Do not peel the top layer off yet (if there is one). 5. Put the sticky side of the graphic to the surface of the ATV where you want it applied. Slide the graphic around gently to make any adjustments until it is properly placed in the area you selected. Be careful not to rip the graphic at this point. Gently move it into place. We recommend when applying larger graphics that you ask a friend for help to avoid putting creases into the vinyl. 6. Using your squeegee, work all of the fluid and bubbles from the vinyl starting at the center and working your way out to the edges. Repeat the process a couple of times if necessary to get all of the soapy water and trapped air from underneath the vinyl graphic. 7. With the vinyl graphic on the ATV, spray the entire graphic once more and squeegee it again to remove any remaining air pockets. You will want to use VERY firm pressure as the adhesive in vinyl is a pressure sensitive adhesive and pressure is required to rupture the microscopic pores of the adhesive 8. The decal needs to remain on the ATV for approximately 30 minutes depending on how warm it is. If you do not have time for the vinyl to dry on it's own, you can use a blow dryer on a low setting, being careful not to heat the vinyl too much. Once it has dried, remove the top application layer (if there is one), peeling it straight up to reveal the vinyl graphic. If the vinyl peels off when removing the top layer, go back to step 6. Make sure you do not try to remove the remaining layer until it is dry again. 9. To ensure that you have gotten all of the air bubbles from underneath the vinyl, you should give it one more good spray and run your squeegee over the vinyl one last time. Once application is complete, let your ATV sit overnight for the adhesive to adhere properly. After letting it sit overnight you can ride your ATV without fear of your graphics flying off. However, we suggest you wait 24 hours before washing, waxing or riding in rain or snow. Any mall bubbles that remain may be pricked with a sewing needle and then squeegeed out. Just remember to take your time and don't be afraid to try it. Installing vinyl graphics is fun and clean, and it makes your ATV look GREAT without costing you an arm and a leg. Here is a link to a site that I think is by far the best site I’ve seen for how to videos on installing vinyl graphics: Installation Videos. Exterior Graphics Care:The graphics package you have installed is designed for superior durability and requires little maintenance. Please follow the steps below to get the best performance from your graphic package: Wash your graphics with soap and water or car wash detergents. Rinse thoroughly. Keep high-pressure nozzles at least 1 ½ feet away from the edge of the graphics when washing. High-pressure spray can contain enough force to lift the edge of the graphic and cause it to peel. Do not overcoat the graphics with clear paint of any kind. Do not let gasoline or other fuels drip or stay on the graphics for any length of time. If a spill occurs, wipe off the graphic and rinse with water immediately. Do not use petroleum-based solvents on your graphics. They will soften the vinyl and damage the color. Do not apply wax over graphics, especially if the wax contains any petroleum or silicone distillates. Car wax will not improve the finish of graphics and can damage the surface of vinyl graphics after repeated exposure. If you do wax your ATV wax that has dried along the edge of the graphic can be removed by first softening it with rubbing alcohol and cotton swabs. Be sure to rinse the area after cleaning.
WANTED! WANTED! WANTED! WANTED! WANTED! We're in need of templates. If you have any templates that you would like to donate it would be greatly appreciated. If you have a new set of graphics that you have not installed yet and you would like to help you can trace them on a thick paper and send them to us. We will then scan them and create a template and post the new template. Send completed graphics to: admin@atvgraphics.org
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