Question about the RYK shrink

I've been wanting to try this for a few months now, and I think I will on the next b/g I do. But I had a couple of questions, first, I tried to search, so I just need to confirm it. Is it done dry or wet? I think I read it's done dry. If so what is used to anchor the film down? I know when I lay film down without an anchor of any sort it never wants to stay. I have a 2 door integra and 2 door cobalt coming in soon that I'd like to try it on. Thanks guys!

Its done dry, completely dry. Use a wet towel to lay out an H.

I thought he use film-on.

He does use Film-On

But since he sprays it up in the air, then wipes it with a microfiber doesn't it essentially just dry? I thought since its a slip solution that wiping it with a towel would make it dry, kind of like when cleaning a window.

I don't know ask Ryker himself.

the way I lay it is with my "heavy slip" film-on bottle. I do mist it in the air but it is wiped lightly to leave just a small film on the glass. You can card the film down on like a dryer sheet or soap shrink, but it is light enough that you will not have any final cleaning film to deal with.....

I use a very damp folded paper towel to lay my side lines and I do a horizontal line to divide the top and bottom as well as a line from top to bottom in the middle to make myself 4 pockets total.

You can use a hairdryer to blow air under if you have any issues with melting the edge of film with the "under" gun. The biggest trick on the the under gun is to get it close enough to lift the film and heat the air under but not close enough to begin to really shrink the film with it.....

Both guns running on high heat and I use the Wagner HT 1000 heat guns.....

One thing on the shrink is that you will be shrinking VERY fast so if you move the gun slow you will over-shrink the film. It should lay down smooth by itself if you get it moving right.....very few waves in the film...

I also lay it out with a wet check and do a small "finish" shrink on the middle top and bottom....

I am uploading the video I have of the "finishing" I will post it when it is done....

here is the video of the "finish" that I do on my shrinking......

Sort of stretching the film out in the middle top and bottom. I always seem to have these fingers on top and bottom when I do my wet check. I found that if I do this little stretch shrink out then I simply DO NOT have any issues with my install having fingers pop up.....

finish shrinking back glass

Cool technique dude.

After watching the other vid and this... I seriously have to wreck some old film and try this way of shrinking. Cool!

Do you use this method on all BG's? (Beetles, etc) Or just most?

that is a new one to me..

it looks like it takes a lot of practice

Cool idea Ric!!!!

sorry I just had to do that.

for some reason the link takes me to myspace, but the video wont load.

I like that idea of using a hair dryer underneath ill have to try that at some point.

with the ryk I dont think im good enough to use a heat gun underneath, worries me about melting seals.

the vids working for me now, that was cool. was that a white teflon you cut into that small triangle?

yes it is....my "corner card" I have tried the new corner cards and just still am stuck with the old custom one...


I have not had a beetle to shrink in about 6 years! I am just lucky like that... Otherwise I use this for any back window that has a curve. I even blow under and over on the smaller fingers on SUV back windows when wet shrinking them...

Just get the air going under to lift the film and hold it.

I've tried it a couple times, and can't get it, so I guess its not


you could also get a adjustable heat gun and turn it down so its not hot enough to burn the film but hotter than a hairdryer? just an idea

Has he got tip of the week for this yet?

Hey, great idea for a totw candidate for next Sunday. It's tough finding something to put up every week.

So since you use a damp paper towel to lay the side lines and a horizontal line, it's kind of like anchoring it with the "H" pattern, with a little bit of moisture in the pockets right?

Would you say this method is better for more curved back glasses? I'm wanting to try it on a 2 door integra b/g. Looks like it's the way to go though, if I can do it anyways!

Thanks for your input, greatly appreciated!

key words are if you can do it

Just glad I could help
cheers to all

isnt that so cool having a method named after you.

There should be a donate button!

I should get tip of the week for that one!

I am sure Ric will post that button....he did the other day!

I can do that, I had one up for a little while, but I don't think anyone noticed so I took it down.

Funny you bring this up right now, it's really needed!

Here's the donate button:

I'll put it on the forum front page too.

im just starting in this business but yeah count me in specially since im sure its a pain to maintain this site.

Isnt that called pocket shrinking thats kinda old already i saw a guy name smokin moe do it at the SEMA show 3 years ago

Yes lrod and smokin moe picked it up here.....3 years ago
http://www.tintdude.com/forum/index.php?sh...p;hl=ryk+shrink

but its okay, hes from unique, hes the best

See now your just being a dick

I can tell you that I know first hand that Smokin Moe has been doing this shrink since before I met him, and that was back in 03-04... he did not learn it from this site. as a matter of fact I Have posted things about the pocket shrink and nobody here knew waht I was talking about....




He is also correct that Smoking Moe has been doing this shrink for quite sometime. way before any of you on this site even knew about this site!

just my 2 cents.....

Pocket shrinking has been around for many years. I learned to do the pocket shrink back in 1998 when I started shrinking. The "ryk" shrink is different just slightly in that there is heat and air put UNDER the pocket all the time and the heat on top at the same time. Makes for an even better and smoother shrink!

Just try it...

I like your style but when I saw smokin moe do his pocket shrink he used one heat gun the milwaukee the big red one and blew air in to a pocket closed the pocket so the air stood in it then shrunk it ive searched and there isnt nothing on pocket shrinking on here so im doing the best to explain

http://www.tintdude.com/ryk-shrink.html

You're right Lrod, thats the way I was originally taught, then different variations have come about, and I think everyone's adapted that to their own style.

owww hmm I think ill stick to dry shrinking lol

Unless I'm missing something ( not hating..just trying to understand)..I don't see the benefit from the method of shooting hot air under the film , then heating the film on the outside "chasing" that air downwards, then back to the edge again using a dry/soap technique..saves you needing to stick something underneath to lift it and is quicker..am I missing some benefit

Well Tw for one there is no wiping on of anything, as well as waiting for it to dry. You also dont have any residue left on the glass that needs to be cleaned. Nor do you have anything slippery on the back of the film.. Once you get the pocket shrink down, it is actualy faster then dry shrinking!

Hmm.I always use dry soap so there is no waiting time , an outside of a bg usually needs to be cleaned anyways and using a dry soap..theres nothing to clean off the film once it's been squegeed on ..at least the way I do it anyways

i think the slippery stuff on the inside of the film helps in the squeegee process, especially when its hot. no sticky spots, especially since i switched to my clearmax

Scotty now I'm confused, what does that have to do with shrinking?

Dry soap? Fill me in my Canadian friend... I will say this though Tw, the method in this video is a good way to shrink it seems. Although I like the way I was tought it a lil better.. I learned it from Smoking Moe, who is probably the best shrinker I have ever personaly met. That guy can shrink most windows in under 2 mins, and never have a finger popping up after its installed.. Gotta give the guy credit, he wet shrinks a beetle in prob 9 mins..

OK Scotty maybe I interpretted that wrong, I'm sure you'll explain anyway.

Scotty it also slips out of your hands...

Tintwife he was refering to my post about the slippery back of the film...

I can't say as I've ever had the film slip out of my hands due to the soap on the back? then again I r/r, but don't know if that matters?

Yea the rr would make a huge difference.. I franky it in, so it does tend to slip now and then... luckly I am as agile as a cat and can normaly catch it with no probs

Thanks that makes sense now.... I was thinking shrinking techniques not post- shrink application.