Filmhandler & 7mil film

I started doing some work for a glass company.. if everything goes well, I'm hoping I'll be able to do much more with them. Installing 7 mil. Basically they have an area for me to work in.. bring me the glass.. I film and stack it. I'm just pulling from the box currently.

Glass sizes are all different.. any place from 4 to 10 of each size.

If this is going to be something I'm doing often, I want to invest in what I need to make my job easier. So I was thinking of getting a film handler.

My question is.. I've never used one, so I'm not sure how the cuts come out..

How exact can I get it? Let's say one of the sizes is 27x40... How many straight edges would I be able to get from a pull, and could I get the size super exact like say 26.75" x 39.50"

Is 7mil too thick to cut on a plotter?? Or would the cost of a plotter that would be able to handle that just be way out of the range of being worth getting??


Thanks!

-R

Film handler is great for this type of work. Do yourself a favour and get the add on parts that go at the ends to keep rolls from 'scoping!!

I put in a call... maybe see if I can borrow one this week & give it a whirl.

way to go roach! Pulling slowly you can fit all four sides with freestanding glass. You can make the piece to keep the new roll from scoping with cardboard.

I'm pretty stoked to try the FH. I love new tools. If it works out well, I'll probably pick one up when I'm finished this job. I don't know that I'd use it for resi jobs.... but maybe. When I do a house, I cut each room as I go.. normally from the first room I start from. So If I set it up there and just cut all my film... may not save much time, but if I can get better cuts.

You will be pleasantly surprised with the FH. Perfect for that safety job you mentioned.

Filmhandler works great for security film jobs. I've used one a few times and they really help.

I hope so. Went kindof slow the other day.. but it was the first day before I had a system in place. I was beat when done though. Came home.. had some food.. went to watch tv and woke up in the middle of the nite. lol


Anyone got a lead on a used FH forsale???

Dude, they arent that expensive new. I think Filmhandler.com has the cheapest price on it. My distributor sells them but its higher, of course it may equal out with shipping. Id recommend buying a new one. The one I borrow from time to time from my distributor is ragged out. The straight edge is bowed, and the heads are wore out. The ends that hold the roll keep coming apart and the roll falls off the dang thing. Now, this is a "community" FH, but a new one is worth the initial investment.

Yeah... I know. And you're right.. better to buy new.

Where the roll is held by the circular hubs you can cut a cardboard ring that fits around the hub and extends out further to keep a new roll in line until it becomes smaller as you pull more film.

Got it today... tried it out on some 4mil film i had sitting around. Seems pretty nice. We'll see tomorrow when I'm onsite. Definitely good first impression.

Here is one tip for ya if you are doing 1 or 2 slits and you are cutting more than just 1 pull then you should pull it 2” past were you would stop to cut and then back it up to the correct measurement as for the next cut it will be easier to get the next pull started as you will have more to hold on to start the next pull.

And when cutting the horizontal cut hold the film against the ruler with your other hand as you cut as it will keep the film from moving vertically as you cut from one side to the other, as this will be worse as the thicker the film is.

Day two down... ugh.

So... the FH was definitely very cool. Took a little bit to get the hang of, but it was a big plus for safety film. Even for a resi job, I can see it being a help... just not sure I'd like to haul it around with me. But maybe. I dunno...

Almost got me sold on it... if I do more work for this company, I would definitely get one.

One more tip. On your last pull before switching the cutterhead to another spot, stop the film 1 3/4 inches short of the intended measurement, flip the cutter back out of the way and pull the film down to the target measurement. When you make the horizontal cut there won't be any vertical cuts left to take care of. Small tip that saves time.

Had that... but when I had a full roll is still seems to not keep the film lined up enough. :(


The biggest problem we had was that the glass was cut horribly. wasn't square at all, which pretty much just gave me two sides to use and still had to cut the other two on the glass.

Glass frames not always square bud..... just use the FH for basic main cut because for the first few months you just want to make the basic cuts.. still trim to the glass on the glass.

Good luck, save money, time and fingers.

i have a film handler 72" i love it. makes the job faster with alot less waste. you have to get used to it but once you do you'll love it

They are way cool. I want to try out a film star, hard to come by and you really gotta hang a lotta film to be good with them. That being said I've heard some crazy daily sq ft numbers from a seasoned vet using one.

I forgot to add that I dislike the filmhandler. I think its a great tool, but could use improvement.

too gdamn heavy