Seamless Lines....whats the deal?

Im not sure if I know what everybody means by the seamless lines that people talk about when they absolutely cannot one piece a window. Do you cut the line on the inside or outside? Im not sure if I just call it something else. Somebody give me some info.

They are cut on the inside, on the edge of a defroster line, then the excess is removed.

Ok see Ive tried that and It didnt come out how I wanted it to. I found it really hard to get my knife in those weird angles at the edge of the window. Whenever You do the seamless which part of the window do you put on first. top or bottom? I tried bottom then top and it was all jacked up, because I still had excess tint from the bottom piece that is trapped underneath the top piece. Does that make any sense? lol

Both pieces should overlap about half an inch or so. I tint from the top down when doing this, so the second piece would over lap the first in that case. I don't use an Olfa to cut a butt seam though, just a good single edge razor blade does the trick for me. Make sure you don't cut on top of the defroster line, but just on the top edge of it, otherwise you may cut it and disable it.

You'll also want to roll the top out one way and bottom the opposite, otherwise you'll see the difference in color..

Thanks for the advice. I know totally what you mean about the contrast in color you are talking about. The only reason why im asking this is cause I had tinted a 99 eclipse 2 days ago and wanted that seamless look but i just overlapped it a little bit...im ashamed lol.

Now how do you go about using your squeege with the two pieces on the window? When ever I usually try it I'll have some stubborn tint that will either want to finger up on me in the middle or my blue max will catch either the top or the bottom and rip the tint. Thats usually when I take a lunch break so I wont break the customers BG cause im so mad.

You want to just put some heat on that one line, fix any problem areas, or take lunch and while you're eating put the defroster on that way you can go back and touch up any problems. That is a very difficult b/g, but really do whatever you can to learn to shrink it in one piece. It'll help you in the long run especially as a point of sale..Keep practicing man,

when you are cutting the seam, cut as far as you can comfortably the most natural direction, from the left to the right for me, and then come back from the other side when you get to the point you have the knife handle about to hit the side. With practice you will be able to hit the same point every time....

If you have to seam that is...

I usually try and attempt the BG of the harder cars and usually if I can't get it one piece then I'll 2 piece it so I dont use up too much film. when I did that eclipse the back window turned out perfect except for the top corners. I hit the right side with a little too much heat and the left side just didnt want to shrink anymore. Well I better start practicing!

Thats common on that car, I like to move from one side to the other just to let that top corner cool down a bit, also leave it pretty long that way you can do a little pulling while shrinking it..

the more I read about the pulling technique the more Ive been trying it. Still gotta get used to it just like anything else but as of right now I can tell it helps alot. I still need to perfect it tho

Work on that as much as you can, it'll help you out on a lot of vehicles, the new rabbits/gti, beetle, that eclipse...

yeah I hear you there. Ive got a beetle to do whenever Im up to the challenge. To be totally honest Im scared to do that back window. Im pretty sure I can handle it one piece but I would really like to nail it with a one piece. Whenever I can do that I'll prolly have a big head until a corvette rolls in the shop

I'll take a vette over a beetle anyday, nail that beetle and have a big head

Ill prolly drink a cold one and admire the work for about an hour after I finished

the seam needs to b cut on the outside!! use a 40in roll, cut it in half and overlap the film after u shrink it. if u cut the "seam" on the inside it WILL look like sh!t. trust me. doing a 2 piece rear window should b a rare thing, but, if u do it this way you're golden.

how do you get it to line up perfectly on the inside when the curve of the defrosters changes from the outside to inside, and how do you see the defroster to make a perfect cut through two layers of film on the outside?

to the OP:

what I like to do to help with removing the cut tint is after I lay the bottom piece(i do bottom up) i trim it 1/4" above the defroster to theres the least amount of material possible to pull out after the cut. I do that first, then go and do the four doors and come back and finish it up after putting some heat on it first, that was I know that line is stuck and won't get water pushed under it from the top piece.

is this like telling a tourist to turn right when they really should make a left

He must not be worried about lining up the seam on the defroster.

I'd suggest overlapping the pieces on the inside, across a defroster and cutting thru both pieces on the top edge of the defroster, then removing the excess...OR just learn to one piece.

there are times when you have to two piece though, but rarely

NEVAH!

Nevah Evah ???

If and when a splice bw is needed i splice it on the outside. when I started out thats how i learned those old accords were great. I aint telling the secret but you adjust your cut on the edges and trust me it works.

I splice as well on the outside, then install, I'll usually have a 1/4-1/2" play at the bottom when installing,

Then just shrink your top piece, and cut,

install both pieces at once,

but always ONE - PIECE IT...2 piece last resort

Thats has been the only way I've done them..seam from the outside..Apply top first heat down till its dried stuck lining it right behind the defroster line..move on to do the doors come back last and apply the bottom part very carefully and you can't f@#% it up cause a copy won't be an exact match.. this was before I knew how to 1 piece 99%..Was a 90% 2 piecer from 92 to 02!!

Cut on the outside for me too. Piece of cake.
Devil