3M color stable

TintDude · May 25, 2003

this film is new to our shop, we charge a 50$ upsale charge to install it, but it reacts different than what we are used to during shrinking. As an experiment, I heated the mouth of the fingers (dry shrinking) instead of the point first, for about 3 or 4 inches down from the edge, then shrank the rest from the point to the mouth, the film layed down like a cheap hizzo!!! it will take a few more shrinks to get it down, but I'm wondering what your experience is with it??

Mdog · May 25, 2003

td you talking about heating the edg and kinda curling it some? then proceeding like normal? I do that and it seems to help even with llumar.

TintDude · May 25, 2003

yup, I did it just for shits and giggles, because thats how I do bugs, and I was shocked at how the film reacted, at one point I was able to chase the finger from the edge to the point :dunno , I had about a 10 inch wide finger mouth left to shrink, and I started from the mouth and chased it all the way to the point, smoothed it dowd with my rolled up paper towell and , I'll be damned, it was nearly shrank to perfection :lol I'll need to do a few more cars before I am cofortable doing this. This one was on an infintiy g30 not a difficult shrink at all, so I dont know if this will work on other cars, and since I only tint cars one day a week now, this is going to take weeks to nail down.

The classic dry shrink technique is not working with this 3MCS, so I was tempted to experiment, I'd like to spend a week just doing cars, but flatty is filling up my schedule now

Protint · May 25, 2003

I tested that film for Marion who had two 3M corporate guys with her. I used it on a bug. I dry shrunk the rear and side windows like normal (dryer sheet on rear). Had to pull the film to get the rear window in one piece. They said it can be shrunk to the side but found that isn't true. It is thinner than other films I am used to. I liked the color and heard they were coming out with a bronze CS series which is nice because I just saw a car I did with Stainless Steel bronze from SG and it was turning purple around the edge and defroster lines. I would like to see how the CS holds up in the long run. I liked the film all in all. The price was a little steep though.

May 25, 2003

can't tell you about cars but it looks real good on the front of a pizza joint we did. it's a restricted film in alot if not all situations though and not generally recommended for thermopane glass. it would be wise to let the customer know the thermal stress envelope is being pushed with regards to breakage issues if considering flat glass application

May 27, 2003

td I went to a 3M training day and info day for there cs line and they had ten bug back windows for all to try out and the instuctor does the rear with a wet shrink and he pulls the flim as he shrinks, did the rear in 8 minutes with that film. we all tried and had some luck its a different way to shrink than the old wet way, everyone wanted to go fast with the heat gun like in a dry shrink and it would'nt work that way.

TintDude · May 27, 2003

sprinter, it's definitely different to shrink, I dry shrink, and my normal technique wasn't working, the edges can't take much heat because it's so thin, so you can't work small edge fingers without it burning, so I experimented by heating the mouth of the finger so that I could distribute the shrink over a wider area, then going back to the middle to finish it out, and I was surprised how well that worked, I bet that would work well on other films as well.

I'll have to give the pulling thing a try, do you pull at the edge you are shrinking toward and start at the point working toward the edge?

May 27, 2003

I hear ya the CS does not shrink laterally at all like its supposed to. I got a 33 ft. x 40" sample one time of the CS20, and while I was talking to the rep through the whole trial process I mentioned to him how thin it was and he said everyone thinks its thinner than most films but that it actually is not. He said it was like 1.5 mil thick. I don't know I never looked into it but thats what I was told.

Sprinter where do you guys find these seminars where they have 10 bug back glass's for everyone to try? I would really like to see some instructor wet shrink the bug in 8 mins.

May 27, 2003

I did the fronts in 50%CS on my new SUV and I find that there is alot less distortion or orange peel than the other brand we sell. Also the color matches very well with the factory glass on the rear windows (lincoln navigator). We up-charge the film by 50$ and so far since we put the posters and samples up 90% of the cars we've tinted in the last week have chosen the 3M. Since my installers get paid by commision their diggen it! :beer

May 27, 2003

I just contacted 3m to send me some info on this product. I'd like to try it. maybe sell it as my high end line. I've always stayed away from 3m's films, but I'd like to see if this film is all it's hyped up to be.