1980 Camaro

June 15, 2003

I'm a self taught weekend warrior tinter for about 3yrs now. I've done around 65 vehicles now and today I felt like this was my first go at tinting.

A friend wanted just the two front doors of his 1980 Camaro retinted so I peeled off the old tint and proceeded like normal. I tried three times before I got the tint on the first window the way I wanted ( I'm an @nal perfectionist ). Them I sqeeged the hell out of the tint and heated the edges ( I file the edges ) and just a few minutes after I got done, there were smaller bumps all over the place that looked like air bubbles. So I tried it again with NO heat at all- same thing, just took longer to appear.

Now I'm getting Pissed! I tried it again with a different brand and type of tint-same thing. Then I tried tinting the curved side of the front windshield as a test and again- same damn bubbles coming from a dirt free, perfectly normal looking tint job.

Then I tried the whole process over again with a different soap solution- yes, same bumps, bubbles. I also tried the different tints on my test glass w/ and w/o heat and the tint turned out great.

These bumps aren't dirt water, or air- trust me- but when they appear out of nowhere, they look like tint does when you over heat it after it's applied.

From my testing different tints solutions and glass, it seems to only happen on the Camaro's glass. IT HAS TO HAVE SOMETHING TO DO WITH THE GLASS. Did they do something to the glass that year or is it all older cars?

I always scrape the glass, wipe, sqeegee, rub w/ nylon scrubber, wipe and squeegee a few more times during prep. This has NEVER happened before and I'm really confused. PLEASE CAN SOMEONE OFFER SOME ADVISE!!!!!!??????

Thanks Alot!

Paul

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June 15, 2003

the glass may be etched. maybe from welding slag? :lol6 that s**t drives tinters nuts. sounds like what it may be, just look at the glass real close. test a couple small pieces of film in the same place and see if the bubbles are in the EXACT same spot. if it is, it's etched and there's not a damn thing you can do about it.

June 15, 2003

Thanks, but it's not that. My problem is the ENTIRE glass surface. What's really p1ss1ng me off is the old tint was fine( was turning a little purple and had electrical tape around the edges ) but fine.

Paul

June 15, 2003

I have no idea, I've never encountered this except maybe at the end of a roll. but you said you tried two different films, so that shouldn't be it. maybe some other members will give input. it may be something simple that I'm not thinking about.

pierce8468 · June 15, 2003

never had that problem before sorry I canr help

June 15, 2003

Well, thanks for trying guys. Today I'm going to try some laquer thinner and maybe some other toxic chemicals. I guess I really have nothing to lose at this point!

Later,

paul

June 16, 2003

Experience tells me it is the glass and the only theory I can come away with is that GM's weatherstips must have had some kinda funk chemistry, which, after many years of rubbing across the glass surface, has clogged the pores of the glass with residual rubber, plastic or something.

We tinters come along and try to tint this 'rubberized' glass only to find the film does not slip well no matter the soap content of our solution and that it dries in a blistering fashion.

It may only be moisture that will eventually disappear during the dry time.

Kinda like tinting plexiglas?

:shock

June 17, 2003

What do you squeegee the tint with? Are you sure your getting as much of the water out as possible? It could just be the water forming pockets and needs to dry.

June 17, 2003

I use the softer black squeege first and follow up with the harder 3M gold butterfly card wrapped with silk cloth. I squeege the hell out of the tint the same way I've always done it and have never had a problem.

I think METINT4U2's theory is very logical because the weather striping inside and out is very hard and in need of replacement. The driver's outside striping has scratched the glass really bad also.

His discription of " blisters " is perfect and he's right- the tint dries so fast that I have no time to move the tint or work out all of the water. I'd say I have maybe 20-30 seconds- definately not enough time and NOT normal.

When my buddy gets new glass we're gonna try it again and I'm Sure it will work-or else...

I have never tinted plexi before but it might not hurt to see if it looks the same.

Thanks Again!

Paul

pierce8468 · June 17, 2003

not saying your wrong metints I just learn from asking question. he said he just pulled the film off to retint. would the rubber still be a factor.only ask because ive never had that problem. and if I run into it id like to be able to fix it