Do You Use Short Patterns And If So, Do You Micro Edge

[Guest archer69]

Looking into the system. Seems to have a lot of quality features. One thing I have a question about is the short patterns.

The way the manufacturer describes it, almost all of the southern shops use the shorts and northern guys use the longs.

The way I understand it, the short patterns bring the bottom edge to dead even with the gasket if you micro edge. They say if you get it down and hit it with a little heat that it's good to go. And again, this is supposed to be typical down in TX, FL, AL, etc. It seems a little close to me. Maybe I'm interpreting their description wrong?

I'm a northern guy (US anyway), and like a lot of people, I developed most of my techniques in a vacuum early on, so I'm not saying this style of install won't work. It's just that I've always just gone a 1/4" below the point where the gasket hits the glass.

I guess my question is, do you micro-edge the shorts, and do they work well for you in general?

[Tintguy1980]

do you micro-edge the shorts, and do they work well for you in general?

The way I see it, using short cut is akin to installing practices of the 80's.

At least a long pattern allows you to recut microedges that dont line up. Glass edge polishing isn't as precise a science us tinters would want it to be, so there are irregulaties found when fitting pattern microedges car to car.

[tint_audiopros]

we cut all short patterns to go at or just below the seal with no light gaps, I believe Brett changed something in the programing that added 1/16" to all patterns. Ever since we haven't had to many "light gaps".