Complete Hood Install Questions - w/ Xpel Ultimate

CCPcoatings · June 8, 2015

I'm a newbie with PPF and just did a complete hood on a 2015 2500HD Denali. Aside from one spot where a piece of debris got under the film and I didn't see it till I was some distance away from it, it came out pretty good considering the size and complexity of the hood.

Also, one edge near a corner looks like cracked glass. I do have a couple issues / questions though.

I didn't plan out mitering my corners very well and now I think I have some bunching on the edge of the 4 corner of the hood I need to address., I wrapped about a 1/2 around all edges and cut out small triangles in the minor angles on the front of the hood. On the main four corners (90 degree) I cut off the actual corner (triangle) so that it wrapped in a nice miter underneath. But I didn't account for the 2 sides actually meeting in the middle and leaving a seam to cause a problem. I need to pull the center of the corner around some how so that the edge isn't visible on the side or top part of the hood.

Questions:

1) Can I use a steamer or heat gun to peel back my wrapped edges in those areas without damaging the film or adhesive and fix my corner? Or would it be better to hit it with heat and just smash it down as clean a possible,

2) What is the proper way to miter a 90 deg corner to avoid pucker in the middle of the fold?

3) is it possible to make a cut, extract the debris from the top of the hood and seam it back down? It's only about a 1/16 at best. Much like you would pierce an air bubble. Its maybe a 1/16 x 1/16. I think its a piece of leaf or twig that some how stuck to my arm and then fell off when I was sticking my hand under the film to remove a bubble or something. Its brown and the hood is black so I didn't feel it or see it till I was almost done and I was afraid to peel up the film at that point.

4) On the edge of one of my corners where the film looks like "cracked glass". Is it possible to again heat this area up, lift up an inch or two of the film and stretch the bad part under the hood as the wrapped section??? I've seen some films be applied, pulled back up and hit with the steamer and reapplied looking perfect, but I'm not sure this can be done with Xpel....

Thanks for your help in advance....

PPFdistributing · June 8, 2015

the cracked glass look is the top coat breaking. You can't make that come back. It's "cooked" and would need to be replaced. But Jeff from Xpel can better explain that since it's his product. And no, you cannot cut out a piece of debris and just slap the piece back on. It would look too obvious.

CCPcoatings · June 8, 2015

the cracked glass look is the top coat breaking. You can't make that come back. It's "cooked" and would need to be replaced. But Jeff from Xpel can better explain that since it's his product. And no, you cannot cut out a piece of debris and just slap the piece back on. It would look too obvious.

I've stretch the hell out of material before and it looks nothing like that. If anything I'm thinking maybe the area is a dry bubble.

As for the debris, I didn't explain it properly. I didn't mean to cut out a circle of the material. I was suggesting making a small surgical cut, approx 1/16", removing the debris with tweezers and then seaming it together. This can't be much different then when guys pierce air bubbles.......

PPFdistributing · June 8, 2015

Depends on what material you've stretched. Top coated material has a breaking point and if you take a scrap piece of of ultimate and stretch the bejesus out of it, you'll see it crack just like you described. If you've installed non-top coated film, you won't see it break or crack. So it really depends on what material you've installed before.

And as far as the surgical suggestion, I would still recommend not doing that. You'll still see it and it will stick out unless it's a white car. If it's for a customer, I would strongly suggest against it.

CCPcoatings · June 8, 2015

Depends on what material you've stretched. Top coated material has a breaking point and if you take a scrap piece of of ultimate and stretch the bejesus out of it, you'll see it crack just like you described. If you've installed non-top coated film, you won't see it break or crack. So it really depends on what material you've installed before.

And as far as the surgical suggestion, I would still recommend not doing that. You'll still see it and it will stick out unless it's a white car. If it's for a customer, I would strongly suggest against it.

I'm obviously referring to Xpel ultimate as this is what we're discussing. The cracked effect looks nothing like a stretched top coat. Its actually under the surface which is why I'm suspecting it may be a dry spot or and adhesive issue. If I can heat and lift this area I can stretch it a 1/4" or so and hide it underneath the hood. The vehicle is a black shop vehicle.

PPFdistributing · June 8, 2015

Let me first start by saying nothing is obvious. You mentioned that you've stretched material before and didn't specify that the material in the past that you have stretched was ultimate. 2nd, unless you actually show us a picture, we as a group on this forum can only speculate to try and help a "newbie" such as yourself in answering a question that could have many possible answers. I would recommend calling Xpel and talking to one of their reps as they will give you the best possible answer to your question. Wish I could have been more helpful but it's clear that I wasn't. Good luck.

Tint Yoda · June 9, 2015

Sounds like the crack issue is a lift line. Only way to remove those is redo the hood at this point.

CCPcoatings · June 9, 2015

Sounds like the crack issue is a lift line. Only way to remove those is redo the hood at this point.

Nothing lifted there so def not lift line. Xpel thinks silvering, which makes sense as I had thought it may be a dry spot, I'll be seeing the vehicle today so I'll know for sure and take some pics.

Thanks

WearTheFoxHat · June 9, 2015

Please take your time getting the pics in focus.

If you cannot get a focus on a blemish put a finger or a piece of 1" masking tape near the problem to help the camera and the viewer of the pic to get an idea of the size of the issue.

Focus example pics from a job where there was a surprise under the premask: