New shrinking methods

[Bham]

Ok guys. What is this new shrinking method I'm hearing about?? Trapping?? Or hot pocketing??

I know it's probably gonna be hard to explain, but if I could get a good description of how to do this. Videos would be nice also.

How do you prep the surface?

Thanks guys.

[RecklessReflections]

I'll try to break it down for you. 

 

A traditional shrink is your common H pattern. 

You create your fingers across the top and bottom. You either put direct heat upon the fingers and work your way up, card it then move on. Or you hold the gun more perpendicular to the film letting the heat flow over the entire finger to spread it evenly and then card it. 

 

Trapping or hot pocketing is basically all in the name. 

 

You're going to trap or create a hot pocket of air under the film.

To do this prep your windshield/back glass as normal, bounce sheet or soap, whichever you use. 

Do a traditional H pattern to lock your film tightly. 

Then get your roll of tape, you're going to use two pieces, one will mount from film to glass on the top edge, use the rear viewer mirror as a guide although it doesn't need to be exact. The other piece will go on the bottom, again, mount the tape on the film to glass so it holds it down firmly. This is what's going to create the said pocket.

 

The trick here is going to be your airflow. Make sure your heat gun produces a great air flow, the better it is the better this technique will be. 

Start by not heating the actual film itself, but under it! Begin to create airflow under the film as you see the pocket you created fill with air. Now to get this to work continue from left to right shooting air under the film until you see the edge of the film or the "lip" of the film collapse on itself touching the glass, the moment it does that take your heat gun and run it on top of the film where you're final cut will be to finalize the lay down. 

 

Once that happens you'll notice the film all filled with air and "trapped" like a balloon. What you'll do then is slightly stretch the film from the bottom, not by lifting or stretching! but insteadd pulling the film against the glass to then bring your heat gun about 6-12 inches away from the film and continue from left to right heating over the film till you reach the bottom. You'll notice how the film reacts and then just wet check it to make it lay down, although it'll lay down without a wet check, I always wet check it to be safe. 

 

Doing this with ease will be repetitious just as anything in tinting is. I love this technique especially for when I use Crystalline which can have distortion easily. This technique does not abuse the film much with heat and you'll notice how little heat the film actually obtains from this.

 

 

 

The other method to do this is by not using a dryer sheet. Instead you'll create a Static H pattern.

Before shooting air under the film use your finger and go along where your final cut would be to create a static lay down point.

Whilst shooting air again under the film use your finger or card to touch the film to the glass where you outlined with your finger to slowly but surely trap the air in.

I don't use this technique as much as I personally like using a dryer sheet.

 

Hope this helps!!

  

[yoderge2]

Yeah a youtube video of this would be cool. What kind of heat gun do you use reckless? How do you feel about the equalizer heat gun?

[RecklessReflections]

Yeah a youtube video of this would be cool. What kind of heat gun do you use reckless? How do you feel about the equalizer heat gun?

 

There are some videos of this online, most are time lapsed though. Just type and search for hot pocket shrink or trapping.

I use a Milwaukee  heat gun, puts out excellent air flow and takes a ton of abuse. I also have two cheap "drill master" heat guns I got from Harbor freight. 15 bucks but also work great for a back up heat gun. 

 

I haven't used the equalizer. I might have to check it out and get some opinions on it. 

[Bham]

Thank you for the description Reckless.  Very Nice    

 

I can tell this is going to be a.. "see it happen"  type of learning curve   

[RecklessReflections]

Thank you for the description Reckless.  Very Nice  

 

I can tell this is going to be a.. "see it happen"  type of learning curve  

No problem at all.

And yes it will most likely be the visual learning curve. But as I mentioned you'll notice how the film reacts. The fact that your film is anchored down by an H pattern and then the tape up top and down bottom in the center restricts the film from letting go of the air you blow in there. You can even try taping the corners of the film down as well to help for your first couple times. I myself just hold it down with my fingers since I'm used to it. 

 

Goodluck!

[palmettotint]

I had a link posted here showing the details, but have been asked to remove it. I think there were some ideas in it that the publishers want to keep secret. Since I'm cool with the publishers, I'm going to have to remove it. However, Reckless (above) explains it.

[Bham]

Thanks guys  and keep the information coming.  Ceramic is the main reason I am looking into this method.  I am worried about the ghosting issues I keep hearing about, and I hear this is the way to stop it.  

 

Good on ya Palmetto  

[Ryker]

Check out my shrink style. The "ryk shrink" link in my signature to the YouTube video

[RecklessReflections]

Here's a link to what you're talking about (pocket shrinking). I'd only recomment it on really hard-to-shrink films like Huper Ceramic or a film that ghosts really easily.  It's a more even shrink but a little more time consuming. Prob worth the extra time in some cases. 

https://youtu.be/tWGLL-XxJnk

I don't mean for this to come off as the wrong way at all just curious, but you find it more time consuming? Or is it you're finding it more time consuming for Huper? 

In my experiences I find it a lot faster, maybe that's just me. But I find when getting the technique down the shrink because a lot easier and much quicker.