Stubborn fingers on window

[tej98]

Hello all,

 

I have been trying to tint one of my side windows on a BMW 3 series, and can usually get most of the fingers out using heat, but there is always one finger left that will not "crinkle" or "zig-zag" with heat applied. I've attached an image of what the issue is.

 

Does anyone have any tips to prevent this from happening? Thanks in advance!

[Dylan]

are you shrinking it dry or wet? also what brand film?

[tej98]

17 minutes ago, Dylan said:

are you shrinking it dry or wet? also what brand film?

I'm doing wet shrink, it's Flex Film. 

[no ma'am]

Don't shrink em 3 series quarters stretch em on install. 

[tej98]

4 minutes ago, no ma'am said:

Don't shrink em 3 series quarters stretch em on install. 

Okay, so even if it fingers like in my picture, just leave it and attempt the install and stretch the fingers out?

[no ma'am]

Yep. Or heat after install

[tej98]

2 hours ago, no ma'am said:

Yep. Or heat after install

Thanks for everyone's help! I was able to get the rear quarter window looking pretty nice for my first attempt at tinting. I'm very happy with it! Attached are some pics!

[drtint]

4 hours ago, tej98 said:

Hello all,

 

I have been trying to tint one of my side windows on a BMW 3 series, and can usually get most of the fingers out using heat, but there is always one finger left that will not "crinkle" or "zig-zag" with heat applied. I've attached an image of what the issue is.

 

Does anyone have any tips to prevent this from happening? Thanks in advance!

Actually from the (peak, the way the it looks) you are shrinking the material with the grain. How are you positioning your film off the roll? Are you using factory sides (the straight edge of the film coming out of the box ) on the sides to save film or are you placing the roll at the top of the glass, rolling it down and cutting off the bottom? You should be rolling your film off the roll from side to side and only shrinking top or bottom which would be factory edge of film. 

[drtint]

Another note, you mentioned zig-zag, I call it snaking. So that is the problem, you are shrinking the film wrong.

[tej98]

5 hours ago, drtint said:

Actually from the (peak, the way the it looks) you are shrinking the material with the grain. How are you positioning your film off the roll? Are you using factory sides (the straight edge of the film coming out of the box ) on the sides to save film or are you placing the roll at the top of the glass, rolling it down and cutting off the bottom? You should be rolling your film off the roll from side to side and only shrinking top or bottom which would be factory edge of film. 

Thank you for the reply! I am shrinking from top to bottom and using the factory sides as the ends that I shrink towards. For some of the fingers, if I heat them I see the "snaking" and was able to work those out as the film shrunk. But there would always be one finger that would not work out with heat and I would end up damaging the film (newbie mistake on my part). In the end I was able to make it work by stretching the film with my hands and slowly working the fingers out as I installed the film. Do you know why the heat wasn't effective in removing the fingers? I'm going to attempt the front windows tomorrow, so any insight would be greatly appreciated! 

 

Thanks in advance!

Edited August 3, 2018 by tej98