Help shrinking 3m ceramic ir

[Subcool]

I tinted about 50 cars over a year period 20 years ago. I'm not even close to an expert and I'm way out of practice. I worked with Solargard or Sungard back then.

 

I need some help now though. I'm trying to shrink a piece of 3m ceramic on the back window of my 07 Cayman. The window is fairly flat so it shouldn't be too hard. I tried a piece last night and ended up creasing it in a couple spots. 

 

When I was shrinking the film I had a ton of horizontal fingers develop. Not on the sides but in the middle of the film. I have a feeling I wasn't heating it proper or maybe overheating it. What's the proper technic to deal with these? They were everywhere, ranging in size from 1" to 8". I tried heating them directly which just made them worse. 

 

I went ahead and tried to apply the film out of curiosity. 99% of these horizontal fingers went away but I ended up creasing 3 of them. Of course I have to try again. If it happens again I'm pretty confident that I can get them to lay down but I'd rather not have to deal with them in the first place. 

 

Also, the adhesive on this film seemed really weak. Any advice on how to get it to stick tighter? More heat in the glass, I assume. 

 

Next time I'm going with Solargard. Thanks for the help!!!

Edited February 12, 2020 by Subcool

[DynamicATL]

3M Ceramic IR is one of the easiest 3M films to shrink...much easier than Obsidian, Color Stable,and Crystalline.  So I would first ask, how did you get a hold of 3M Ceramic IR?  The only way would be to get a 3M dealer to sell you it.  Unless you know them, there would be no point of them doing this since they could be dropped form 3M if they were caught.  If you bought it online, that is fake 3M...you can find it all over eBay and other places.  That is just some cheap Chinese film which could be the reason for the difficult installation.

[TINTZEUS]

You might be giving the film too much heat too soon. Really take your time. Shape the lower before the crease. Also, maybe try heating under the film and on top. Be gentle. Take your time.

[Subcool]

DynamicATL, I hadn't even considered receiving fake 3m tint. I bought it from a tint shop online that also sells precut kits. It was really hard to find. The color seems off, the tight radiuses were poorly cut, and it was really hard to shrink. I'd say there's a pretty good chance it's fake. I ordered a roll of the same tint from a different vendor so I can cut my own window. I'll compare the new tint to the first set I got. I should be able to tell if at least one of them are fake. The rest of the car is finished so I'll leave it on and see how long it takes to turn purple. 

 

Thanks for the advice!!

[Subcool]

Tintzeus, I ordered a 40"x10' roll so I could try again. I'll do it really slow and smooth it with a felt card. Thanks for the tip!!

[DynamicATL]

15 minutes ago, Subcool said:

DynamicATL, I hadn't even considered receiving fake 3m tint. I bought it from a tint shop online that also sells precut kits. It was really hard to find. The color seems off, the tight radiuses were poorly cut, and it was really hard to shrink. I'd say there's a pretty good chance it's fake. I ordered a roll of the same tint from a different vendor so I can cut my own window. I'll compare the new tint to the first set I got. I should be able to tell if at least one of them are fake. The rest of the car is finished so I'll leave it on and see how long it takes to turn purple. 

 

Thanks for the advice!!

 

Yeah, it is definitely not 3M.  Large brands are not sold anywhere online, Express is the only quality film you can online buy without a business.  Below is a video I did a few years ago comparing real 3M Crystalline to "3M Crystalline" that is sold on eBay.  As you can see, nowhere near the same film.

 

 

[Midtown Houston]

3M Ceramic IR shrink like butter...no special technique is needed to shape this film. You can not buy a precut kit and if you did....it is not 3M window film.