The ///Man

9 minutes ago, smartie2shoes said:

Another upside for sure ... you're an except to the rule when it comes to complaining. I bet your input to the PCS team would always be appreciated. 

I’ve tried, but you need a log in and I never have time to sit down and do that shit. Lol 

like right now. A couple weeks ago I cut patterns for a Transit van and the whole left side was backwards.

1 hour ago, smartie2shoes said:

Additionally, There are a couple of approaches to using precut patterns that are positive in nature.

 

1) You could have the system to capture car dealership work before a manny comes in a sets up the dealership and use only precuts for dealer sales.

 

2) Hiring someone to train installation of dealership precut patterns only thereby protecting yourself for that moment the installer thinks he can move on his own. They don't know custom cut.

 

3) Offer installations at dual-level pricing; $X X.xx for that Pick up using precut patterns or $X X X.xx for custom cut (hand cut) patterns. A smooth way of getting a little more from your cutting skills.

 

Also, at the advent of precut pattern systems they were never meant for a one man operation, they work out well for large tint shops with 2-3 or more installers in large urban areas with a multitude of people and car dealerships.

My system kept me from having to hire another a tinter. There are two of us and we get along. Every tinter that comes in does 10 cars a day, perfect, and never misses a day of work. The reality is they cry after 3, all of them come back, and they miss more days than they work. Dealing with tinters gets old, and even as a 1 man show like this week with my help out with pneumonia, it’s been a godsend as I am able to keep up with our appointments being in 2 places at once with the cutter. I’ve been using precision cut pretty consistently since 2010-2011 and I can say it’s pretty rare that something is completely awful with patterns. We’ve adjusted our installs to the patterns though, so maybe that helps versus those who think the patterns should adjust to their style, no matter how ridiculous it is. 

I’ll leave it at this. If precision cut costs you the equivalent of 1-2 tint jobs a month, the flip side at least for me is that it’s allowed the two of us to do 2-3 more jobs a day with greater consistency, less waste and less frustration. I will never complain about a couple hundred a month if it means an extra $10,000 a month. 

18 hours ago, DynamicATL said:

 

All day.

Looks like it was someone else off here. I was looking forward to seeing if “never leave my shop” includes some random Hyundai for a soccer mom. 

2018 F250

I’m pretty sure I recommended a friend from McDonnough to your shop. We’re going to see if it’s all talk. 

Same gap for reference. 

14 minutes ago, DynamicATL said:

 

Out of the vehicles I tested including a Tesla S which is pretty common, they were all off here or there...I am crediting one of the patterns be correct even though it was about 5% off.  If we were to use a plotter for tint (we handcut) and especially pay for it, it needs to be on point.  I did the same tests on DAP and they were 100% every single time.  I can't speak of every vehicle they offer a pattern for, but that along with the PPF patterns being horrible I can safely assume the overall patterns are not good.  As for the photos you posted, the first photo's gap is way too much IMO.  That could be because the pattern was too short or the installer simply didn't push it closer.

Im curious how the gap is “way too much”?  It’s less than 1/32” all the way, or about the thickness of a fingernail. I think you are looking at the rounded top edge of the glass that protrudes higher than the flat surface. You literally cannot get closer without filing the edge. 

Turns out I’m workin in the fusion I was talking about. This pattern could be a little better. You have about a 1/16th inch variance from the sides to the middle. 

Since I had a car here I took these pictures. 2018 Escape. 

Define a "ridiculous amount".  I'm just curious.  I feel I don't spend a ton with Llumar, but it is the only brand I sell.  They are generally very helpful to me with access to their software. 

As for the 80% wrong, I'm curious what wrong means?  I tint 4-5 cars a day minimum of all sorts of cars and generally the patterns are very good.  About the only one in recent times I can recall I don't like is the current Ford Fusion.

Seems like you did what you could do.  I probably would have had surveillance of him getting knocked out.  Then I'd be in trouble.

I tried to get it.  It's there on the passenger side.

Rainbow look on the outside is normal.  I do a lot in Air 80 and 90 and especially in overcast lighting it can be seen from the outside.  I'm pretty sure you are just seeing the filtering of the light in action.

Seen plenty of scratched glass on new vehicles.  Scratched new pieces of glass we get for replacements.  Picture would be best, but I wouldn't be quick to jump on the shop, you might end up looking like an ass.

10 hours ago, Sisqouc said:

Do they park near Sandia National Laboratories?

Love to hear what the late TD member "VClimber" would have said.

 

I don't know about the civic, but the Mazda is just down the street from me, so a few miles from the labs.  There are several tall buildings in the area though, maybe a reflection off a window.

10 hours ago, shadytints said:

Kewl,  love a good puzzle

takes some serious heat to pop tempered.  I use three different torches for tint, 1 for BG, a mini for touch-ups close to moldings and a triple burner mini if I catch something after I pulled it out.  I smoke, boat and its windproof, love it

I would check your film roll, doubt its the problem, have seen many strange things in film over the years.  the burned one my guess is vandelism, magnifying glass or torch.  have seen rear and sideview melt from reflection off a tinted building.  the other, lawn mower or leaf blower,  check for other nicks on the car.

 

do they work or park same place?  is strange to have 2 back to back.  any more details?

 

They weren't back to back, totally different people and scenarios.  One was a car I tinted, one came to me with the burned and broken glass, the second came with burned tint, it wasn't broken until the day we re-tinted, but it broke at the center of where the burn was previously.  I know for a fact the second one was not an impact.  If you look, the break looks has a pattern in the glass that is totally different from one side to the other.  One side with long directional shards like you would see in an impact, the other side with little to no pattern at all.I really think something burst inside the glass.  In the last picture, you can also see on the weatherstrip the melting from whatever burned the tint previously.  Whatever burned the tint also burned the rubber.

I initially thought maybe it was parking next to something, but on the second car, and like I said before, I could be imagining things, but it seemed the burn was worse from the first time he brought it to 2 weeks later when we changed the tint.  That's why I'm curious if there can be something in the glass that can heat like that.

I liked the idea of something in the glass acting like a magnifying lens.  Maybe an imperfection the sun is refracting through.  I did a little research, the Civic was PGW, the Mazda was St. Gobain.  

This is two different people, two different cars.  The second one without the burn definitely wasn't impact related.  It broke in the exact spot where the burn previously was and broke the same day we re-tinted it for him.  The break is where the center of the burn was before.

OK, so I'm going to preface this with I'm sure there are a number of things that could cause this, I'm thinking most likely a reflection off of something else, though the second incident, I'm mildly curious if something could be in the glass causing this.

The first case came to me as a glass replacement.  We didn't tint the car.  It's a 2012 Civic Sedan, the glass was broken and the belt mouldings melted, along with the tint being scorched.  I assumed someone was doing something stupid with a torch, but customer said they came out and it was broken.

The second set of pictures, unfortunately I don't have pictures of when it was burned, but he came to me a couple weeks ago, a 2016 Mazda3, we had tinted a few months earlier.  There was about a 2" diameter ring with burned tint in the middle, the belt moulding slightly melted.  I told him swing by another day and I would help him out.  Now I can't remember, but he came back Friday and I swear it looked more burned, though it could be just memory.  Needless to say, we re-tinted the glass for him in the morning and he went off to work.  He returned at the end of work day, and the glass was broken in the exact spot where the burn was before.  It's a strange looking break too as it appears to be directional in how it broke.  

I'm curious if there can be some sort of inclusion in the glass that can burn the tint?  Also, why did the glass break after we re-tinted it?  I wonder if whatever burned the glass weeks before somehow changed the molecular makeup of the glass and something with the water drying triggered it to burst?

If it's something in the make-up of the glass, I imagine this may be more common if a small shop like me has seen 2 instances in the matter of a couple months.  I wish I had got the brand of the Civic glass and seen if there was a consistency among brand.  Both were OEM glass.

Sport Touring is a pretty slick looking car.  Can't wait for the Type-R

On 2/25/2017 at 10:59 PM, LickMyTints said:

 

 

 

 

 

Here is a video of me shrinking the civic hatch BG.....don't use cheap film!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

 

Yep, not bad to shrink, I just don't see anyone getting that much shrinking on a peel board winging it.

19 hours ago, pierce8468 said:

I notice your pic only has the spoiler revoved, but the next poster has an exterior panel removed.    Are there Different variations, or were you just able to remove the spoiler taking less apart?

Spoiler bolts from inside the hatch.  Have to take it all off, except maybe the wiper that I took off.

You need like a 10mm, a screwdriver and plastic pry tool to take like 90% of anything on a car apart.

 

I put the 70% sample on my windshield.  I don't like how noticeable it is from the outside, it cast a lot of color at most angles.  I'm used to Air 80/90 which you can barely tell is on there.  I don't really have any other input as I got the sample as we were cooling down temperature wise.

Maybe it was really 50 or 60%?

 

Said 70 on the box.  I'll try and get a picture of what I mean, but it just seems to reflect a lot of color.

I put the 70% sample on my windshield.  I don't like how noticeable it is from the outside, it cast a lot of color at most angles.  I'm used to Air 80/90 which you can barely tell is on there.  I don't really have any other input as I got the sample as we were cooling down temperature wise.

It is pretty curved at the bottom.  I can't imagine shrinking it without something very curved to shrink against.