Diablo's Tint

This is what they look like in Ohio. @Bham
 

I believe you're seeing low angle haze, I've seen this come up on several occasions on here. Common with ceramic films. I've installed countless amounts of this film without complaints since 07  I'd say wherever you (got your tints did) did a good job and you should look through it not at it? Also ...... tints......  

Heat box - Wholesale are welcome
Back by popular demand and made even better....Limited quantities available 
Please visit Mao POD Station for all the kool stuff we make
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After more than a decade of building, buying, and collecting heat lamp displays… this is the BEST one. It is 24”x 20” made from aluminum and wall mounted. The graphics serve as an informative and heat display all in one which helps us spend less time explaining and selling to customers. It is very user friendly, the film will sell itself! We have hundreds of customers that walk up to this box and choose our infrared window film over any other because of this display.
The graphics and the box are custom designed by us in-house. Since we are a window film company we are more knowledgeable at designing what graphics and displays will work or not for the window film consumer.
You will get your money back from the extra profit this box will make you in your first sale of the day.
What’s Included: 
• (1) 24” x 20”  Aluminum Heat Box Display
• (1) Custom Graphic
• (1) 1/8" Thickness Glass
• (3) halogen bulb
• Screws and Hardwares
TURN-KEY HEAT BOX.....ALL YOU NEED IS A PHILLIP DRIVER.....NO GOING TO HOMEDEPOT!!!!!
PM or email me at NorngLLC@gmail.com if you are interested.
Wholesale inquiries are welcomed!
More pics in comments.

I have found that most requests made for Dark tint on windshield are made by those who are:
1) Young;
2) Male;
3) think that the most serious consequence possible is a fix-it ticket
4) likely don't have any assets of consequence to lose if the reductionist thinking illustrated by belief #3 turns out to be wrong.
5) and would throw the tint shop owner under the bus in a heartbeat despite their claim they don't need a receipt if they thought it would save their own ass.
 

If you are going to do a windshield with a front strip, first - tint the whole windshield, then do the front strip as you normally would, after the whole windshield is tinted.  
 
35% is not recommended for windshields as it is too dark at night and during the rain.   This is not fact, just the overwhelming opinion of most respectable tinters.  50% is the limit for most tinters that care about the industry.    

Possible yes. Stupid idea? Also yes.

I have two that you can daisy chain together and it works like a charm. It is probably the best new products for tinting that I have seen.

Just wanted to say thanks @OverLord for his huge HUGE help on a 1995 C4 Corvette back hatch yesterday.
 
Burned up a couple pieces of (ceramic) film on my own and became super frustrated. Car has been sitting in my shop for a week while I mentally cooled down and debated how much more film I wanted to trash.
 
David was nice enough to stop by the shop and lend me a hand. When I say lend I mean he drove well over an hour each way to school me on how to tint a 'Vette.
 
I've not been doing this as long as a lot of you but days like yesterday give me hope. This truly is an industry of sharing knowledge and helping your fellow tinter. Hopefully I can put in as many successful years as some of the guys here.
 
Appreciate the help man, more than you can imagine. Tell Ann thanks too for being patient with us. My fiancé gets antsy when its "guy time" because she knows the clock almost seems to stop.
 
Next time we will have to catch up for something less work related, maybe when @jh812 is back in this neck of the woods.

Retro fit safety film will be popular for the foreseeable future. But new construction is already phasing out glass in high risk areas. Opting for acrylic or plexi or other resin based product. 

I started with Tinttek and loved them.....then I hated them. Let me explain...their customer service is top notch. Cindy Wayne gave me her personal cell number and helped me set up my plotter after hours during her drive home. Unfortunately customer service does not work in the pattern department. In one week I did a Jeep Wrangler front windshield which the pattern was about an inch too short at the bottom. Couple of days later I did 4 police Tahoes and all of the rear door windows were cut at an angle and short on one side at the bottom. I called and pointed out these issues with the promise they would be looked into. About two months later I did another Tahoe....same problem. Then shortly after the same problem with the Jeep windshield. I called back and it was..."we don´t work in that dept. but will let them know...we have had problems." I decided to change right then and moved over to Film Designs. I also subscribe to Llumar´s Precision Cut. That way I always am guaranteed to have what I need if one system doesn´t have a particular pattern. Happens a lot with windshields. Film Designs is a great system. You should call and talk to Brittany or Brett. They are great folks. 
As far as plotters, I would definitely use Sign Warehouse. I would recommend the Vinyl Express Q series. I have two of the 42" plotters and one of the 64". These machines are generic versions of the Graphtec FC8600 and even come with the Graphtec manuals and blade holders and blades. I have a contact there who will absolutely give you the best price. Just let me know if you are interested and I can give you her contact info. Hope this helps and if you have any questions let me know. This part of the process can be a bit scary, but after 30 years of hand cutting I would never go back to it after using a plotter. 
 

We've been working hard over the past couple of years to overhaul our tint program.  Give us a call at 210-678-3700 or complete the form at http://www.xpel.com/ppf-installer/ if you'd like a free trial of the most robust tint/ppf software in the biz!
 
Tint pattern fit video
 

Agree. ..but the truth of the matter is that the tint industry has lagged far behind the glass industry for decades. They have always been and likely always will be the red headed stepchild. While film has gotten "better" in the past 8-10 years...the OEM glass had quadrupled in advancements..thus the film biz is once again behind the curve. 
 Remember..the glass industry has HAD to improve and become pro active due to federal efficiency mandates ..they either improve or they are out of business. 
 The film industry has always been re-active...wait and see type mentality... by the time they react..it's already too late.. 
been that way for decades... nothing is going to change. 

Glad to hear you have a product that is working for you. 
On the flip side of this is that today's auto glass that is on all new cars IS incredibly efficient at blocking heat.. incredibly.. This is due in large part to auto mfrs needing to meet CAFE standards for pollution as well as MPG requirements. ..."I.E. the less the AC is running ..the better the MPg is going to be..the less pollution from the tail pipe."  
 If you have the ability to actually test the glass via a new fancy meter .. you will be amazed....and shocked at how good factory glass really is. Some auto mfrs ( German ) ones in particular..but some domestic.. have laminated glass on the rear , sides and windshield. 
 All of which reduces virtually all of UVA ..and B.. so if you are installing a ceramic 80 or 90, and that film has a TSER of say... 40%.. on factory tinted glass that has a TSER in the 70% range.. that leaves you reducing 40% of 30% .....net 12% more TSER...= negligible 

Oldie but a goodie and most asked. My opinion follows:
For a spraymaster size bottle, which is about a quart/liter.
Using Joy Non Ultra (i also use Dawn Simply Clean, real slippery chit)
8 mls per quart/liter for sides
12 mls per quart/liter for back glass (i need a little more slip for my install. i'm not super fast)
i use multiple bottles, also have another bottle for cleaning only using Dawn 4X Platinum.
Reasoning being the slip has the weakest cleaning (acidic) content, but still has all the good slip.
The rule of thumb with slip is one ounce per gallon, it's more like a starting point for you to find depending on factors like the film your using etc.
An ounce is about 30 mls, so a quart would use a quarter of that being 7.5 mls. So start with 8 mls per quart. It seems to work.
Yes i overthink things to death.

In most cases it is negligible.

Benefits....very few... Unless your customer for some reason wants them darker......Tidays factory glass, both tinted and "clear" are incredibly efficient at reducing UV and SHG. A couple years ago a neat little affordable meter came out that had mfrs chitting  bricks. As it became incredibly easy to test solar performance.....and expose written inconsistencies. 

after the "one upper" wanted to be better than the panel pullers 🤣

We have recently exploded in the industry again and have expanded to a 3500 sqft facility. We are looking for and will interview qualified window tinters, PPF installers, wrap installers and Sales managers. NO DRUGS, NO DRAMA, NO PROBLEMS NEEDED. We work, Tuesday thru Saturday. 8/9-6pm or when the work is done. Salary or hourly available pay is based on your experience and ability to do the job you are applying for...
 
Contact us @ ineedtintnow@gmail.com or IG @socal_tint_shop in Chino, CA

I use dawn and alcohol mixed in a zep spray bottle filled with water to the bottom of the neck then fill rear with alcohol and a good squirt of dawn

i agree on the bulldozer. Also, the softness of the rubber on the end of the bulldozer pushes the film between the raised dot matrix dots a little better than a harder squeegee, or wrap a paper towel around a hard card and squeegee it so you get down between the dots good and dry it good.

You want value..read my first reply and take it to the bank. I'm 35 years in this business...I have forgotten more about film than most will ever know. Reboxers are a dime a dozen..or cheaper. They come and go with their first film failure cycle..then .."newbies" like yourself are stuck with countless numbers of warranty claims and a "friend" in the business who has no way to compensate you for the work... but..hey...he's your buddy..so go for it.......

Sounds like a creative ad to me. New member. General questions, in depth info about his "friends film", continues to defend his friends film. 

Sounds like a creative ad to me. New member. General questions, in depth info about his "friends film", continues to defend his friends film.