doctor4766

If it is on the outside of the window you should try a bit of Autosol metal polish on a rag to rub it off. Autosol is one of the only polishes that will take stains, rust, rub marks and water spots off glass without even telling us on the package how good it is! For anyone who hasn't tried Autosol, do yourself a favor and get some from your local auto shop next time you're there. You will thank me later I tell people that if Autosol can't clean up their window then they're outta luck.

Technique is everything. Your side window preparation should go something like this: Spray the glass with soap solution. Razor blade the window to loosen contaminants. Spray the glass again. Scrub the window with a scouring sponge. Spray the glass again. WIPE THE WINDOW EDGES INCLUDING THE TOP OF THE GLASS with a clean rag or paper towel. Carefully squeegee the soapy water off the window in a pattern that zig zags sending the contaminated water downwards and overlaps by an inch to ensure correct coverage, and make sure your squeegee blade is leaning forwards at an angle so you don't leave a trail behind. Flush the vertical sides and bottom of the window to expel any residual dirty water. If you do this EXACTLY AS I SAY you will reduce the risk of getting crap under the film by 98% You can thank me later.

You're right, and it's not just curved glass that people can't understand! As soon as the customer starts looking at their vehicle closer than they ever have before, they will begin to notice things they thought were perfect. I had a Ram in a couple of weeks ago on a Saturday morning. They're not so common here in Oz and they're super expensive to buy. Anyway, after the bloke had gone over it over the weekend, I get a call from him and from the tone of his voice he seemed unhappy, so I told him to bring it in to show me what his issues were. Apart from some water pockets that I had already explained would be around for a few days, he started to point out how the bailey channels on the doors didn't sit perfectly and how there was some scuffing on the black vinyl between the front and rear doors. He even pointed out how green the front doors looked compared to the privacy glass, even after having a 5% film installed, but that's a separate story isn't it! This guy was going to town, and I was struggling to point out to him that these things, despite their inflated price tag, are not exactly built to Ferrari standards. I told him to check out other trucks at the dealership next time he's in for a service. In the end I think he got it, and started asking about a couple of other vehicles getting tinted, but it really annoyed me that someone of my experience should be attacked by an amateur who thought he knew every square inch of his vehicle.

I just use the blue squeegee blade that fits a standard squeegee.

You can't make that happen if the glass already has a blue color to it. We often have this issue with people wanting to match their (usually green) front doors with the dark privacy glass in the rear of the vehicle. Your tinter isn't feeding you BS. It's just the way it is

Martinsville... home of Martin Processing

1984 called and they're asking what's wrong with that!

I will no longer tint vehicles on site, unless I'm certain the conditions under which they expect the job to be done are as good as my shop. And even then, I'd rather book something else in. I usually get most vehicles done in under 2 hours in my shop. You can easily double that time on site. A friend of mine still does mobile. Heck, he'll do the job in your driveway if you ask him to, but when the customer calls him to complain about the crap job he says "What did you expect? I did it in your driveway"

That's cool. Thanks!

What is this soak rope that you speak of?

I sometimes have problems with my plotter not cutting or even my program not detecting my plotter. When this happens, I go to system, device manager, Ports (Com & LPT) You should be able to see your plotter listed and the Com port it is associated with. Make sure your cutting program is pointing to the same device and Com port in the program's setup area. I usually end up sorting things out eventually. Other than this, I have no other advice as I'm just a novice computer tech 😬

Me too. Contact me for the address to send samples to. tinttech@optusnet.com.au

Unfortunately, when we advise clients that the film will take several days to dry (and sometimes more) and that they need not be too concerned about the initial appearance, we quite often get a call the very next day. We cannot stress enough that it's a normal part of the drying process. If only the customer would actually listen to what we are saying at times...

There has definitely been a range of vehicles that I've come across over the years that have this problem. ie Suzuki Liana, Mitsubishi Lancer, Toyota Yaris and some Mercedes models are some that come to mind. When I first became aware of this kind of problem in the '90s, I called the local Mercedes dealership to see if they had come across it, and they told me that Mercedes themselves were advising not to tint the car at all. I would just tell the owner that this can be an issue and let them decide whether they want to still have the job done but with a limited warranty that doesn't included scratching. Not worth the headache IMO

Trial fitting and shrinking of window film is all very good, even if we were happy with the finished job. Longevity of the film is another thing altogether. I have in the past used sample films and even bought numerous rolls of film that I was assured were of a good quality, only to find that 18 months down the track the vehicles that I used these films on were coming back, one by one because the film had turned a red/purple color. And some of the rear windows were starting to distort and bubble! Now I normally wouldn't use films that I'm unfamiliar with but the supplier was a friend who has been in the industry for as long as I have and he had very good relations with a number of manufacturers, so I trusted that I was getting decent products. I doubt I'll ever do that again and I will stay with my Llumar and Suntek films since I pretty much ended up in the red with all of the rework jobs. Good luck with your plan. I hope you have a good idea what it is that you'll be selling.

I got this memo from our Local Llumar distributer here in Australia last week. Haven't ordered any yet but I will be doing so. All new Magic Mike CDF Adhesive Remover 1L New and in demand! MEP FIRST EVER CDF Adhesive Remover Formulated to help remove film with a CDF Adhesive once applied to glass. Price $29 + GST Speak to your State Manager for more info!

It's fairly common to have a caller ask "How much to do a small sedan?" Invariably it's some kind of European car that is more difficult to tint than your average Camry. Note that a small sedan can be an hour's work, or it can be 3 hours work. This is why it's crucial that we know what we're quoting on. I see your point that just because it's a Mercedes we shouldn't punish you with a higher price, but if that Mercedes is a bigger job then we reserve the right to charge more. Hopefully that back window isn't laminated glass too, as not only will it be more difficult to work on out of the car, there's a high risk of breakage during refit and those Merc rear windows don't come cheap. Good luck

Do you not use a steamer?

Whilst I understand the risk of defroster line damage during film removal, I always ensure the customer is willing to take the chance that nothing may even go wrong, and that if there is loss of some or all of the lines, it's not my fault. I didn't manufacture the glass, nor did I necessarily install the old film. So why would you assume responsibility? I attempt to save as many lines as possible, because work is work right? But their car, their problem.

If you remove the rubber bailey channel, it is likely that that triangular piece can be easily removed for your purpose, but as already mentioned, wind the window down and cut against the edge of the glass.

That's nothing. Prior to this one I tinted a couple of small cruise ships that were bound for Tahiti. They were still in the process of being built at the time, so as I finished each cabin, I taped clear/opaque plastic sheeting over the window so protect the film from being damaged by other tradesmen. As it happened, the other tradies liked the view out of the windows so much that they were removing our plastic so they could see out properly. By the time I'd finished the second ship there were that many windows that needed to be re-tinted due to scratches that I ended up virtually doing a 3rd ship worth of work, at their expense of course. A couple of months later the ships sailed to Tahiti with numerous tradesmen on board, still finishing their work whilst trying to make the delivery deadline. I was asked to join them to re-tint yet more cabins, but circumstances didn't allow me the time away from my shop.

Time consuming alright. Did a bunch of glass on this one a few years back.

This kind of customer can be found the world over. Often, we can sense trouble before it even really starts. I mean, how many times have you had an enquiry asking how much it costs to tint a small car? This kind of question sets alarm bells ringing as I realize this isn't just a run of the mill Camry that they own, but more likely something much more sinister: usually an Audi, a BMW or you guessed it, a Volvo, and not just any old Volvo, an XC60! (Substitute any other Euro-trash that you wish - I'm sure you get the point) I immediately ask if they know what type of car they have. Silence often follows for a few seconds until they realize they've been sprung. "Yes" they admit. "Why wouldn't I know?" I then explain that in order for me to quote the job, I need to know what I'm dealing with, and that I'd hate to over price them with a figure that's usually reserved for European cars, which are more difficult to tint than the average home-grown varieties. "I have an A6 Audi" they confess, and I realize my spidey senses are still working, despite my grey hair and bulging beer belly. "Oh well then" I say "That's good to know. I'll make sure that it isn't just one of the juniors that works on your vehicle. The cost is $550" (Did I mention that I work alone?) At this point, they either want to book the job in or decide to call around for other prices. I'm happy either way, not just because I did or didn't get a job worth doing, but because I hadn't been tricked into booking "one of those jobs" for next to nothing.

If I had a buck fifty for everyone that has said that to me over the years, I could probably take a week off.

What type of vehicles are you tinting that are giving you issues?