Tintguy1980

This issue is the same as what has been found on GM's auto glass for years. The older the car, the more obvious or notable it is. My theory is it comes from the type rub rail they use. High in hydrocarbons and rubbing the glass as it's rolled up and down for years transfers an invisible coat of hydrocarbon to the glass surface.
 
Best way to clear this type thing up is to get some Zaino Brothers Z-12 glass polish (zainostore.come) or a like product and polish the glass a couple times over before taking on the cleaning procedure.
 
There are also anti-fog coatings auto glass makers have been putting out for a few years now on higher end cars that produce a similar effect; water beading and less slip of the film material. I've seen this coating on Lexus cars and Toyota Land Cruiser. It is a coating that creates a high energy flux when (humidity) moisture in the air is high enough to trigger the repel action it is design to produce. If you succeed in getting film to stick to this type coating, the coating will reject the bond. Sometimes this repel process will destroy the coating itself. Making way for the second install to stick like it's suppose to. You can remove these anti-fog coatings using Z-12 as well.

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. 

If you have peanuts try the Rike way to form. I have watched @Ryker several times and when you finish the film looks like it is just out of the box with absolutely no distortion. Improper shrinking can cause them for sure

From time to time we make custom meters for customers.(Each original iPhone 1 display cover glass was tested on our equipment, and still to this day) The "White LED" meters were a custom application for a single client in Japan. They had a car manufacturer trying a new glass with custom additives which create a spectral response unlike any glass previously made. The manufacturer decided that the added cost was not justified so they cancelled the project. All meters shipped worldwide use the same green Led. Hope this helps.
 
If anyone wishes to discuss this more, email me at Ed@laser-Labs.com
(Can't believe iI've been designing Tint Meters for almost 30 years! Getting old!)
 
Ed Marcin
CEO
Laser Labs

No one will get in trouble! 
The difference in reading between green and white LED's is very small, within the margin of error. Thats why meters are spec'ed at +_2%.  Remember also that White LED's are made using blue and yellow orange led chips(depends on LED. Think of the LED bulbs for your house, warm white, cool white etc. with all sorts of varying spectral outputs. The green color of the LED, when chosen properly, is 550nm and is a physical constant of the material used to make the LED)The reason for green goes why back to the 80's when it was in some states laws. It allows you to contest the meter reading in court and use any readily available spectrophotometer to take a comparison measurement(labs, university etc all have lots of them.) Years ago early meters used an incandescent bulb(actually a tail light bulb) as the source. Trouble with bulbs is they produce light by heating a filament to glow white and produce tremendous amounts of infrared light(which you can't see) and a small amount of UV.   Even with filters there still is significant IR and some UV(which is invisible) which then would be blocked by the car window/tint film giving a lower reading. Wouldn't be fair to ticket someone for light you can't even see. 550 is the middle of the human eye sensitivity and is the measurement that the optics industry has used for years. The heat absorbers used in car windows do give it a slight green cast but again it just cause a slight high reading compared to white, once again within the +_2%.  The bigger issue we have found is the spot to spot variability in both auto glass and even worse some tint film. Glass makers goal is to keep spot to spot variation under 3%(the threshold of human perception) for the most part they do a very good job, sadly that can't be said for some film manufacturers. I have seen film with greater than 8% spot to spot variation within 12" on the same piece of film. Doesn't make your job any easier when you buy poor quality film.
As for using the one piece Enforcer II to measure film, thats tough to do. if you look at the this GIF    you can see the on/off switch at the bottom of the slot. You need to hold the film tightly between your two hands and with your third hand slide the film in to depress the switch and keep it depressed till you break the beam. Doable but tough. Other wise it will calibrate with the film inplace and read 100 or if the film is dark the meter will know something is screwed up and throw an E1 error reading.
Sorry for the long kind of technical post. Hope I helped some.
 
PS CEO sounds great but there are only 12 of us, but, we have made half a million of these things in 29 years, so theres that!
Ed
 

The art contained in the thread thus far appears to be plotter cut, weeded and transferred to glass using transfer tape. There is talent in achieving the end result similar to what it takes to lay vinyl.
 
Back in the early to mid-80's the shop I owned in Cocoa FL began doing graphic art in window film on cars. We eventually graduated to doing window film pictures on flat glass to hang in a frame, which eventually led to store front work. Solar Graphics in St Pete area was doing this type work, too. Unlike Richard, our team mainly remained relatively unknown and did not pursue larger deals such as those done by Solar Graphics since that time.
 
We bought surplus overhead projectors to enlarge line drawings via liner material, sharpie marker and tracing the right sized projected image onto a large piece of liner hung to a white wall. These final 'templates' were then taped to the glass opposite the surface film would be applied to. A sampling of a liner/sharpie trace is below (I still have a book full of liner images). The trick is cutting the applied film in the right way to leave behind the image from the trace template. You can layer over and over to get darker coloring or shading effects.
 
The other picture attached depicts a large glass that would eventually be placed in the building opening above my head. But first, a seal layer of silver film would be installed over the entire surface sealing in the image and to accentuate the image. This large example was all hand cut because plotters cutting window film was unheard of in those days. The year was 1990 when I first arrived in Naples FL. When in Cocoa the team I had was myself, Louise, Donna and Lee. All of us have artist in our blood.

Being a glass guy with years under the belt, you understand there are many variables in any glass standing up to forces brought to their surface. Whether it a thrown rock, a person falling against it or a madman with a forked garbage truck driving into it, they all have their weaknesses. So do safety film products. Both film and glass are tested to certain standards before said claims can be made and like anything done in a laboratory setting, you will not see the exact same behavior in real life events. Best approach is to CYA and not make claims beyond what the maker makes.
 
I was a party to in-house testing of LLumar's safety films in the early 2000's before sending filmed glass to independent test labs. We witnessed all kinds of breakage with filmed glass using different thicknesses of product. The bag swung at the glass/film test panel was 100lb of buckshot-like beads. This was to mimic a human head crashing into the glass that has film applied to its surface opposite the impact side. Some would resist break through, others not so much. Some panels stayed in the frame, others did not. The thickest films literally popped free of the glass, showing there is a threshold passed by which the film can be too rigid. These tests were performed with both tempered and annealed.
 
In LLumar's chart you will see the best use of their films listed and the lab test they have passed. This does not mean it will be as found in the test in every case because of variables. For blast mitigation, it is a whole new set of rules and variables to gauge a successful passing.
 
And in some cases, there are embedded in a report an additional mitigation product used to obtain a pass score. One of which is LLumar passing a Dade County protocol by using a certain thickness of plywood in front of the glass (thought to be a real life scenario of boarding up before the hurricane hits).
 
 
 

No need to be defensive.
 
Moving on to another shop wouldn't bother me in the slightest. The point is, medical waivers address either UV or Light sensitivity, any window tinter knows this and is their choice whether to tint or not tint accordingly. Most just blindly apply the darkest to appease the client. I on the other hand would encourage non-use of dark tint (especially limo/5%) since having experienced two separate driving incidents that led to vehicle damage and the other almost injuring a cyclist because I could not see (after dark). California has a waiver and with it comes restrictions. A person with a medical waiver is prohibited from driving after dark. But then again, California is much like the Europeans; far ahead in their thinking of other's safety.
 
Cop cars are exempt due to the nature of their job and officers also are trained to a level of skill that would put the average driver to shame in any situation. I have family in law enforcement who have extreme driving skills I (an average Joe) wouldn't begin to attempt.
 
I'm guessing its light sensitivity since the windshield already screens UV, although, for those that are UV sensitive the windscreen would still benefit them with tint applied. I was basing input on your implied uneasiness in the decision to use 5 or 15%.  No offense, no foul.

Question I haven't seen asked is what medical problem prompted the waiver request?
 
There are folks who abuse any type benefit without regard for what harm it brings about to others around them, tint included. Also, states seemingly put out 'blanket' medical waivers for tint without specifically targeting the condition suffered. If you came to my shop with a waiver, I would ask what condition you suffer from that let you to obtain a medical waiver, then I would explain which film is best for said condition.
 
If you have a condition making you sensitive to Ultraviolet, any shade of film will protect you, making the waiver unnecessary and keeping you and others out of harms way due to visibility problems in the use of dark tint.
 
If you have a light sensitivity issue determined by an eye doctor, then 5 or 15% film shades would fit a waiver in those states offering them because the law focuses on visible light transmission (how dark or light of a tint being used). If 15% did the trick, why go 5% thus creating a driving hazard for you and others and or creating a cop magnet?
 
This type approach will shine the light on what motive lies within the waiver holder's desire for tint.
 
 

Being a glass guy with years under the belt, you understand there are many variables in any glass standing up to forces brought to their surface. Whether it a thrown rock, a person falling against it or a madman with a forked garbage truck driving into it, they all have their weaknesses. So do safety film products. Both film and glass are tested to certain standards before said claims can be made and like anything done in a laboratory setting, you will not see the exact same behavior in real life events. Best approach is to CYA and not make claims beyond what the maker makes.
 
I was a party to in-house testing of LLumar's safety films in the early 2000's before sending filmed glass to independent test labs. We witnessed all kinds of breakage with filmed glass using different thicknesses of product. The bag swung at the glass/film test panel was 100lb of buckshot-like beads. This was to mimic a human head crashing into the glass that has film applied to its surface opposite the impact side. Some would resist break through, others not so much. Some panels stayed in the frame, others did not. The thickest films literally popped free of the glass, showing there is a threshold passed by which the film can be too rigid. These tests were performed with both tempered and annealed.
 
In LLumar's chart you will see the best use of their films listed and the lab test they have passed. This does not mean it will be as found in the test in every case because of variables. For blast mitigation, it is a whole new set of rules and variables to gauge a successful passing.
 
And in some cases, there are embedded in a report an additional mitigation product used to obtain a pass score. One of which is LLumar passing a Dade County protocol by using a certain thickness of plywood in front of the glass (thought to be a real life scenario of boarding up before the hurricane hits).
 
 
 

Being a glass guy with years under the belt, you understand there are many variables in any glass standing up to forces brought to their surface. Whether it a thrown rock, a person falling against it or a madman with a forked garbage truck driving into it, they all have their weaknesses. So do safety film products. Both film and glass are tested to certain standards before said claims can be made and like anything done in a laboratory setting, you will not see the exact same behavior in real life events. Best approach is to CYA and not make claims beyond what the maker makes.
 
I was a party to in-house testing of LLumar's safety films in the early 2000's before sending filmed glass to independent test labs. We witnessed all kinds of breakage with filmed glass using different thicknesses of product. The bag swung at the glass/film test panel was 100lb of buckshot-like beads. This was to mimic a human head crashing into the glass that has film applied to its surface opposite the impact side. Some would resist break through, others not so much. Some panels stayed in the frame, others did not. The thickest films literally popped free of the glass, showing there is a threshold passed by which the film can be too rigid. These tests were performed with both tempered and annealed.
 
In LLumar's chart you will see the best use of their films listed and the lab test they have passed. This does not mean it will be as found in the test in every case because of variables. For blast mitigation, it is a whole new set of rules and variables to gauge a successful passing.
 
And in some cases, there are embedded in a report an additional mitigation product used to obtain a pass score. One of which is LLumar passing a Dade County protocol by using a certain thickness of plywood in front of the glass (thought to be a real life scenario of boarding up before the hurricane hits).
 
 
 

I started newbies by having them cut a picture out of window film they themselves applied to a piece of glass. We were big in window film graphics back in the eighties so there were plenty of liner tattooed pictures on display. Had them pick one they wanted to do. This gave me an idea of their working through challenges skills, how well they installed the film to the 12 x 12 glass and their ability to handle an olfa knife without cutting the glass, all in one fell swoop.
 
After the test and they start from scratch (not to the picture glass LOL) and if they don't show signs of 'getting it' within a couple months, window film installing may not be for them. Anyone with experience can see a bullshioter a mile away so, you'll know.
 
Show them how you do it but don't chastise or brow beat, if they work out a different approach than yours. I would start them the same way I approach each car. In other words break down your approach into segments (tiers if you will), they have to work at until moving on to the next. Don't be afraid to let them handle film, it will cost you money in time and film but, the sooner they know film handling the better. It'll cost you about the same to have them attend a training course (dependent upon cost of training) as it would to train them yourself.
 
Ask the newbie these questions:
Do you have any artistic skills (not autistic, artistic)? Many natural installers have an artist strain in their blood.
Can you play a musical instrument? Manual dexterity is a must.
Do you problem-solve like McGyver? Problem solving skills without the need to wait for or ask for guidance.
Have you ever installed vinyl, wallpaper, shelf-lining material, decals, etc.? Got at least a jump-start on those who have never done any of this.
 
In 18 of the 20 years I spent training newbies, I only spied 3-4 naturals. They are rare but they're out there. Had one, who appeared to be all thumbs, take the tool apron off halfway through day two saying this isn't for him. I could tell by the end of the first day who might succeed and who would be a nightmare in waiting. Women make the best tinters because they are already meticulous and methodical. I only had two men work in my shops over the course of the 80's to early 90's, one I let go after three months, the other turned out to be a she and a damn good tinter at that.
 
This isn't the gospel according to one trainer, it's simply my input to a subject that will bring about much input from those that have been there.
 
Good luck.
 
Edit: And in the words of Cheech or Chong, you don't need no stinkin' poll (to get your answers).
 

Time ... is a matter of mind; if you don't mind, it doesn't matter.
 
Edit: Friggin' essential tremors leads to more and more edits for keyboard mis-strokes and OCD finds the need to correct a typo before moving on. What a way to post. 

This is exactly what I was talking about when I said future of window tint I had a BMW come in with it!!!

I started newbies by having them cut a picture out of window film they themselves applied to a piece of glass. We were big in window film graphics back in the eighties so there were plenty of liner tattooed pictures on display. Had them pick one they wanted to do. This gave me an idea of their working through challenges skills, how well they installed the film to the 12 x 12 glass and their ability to handle an olfa knife without cutting the glass, all in one fell swoop.
 
After the test and they start from scratch (not to the picture glass LOL) and if they don't show signs of 'getting it' within a couple months, window film installing may not be for them. Anyone with experience can see a bullshioter a mile away so, you'll know.
 
Show them how you do it but don't chastise or brow beat, if they work out a different approach than yours. I would start them the same way I approach each car. In other words break down your approach into segments (tiers if you will), they have to work at until moving on to the next. Don't be afraid to let them handle film, it will cost you money in time and film but, the sooner they know film handling the better. It'll cost you about the same to have them attend a training course (dependent upon cost of training) as it would to train them yourself.
 
Ask the newbie these questions:
Do you have any artistic skills (not autistic, artistic)? Many natural installers have an artist strain in their blood.
Can you play a musical instrument? Manual dexterity is a must.
Do you problem-solve like McGyver? Problem solving skills without the need to wait for or ask for guidance.
Have you ever installed vinyl, wallpaper, shelf-lining material, decals, etc.? Got at least a jump-start on those who have never done any of this.
 
In 18 of the 20 years I spent training newbies, I only spied 3-4 naturals. They are rare but they're out there. Had one, who appeared to be all thumbs, take the tool apron off halfway through day two saying this isn't for him. I could tell by the end of the first day who might succeed and who would be a nightmare in waiting. Women make the best tinters because they are already meticulous and methodical. I only had two men work in my shops over the course of the 80's to early 90's, one I let go after three months, the other turned out to be a she and a damn good tinter at that.
 
This isn't the gospel according to one trainer, it's simply my input to a subject that will bring about much input from those that have been there.
 
Good luck.
 
Edit: And in the words of Cheech or Chong, you don't need no stinkin' poll (to get your answers).
 

I've trained half a dozen people. We machine cut. I teach them running the plotter first, as it's main reason we hire them, but if they're serious about learning then we go to installation. 
 
After watching me install for a while I usually start them off doing small, no tuck, windows, so they have a grasp of handling film and dealing with squeegeeing a piece that slides around everywhere. Ask them to identify what they've done wrong, and ask them how to avoid doing that again. I can always tell what they did wrong, so I just tell them if they can't figure it out. Then we move on to squeegeeing film I've placed and tacked, so they get used to the hand motions and so I have a good installation(unless they crease it).
 
Really depends how busy we are. Teaching them to help me is first thing, then installation when it slows down. Have them work on one window once they learn the basics. Most of the time, with a fresh installer, I will have the entire vehicle finished by the time they get that 1 window done. They usually put a lot of pressure on themselves in that situation, so they will drive themselves harder. Nothing feels worse to them then when I've tinted an entire car and they haven't finished 1 window. I just smile and say to them it's part of learning. You aren't going to learn this in a day. You may understand installing, but you will need to train your muscles, hands, eyes. Takes time.

I started newbies by having them cut a picture out of window film they themselves applied to a piece of glass. We were big in window film graphics back in the eighties so there were plenty of liner tattooed pictures on display. Had them pick one they wanted to do. This gave me an idea of their working through challenges skills, how well they installed the film to the 12 x 12 glass and their ability to handle an olfa knife without cutting the glass, all in one fell swoop.
 
After the test and they start from scratch (not to the picture glass LOL) and if they don't show signs of 'getting it' within a couple months, window film installing may not be for them. Anyone with experience can see a bullshioter a mile away so, you'll know.
 
Show them how you do it but don't chastise or brow beat, if they work out a different approach than yours. I would start them the same way I approach each car. In other words break down your approach into segments (tiers if you will), they have to work at until moving on to the next. Don't be afraid to let them handle film, it will cost you money in time and film but, the sooner they know film handling the better. It'll cost you about the same to have them attend a training course (dependent upon cost of training) as it would to train them yourself.
 
Ask the newbie these questions:
Do you have any artistic skills (not autistic, artistic)? Many natural installers have an artist strain in their blood.
Can you play a musical instrument? Manual dexterity is a must.
Do you problem-solve like McGyver? Problem solving skills without the need to wait for or ask for guidance.
Have you ever installed vinyl, wallpaper, shelf-lining material, decals, etc.? Got at least a jump-start on those who have never done any of this.
 
In 18 of the 20 years I spent training newbies, I only spied 3-4 naturals. They are rare but they're out there. Had one, who appeared to be all thumbs, take the tool apron off halfway through day two saying this isn't for him. I could tell by the end of the first day who might succeed and who would be a nightmare in waiting. Women make the best tinters because they are already meticulous and methodical. I only had two men work in my shops over the course of the 80's to early 90's, one I let go after three months, the other turned out to be a she and a damn good tinter at that.
 
This isn't the gospel according to one trainer, it's simply my input to a subject that will bring about much input from those that have been there.
 
Good luck.
 
Edit: And in the words of Cheech or Chong, you don't need no stinkin' poll (to get your answers).
 

I started newbies by having them cut a picture out of window film they themselves applied to a piece of glass. We were big in window film graphics back in the eighties so there were plenty of liner tattooed pictures on display. Had them pick one they wanted to do. This gave me an idea of their working through challenges skills, how well they installed the film to the 12 x 12 glass and their ability to handle an olfa knife without cutting the glass, all in one fell swoop.
 
After the test and they start from scratch (not to the picture glass LOL) and if they don't show signs of 'getting it' within a couple months, window film installing may not be for them. Anyone with experience can see a bullshioter a mile away so, you'll know.
 
Show them how you do it but don't chastise or brow beat, if they work out a different approach than yours. I would start them the same way I approach each car. In other words break down your approach into segments (tiers if you will), they have to work at until moving on to the next. Don't be afraid to let them handle film, it will cost you money in time and film but, the sooner they know film handling the better. It'll cost you about the same to have them attend a training course (dependent upon cost of training) as it would to train them yourself.
 
Ask the newbie these questions:
Do you have any artistic skills (not autistic, artistic)? Many natural installers have an artist strain in their blood.
Can you play a musical instrument? Manual dexterity is a must.
Do you problem-solve like McGyver? Problem solving skills without the need to wait for or ask for guidance.
Have you ever installed vinyl, wallpaper, shelf-lining material, decals, etc.? Got at least a jump-start on those who have never done any of this.
 
In 18 of the 20 years I spent training newbies, I only spied 3-4 naturals. They are rare but they're out there. Had one, who appeared to be all thumbs, take the tool apron off halfway through day two saying this isn't for him. I could tell by the end of the first day who might succeed and who would be a nightmare in waiting. Women make the best tinters because they are already meticulous and methodical. I only had two men work in my shops over the course of the 80's to early 90's, one I let go after three months, the other turned out to be a she and a damn good tinter at that.
 
This isn't the gospel according to one trainer, it's simply my input to a subject that will bring about much input from those that have been there.
 
Good luck.
 
Edit: And in the words of Cheech or Chong, you don't need no stinkin' poll (to get your answers).
 

Dawn slips well because it not only contains soap but, it also has silicates. Their advertising talks of cutting grease and stuck on foods. These silicates coat the surface of dishes to keep food from sticking, making it easier to remove stuck on foods after the first was.
 
I used Dawn when first starting in 1980, moved to Palmolive, to J&J Baby shampoo, to LLumar's FilmOn (which is Baby Shampoo without ingredients harmful to film adhesive or their ability to bond well). Tint Slime is similar to FilmOn and Baby Shampoo but, they (TS) changed the formula to eliminate the ingredient that produces formaldehyde when mixed with water. J&J Baby Shampoo changed their formula to do the same and FilmOn also followed suit.
 
 

I started newbies by having them cut a picture out of window film they themselves applied to a piece of glass. We were big in window film graphics back in the eighties so there were plenty of liner tattooed pictures on display. Had them pick one they wanted to do. This gave me an idea of their working through challenges skills, how well they installed the film to the 12 x 12 glass and their ability to handle an olfa knife without cutting the glass, all in one fell swoop.
 
After the test and they start from scratch (not to the picture glass LOL) and if they don't show signs of 'getting it' within a couple months, window film installing may not be for them. Anyone with experience can see a bullshioter a mile away so, you'll know.
 
Show them how you do it but don't chastise or brow beat, if they work out a different approach than yours. I would start them the same way I approach each car. In other words break down your approach into segments (tiers if you will), they have to work at until moving on to the next. Don't be afraid to let them handle film, it will cost you money in time and film but, the sooner they know film handling the better. It'll cost you about the same to have them attend a training course (dependent upon cost of training) as it would to train them yourself.
 
Ask the newbie these questions:
Do you have any artistic skills (not autistic, artistic)? Many natural installers have an artist strain in their blood.
Can you play a musical instrument? Manual dexterity is a must.
Do you problem-solve like McGyver? Problem solving skills without the need to wait for or ask for guidance.
Have you ever installed vinyl, wallpaper, shelf-lining material, decals, etc.? Got at least a jump-start on those who have never done any of this.
 
In 18 of the 20 years I spent training newbies, I only spied 3-4 naturals. They are rare but they're out there. Had one, who appeared to be all thumbs, take the tool apron off halfway through day two saying this isn't for him. I could tell by the end of the first day who might succeed and who would be a nightmare in waiting. Women make the best tinters because they are already meticulous and methodical. I only had two men work in my shops over the course of the 80's to early 90's, one I let go after three months, the other turned out to be a she and a damn good tinter at that.
 
This isn't the gospel according to one trainer, it's simply my input to a subject that will bring about much input from those that have been there.
 
Good luck.
 
Edit: And in the words of Cheech or Chong, you don't need no stinkin' poll (to get your answers).
 

Dawn slips well because it not only contains soap but, it also has silicates. Their advertising talks of cutting grease and stuck on foods. These silicates coat the surface of dishes to keep food from sticking, making it easier to remove stuck on foods after the first was.
 
I used Dawn when first starting in 1980, moved to Palmolive, to J&J Baby shampoo, to LLumar's FilmOn (which is Baby Shampoo without ingredients harmful to film adhesive or their ability to bond well). Tint Slime is similar to FilmOn and Baby Shampoo but, they (TS) changed the formula to eliminate the ingredient that produces formaldehyde when mixed with water. J&J Baby Shampoo changed their formula to do the same and FilmOn also followed suit.