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highplains

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  1. Like
    highplains reacted to DynamicATL in XPEL WINDOW TINT shrinking   
    I've personally never heard of Xpel having failures, and I am friends with a couple of shops that use it. I've had several rolls of Llumar come in with weird defects...just had one 3 weeks ago with linear marks. Then there was the 2017 issue, where several shades were 4-5% lighter than normal. So the 35% out of the box would meter 44% instead of the normal 38%. No problem, we made it through those couple of months. Fast forward 5 years, and we've had a few bubbled rear windows all from that batch. Llumar is great about getting everything swapped and covered, but the point is nobody is perfect. I also carry 3M, which I've had zero issues to date. Since Xpel comes from Garware, the same manufacturer as Global, I doubt there will be many issues in the future.
  2. Like
    highplains reacted to TintDude in XPEL WINDOW TINT shrinking   
    Companies really should say "Assembled in the USA" if using "globally" sourced material. IMHO
     
    It seems deceptive to use "Made in the USA" in these cases, as it is ostensibly used as a selling point to people concerned about manufacturing leaving the US.
     
     
  3. Like
    highplains reacted to Dano in XPEL WINDOW TINT shrinking   
    Name something that doesn't come "overseas" in part or in whole on the industrial market. 
     
    Should I trust the Korean products? Chinese? Vietnamese? US? India? Germany? Japan?
     
    How many of the companies in each location are using their own source materials in their final products?
     
    I think thou doth protest too much. 
  4. Like
    highplains reacted to delicatedetail in Never doing a back window again   
    My back HURTS! Had a damn 02 civic coupe in the shop for 20% ceramic all around and between having 0 space in the back and having such a tight decklid, I’m HURTING. I’m genuinely considering becoming an SUV/hatchback/truck only shop, I’m tired of crawling all up in the backseat and trunk for the same pay as a truck that I can do in 1/4 of the time with less effort.
     
    Rant over, this shit sucks
  5. Like
    highplains reacted to Dano in What did you wrap today?   
    Design, cut, wrap and tint.
    3m Gloss Liquid Copper over factory black paint. Global HP30 on the front.
     
    Had to hold back on posting until today. It's being released and displayed at the GoPro Games this weekend.
     

  6. Like
    highplains reacted to Dano in Tesla side door’s cracking   
    I've got a 73 ford in my yard that starts everytime, even in the middle of winter. I somehow doubt that anything modern will do the same 50yrs from now.
  7. Like
    highplains got a reaction from Dano in XPEL WINDOW TINT shrinking   
    It happens from time to time, usually when you don't have enough soap or there's a spot that's not quite dry and the film grabs the glass. It's super easy to crease when that happens, I usually just lift it and let it settle back down to reset and then continue on. Gotta be careful not to overshrink it too. 
  8. Console
    highplains reacted to watchdaride in Tint shop owner please reply   
    had a tesla guy chargeback her credit card  $620 because she wasnt happy with the job. She hasnt contacted me or brought the car back to see whats wrong ..
  9. Like
    highplains got a reaction from jnfs1121 in double layer + absorption ?   
    What's with the Xpel hate? I've seen you pop up in multiple threads now saying not to use it but not offering any explanation for why?
  10. Like
    highplains got a reaction from Dano in double layer + absorption ?   
    What's with the Xpel hate? I've seen you pop up in multiple threads now saying not to use it but not offering any explanation for why?
  11. Like
    highplains got a reaction from Dano in Customer Question - XPEL XR Black vs. FormulaOne Pinnacle   
    The 88% number is the IR rejection measurement, while not total BS it does start to set an unreasonable expectation and is definitely not the number I would sell it off of.
     
    In terms of advantages to the Xpel film it does offer a more robust scratch resistant coating than many other films I've used. I made the switch to them as an installer more than three years ago and have been extremely happy with the quality and performance of their film. I can't speak to the FormulaOne film as I haven't tried it myself.
  12. Hello
    highplains reacted to flat rock stan in Been to long   
    Wanted to say hello to everyone since it’s been awhile since I visited the best place on the internet for tinting!
    Hope everyone is having a great start to the season and doing well! Life has been crazy complicated for me lately but that comes with age! 
    cheers
    stan 
  13. Like
    highplains reacted to DynamicATL in Legal Vlt computation when vlt of actual window is also considered   
    If the film meters 35% or higher (most meter higher), then you should be right at 32%. No film that meters 35% out of the box will drop that low into the 20s. That formula does not equal real-world results. Have the shop cut a small piece of 35% and meter it on your glass. This is the only way to know.
  14. Like
    highplains got a reaction from Dano in Legal Vlt computation when vlt of actual window is also considered   
    Bear in mind not all window films marketed as 35% film will meter at 35% coming off the roll, I've seen anywhere from 32% up to 43%. Your 70% side glass is also typically going to meter higher, 74% seems to be about average for most newer vehicles but I've seen mid to high 80's on older vehicles. At the end of the day you're overthinking it
  15. Like
    highplains reacted to Dano in Starting out   
    I bought a good light, hood stand, basic tech set of tools from Dentcraft and watched a bunch of vids at first while working on scrap hoods in my off time.
     
    Later I met a few dent guys at a bodyshop working a hail storm and pestered them for knowledge at every opportunity. Some were helpful, others were outright d-bags.
     
    Three years later when scamdemic started, a hail storm landed a few miles away. I was friendly with the local bodyshop over there from doing single panel tint and ppf replacement. The dent guys that showed up for the work thought I was just kidding about wanting to learn something until I came over with my gear, shop owner let me set up in the back corner.
     
    After about a week of watching, learning and pushing they knew I was serious and allowed me to follow them thru the day to day process. I prepped the cars, wrote estimates and stripped off parts that needed removal. I never asked them for a dime and in reality I should have been paying them.
     
    Within a month I was doing pretty good (not great) work. At the three month mark my work was good enough to sell and had learned the in's and out's of the trade. Now its part of my standard routine and I'm excellent friends with the guys to this day.
     
    If you don't have that kind of time, Top Gun PDR (Marty) is the school I would go to. He's an old school craftsman that is trying to better the industry and not just sucker the public as a majority of them seem to be.
     
     
  16. Like
    highplains got a reaction from Dano in What is the best value plotter to cut PPF and window tints?   
    Yep I run a Graphtec FC8600 and it's been rock solid
  17. Like
    highplains reacted to Darkimag22 in What did you tint today?   
    Actually got to work on my personal vehicle for once.  5% over the back, 20% on the fronts, 70% on the windshield and 35% on the pano roof.  Also tinted my rear taillights, third brake light as well as the front side headlight markers.  
     
     


  18. Like
    highplains reacted to Bham in What did you tint today?   
    Came out rather well if I do say so myself. No rear interior panels (thankfully) and the rear glass had never been tinted. 
     
     

  19. Haha
    highplains reacted to Dano in Gotta advertise your talents!!   
    I'm suprised they didn't advertise dent repair next to that dinger as well.

  20. Haha
    highplains reacted to WearTheFoxHat in Gotta advertise your talents!!   
  21. Like
    highplains reacted to DynamicATL in Customer Question - XPEL XR Black vs. FormulaOne Pinnacle   
    👋 I guess they updated it at some point...Global is the same. Maybe it is a Garware thing. You can go to their website below and click on the specifications sheet or select the specs below. It is in the fine print.
     
    https://www.xpel.com/products/window-film/automotive-window-tint
    https://www.xpel.com/web-assets/downloads/XPEL-PRIME-Spec-Sheet-USA-V2-1.pdf
  22. Like
    highplains reacted to Tintguy1980 in Customer Question - XPEL XR Black vs. FormulaOne Pinnacle   
    Just for shiggles and recharge my memory of,
     
    The chart attached shows electromagnetic radiation range in terms of Visible 48+%, Ultraviolet <2%, and Near infrared (NIR) 49+/-% light (using the red line). Publishing one wavelength/nanometer number really does not give the big picture.
     
    Let's compare 3M's published single wavelength in NIR is at 950nm (nanometers) to Xpel's at 1025nm: you will see by the linear charting that there's a pronounced dip (bottoming out) at 950 and a peak at the 1025 position.
     
    The peaks and valleys are representative of the 'intensity' of the NIR radiation. A dip is low intensity, a peak is high intensity. Neither of these two numbers fall within the most intense NIR radiation found between the 780 and 1000nm range. So, if someone were to publish an 800nm range (a high peak in intensity), it stands to reason 800 will be a better published performance number to that of 950 or 1025.
     
    That said, the entire NIR range (considered to be 780-2500nm) is already accounted for in each films' published TSER (including visible and UV light radiation).
     
    Hopefully this should point out the 'why' it's not reliable to state a single wavelength as any films' performance capability.
     
    Edit for the sake of Joe Public reading this: the entire electromagnetic radiation range of the sun (UV, NIR, Visible light) is responsible for 'heat', however, only after it strikes, is absorbed by a surface and is re-radiate off that surface as far-infrared (FIR). FIR IS known as heat.

    The reason behind any use of NIR wavelength(s) is because the human body senses NIR conversion to FIR much quicker than UV or Visible light energy. NIR travels beneath the skin closer to nerve endings, which is where water, being highly absorptive of NIR, heats up.
     
    Now, if a reported 88% NIR rejection at 1025nm is brought into perspective by using NIR's 49% of 100% of the sun's radiation, in reality it's such a minuscule number when accounting all wavelengths from the sun, combined. Sure sounds good to say 88%, but the (TSER) big picture tells the truth in film performance values. And, it makes stating 88% heat rejection misleading at best.
     

  23. Like
    highplains reacted to Bham in Stop getting glue everywhere on rear window removals   
    You might already be using this method and if so, why the heck haven't you told us about it?  
    If not,  this method might just be your new favorite thing.  I discovered this method doing a removal on an SUV hatch and didn't want to get glue all over me from it being over my head.  I tried this method and will be using it on ALL removals from now on.  
     
    By now we are all using some type of adhesive remover that works really well turning the glue to goo; but it's rather messy. 
    Usually we pull the old piece off in one piece leaving the glue.  Spray the glue with remover and then put the removed piece of film back on the glass reversed and let it soak.  At this point, after it has softened the glue, I would pull the piece of film down and scrape the glue with a hard card and let the goo stuff fall on the film or a drop cloth.  Rather nasty but effective way to do it, BUT try this.  
     
    Pull your old film and flip it over and soak your glue in remover. After the glue has softened but BEFORE you pull your liner film down - spray your liner with soapy water and then take a hard card or squeegee of your choosing( I use the 6" black & white) and start at the sides and pull as much glue as you can to the center of the glass; while leaving the liner on the glass. 
    You will see the glue moving under the film. Your squeegee will stay clean because it's not touching glue.  Do this on both sides pulling the glue to the center and up from the bottom hat rack area.  The glue will stay on the liner when you pull it down and now all you have to do is a little clean up with some steel wool and a scrub pad.  This method is way less messy that pulling the liner down and scraping. 
     
    I wish I had found this method years ago because it gets 90% of the glue off without getting you or your tools sticky. 
  24. Like
    highplains got a reaction from Dano in Jeep Gladiator Rubicon '21   
    I've tinted a large number of them in ceramic film and not had any issues like that. I'd question if it's more of a water intrusion issue (certainly hope not being it's a Jeep), or if it's a metalized film instead of ceramic.
  25. Like
    highplains reacted to Bham in What did you tint today?   
    Tired, but it came out great. 
     
     

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