Tint Slayer

Looking for a new heat gun, I've been using Wagner heat guns forever, I want something with really good air flow output. Any tips appreciated.

Hope all yall are doing well!

On 3/17/2022 at 3:56 PM, flat rock stan said:

Hi Rick, all good here! Haven’t seen you forever. Teaching a class this week and day 4 wanting to show the RYK way to shrink!!! 
will get with you next week and catch up on what’s happening. 
I gotta start hanging out here again and get away from the drama of FB junk!!!!!

I've been off FB for 4 years now. Peace of mind.

20 hours ago, Bham said:

...

Offering only ceramic is a big risk especially seeing as how good the HP dyed films from reputable companies perform and last these days.  Not offering an entry level dyed film that goes along with your ceramic line is just giving up easy money in my opinion.  

I agree with @Bham, up here in the Northeast people just want their windows darker, ceramic and heat rejection can be a hard sell in some areas

@G Lo contact Xpel, they can help you with everything from training (they have tint and ppf training) to products including film, plotters, software etc. They have some very helpful people working there and i personally think it would be a "one stop" thing for you with them and they'd help you grow and they have some very competent people working there. Again, that's my advice, you would be given direction and advice from them and i think it'd be your best bet for success. My advice is call Xpel and tell them your needs like you did here and they'll direct you and they have everything you'll need. Let us know how it goes.

@XPEL 

You should work for someone or get some training. Call Xpel and ask for training and guidance, you can learn tint and more from them and i've heard the classes are good and they'll offer you guidance in the hopes you'll use their product which is a good thing. 

You should know what your doing before opening a shop, would you go to mechanic with no experience? It's not fair to the customer to be your guinea pig.

If you are going to open a place anyway, hire someone who can show you what to do, because from what i just read you don't, and all the comments in the world won't make you do a clean a job from the get go.

My 2 cents bro, good luck in your endeavor.

15 hours ago, Sgill80 said:

Cheers! I thought they only did online training? I wanted to attend a course 🤔 

Ask the dude, he said he was teaching people before the videos. If not ask him about a place that does, he should be able to give you guidance.

1 hour ago, Sgill80 said:

Hi all! I’d really love to learn to tint windows. Can anyone advise on a course best place to learn? I’m in Derbyshire/notts border but distance doesn’t really matter I’m happy to travel 

 

thanks everyone 

On Youtube there's TintSchoolOnline and i think he's out your way

FYI they had an 866 number on their site, the new number to call them is (614)264-0147

The guy told me he's going to change it on website he didn't know it wasn't updated

Anybody know how to contact Zola tools? Tried calling but any number you press says phone no longer in service, I also sent an email and no reply. They have an item I like and I have some questions but I cant get thru to them and the phones sound shut off. It looks like you can order from them online but cant get thru to them in any way, anybody know how to get thru to them?

On 2/27/2022 at 11:01 AM, TylerM27 said:

Hey everyone, 

 

I am not sure if this is the spot to post this, but I have a question to regards of how dark to tint my car. I have a 2014 Ford Taurus with tan interior. With this being said, I was going to go with 20%, but I am afraid that you’ll be able to see right through it with my bright colored interior. Would I be better off going with 15%? 5 is too dark, and I don’t want to get pulled over for it. Thanks in advance. 

Depends on your state. 20% is plenty dark, i have to roll down my 20% tinted window in my truck window to back down my long driveway. "Seeing right through it" is the idea with car windows, you need to see out clearly too and should be part of the consideration. The cops pull you over for dark tint not just because they can't look in and see a potential weapon, they also pull you over when it appears unsafe to drive with very dark tinted windows. Food for thought. I personally don't recommend below 20%.

3 hours ago, pbalentine said:

I have some of the scrub pad discs. The steel wool on a disc is a good idea. I also have one of the adhesive removing wheels. Thanks Tint Slayer!

lmk how it goes, i got some soft "3M abrasive hand sheets" they're like cloth and i want to try them on defrosters and dot matrix

1 hour ago, AgentK said:

So you are saying I should ask for a redo?

Your decision not the forums, the thing that bugs me is i think he could've fixed those when he did the install. Ultimately, you have great film but a not so great install. 

Sometimes you can clean everything perfectly but because some tend to be very "wet" with spraying a LOT of liquid, that extra water can get in the sides and top making it to where it's soaked and it wicks under the film when installed.

Remember where the contamination is, If your contamination is always near the edges, then it may be soaking in at the edges. some people slam the water into the sides when they clean and install, i stop about an inch or 2 from edges then push the sides down last and not into the sides soaking them further with all that water. But those people also get clean installs so i always may be wrong.

Being dryer and not soaking the sides and pushing down helps a lot, my problem is always beard hair and idky

On 2/25/2022 at 9:58 AM, pbalentine said:

There has to be a way around scrubbing adhesive for ever. Ive always wondered if it could be done with a 3” disc on an angle grinder or some type of DA sander?? I have several air sanders from removing paint from my car. 

It'll gum the disk, harden on the glass from the heat and it'll shoot everywhere. I thought about it too, but i wouldn't get far with the fine grit sandpaper needed to not damage glass. 

They make flap disks that are basically steel wool on a disk, rotating wire brush, scotch brite disk or a bristle disk, maybe that's a way to try. just a suggestion.

They make adhesive removal disks for glue and emblems on car paint, that's a thought but may take of defroster lines idk

I mostly use a ton of 35% (i push the 35% i feel it's the sweet spot where you have tint and the cops don't mind it), then second is 20%. and distant 3rd is 5%.

If you want to save a few dollars get 36" rolls.

for the 35% and 20% i try to keep 40"x100' and 20"x100' rolls of each shade, if things are tight you can easily split the 40".

to answer your question maybe start with 35% and 20% and some 5% (i'm in the Northeast, you're area may have different laws and preferences. Some areas want ceramic more, around my area they just want their windows darker).

I don't know why it's important to be a Llumar dealer, i've never had a customer ask for it or any brand really, you can buy rolls here and there at a time from other companies without minimums. And the only time i saw someone install Llumar the film curved towards instead of away, i feel like that alone would drive me nuts. Just my 2 cents.

1 minute ago, wildcat05 said:

This is primarily aimed at tint business owners who previously worked for another shop or someone else's business.  However, I'm also interested to hear from people who left another job to tint, or went from tinting part time to full time, etc.  

 

Just curious what was the catalyst that made you branch off on your own?

When your side gig pays more than your main gig

I've never done dealer work. I don't understand the benefit of cutting your prices so deep so the Dealer can make more money for nothing and at your expense.

I'm also in construction as a sub-contractor and if i hired someone outside to do a job for me i get their full bill, pay them and i forward my bill of that work to my customer with a markup of 10 to 15%. Pretty standard.

Why give dealers 30%-70% when they do no work?

My opinion is do it for your full price, your film, your service with your name and they can mark it up 10% to 70% after you get yours. Why go so cheap? What makes dealers appealing that i'm missing?

Looks like a different film

18 year old girl picked up her first car, a brand new car her parents bought her and called me to tint her car, wanted 20% on windshield and 5% on sides and back. I said i'll pass.

Do any of you have limits in your head that you just wont do? I know some will tint anything, but what limits do the rest of you set?

On 2/19/2022 at 2:51 PM, BudMan said:

This is a Hyundai Optima

i tried using ATR tint adhesive then used ammonia to break the particles up. 

Spray it with ATR again and let it soak, back blade to scrape glue off (meaning drag a blade not push and take off defrosters). 

LA Awesome works well at $1 a bottle at Dollar store

I went to your website. If you multiply all your prices on that website by 1.5 you may want to stay in business. Your prices are way too low. If i was thinking about buying your business i'd see that low price structure and think you had to really lowball to make money.

Just giving my 2 cents

https://www.sundistributingdirect.com/

On 9/15/2021 at 9:57 PM, BudMan said:

I found one in south Hackensack but it requires you to do vinyl wrapping.

if you know any schools please let me know!

What school is that?

If you wet shrink or wet shrink after you dry shrink, the water makes the tape move just enough to mess it up. just a heads up

9 hours ago, civicrice said:

NR Pro series

I notice a slight hazing on the NR pro