AbelAxe

Todd, I haven’t been on Tintdude lately and saw this post. I’m in Portland (Beaverton) if you’re up this way stop at Alexias window tinting and say hello!
cheers

Just wanted to say hello...I havent tinted one window yet, but Im going to practice on my 2003 Silverado 2500HD. Passenger and driver side windows. I ordered a 50' roll of tint from Express Window Films, and I ordered up some tools. If Im at all lucky I hope by the time Ive used up the 50' of film that I have a couple windows that look pretty good. LOL...Im wearing out the search feature on this site....There is a LOT of great information on this site.
 
Thanks
Todd
Medford, OR

It's all in the angle of the dangle.
 
Always position the knife/blade with the cutting edge slightly angled off or away from any rubber (or molding), not towards. Rely more on the body of the knife to stabilize when cutting however, the key to keeping the blade's cutting edge from digging in is to pitch (or lean) it away while resting against rubber.
 
See the pics below:
Pitch toward will cut rubber.

 
Pitch slightly away does not.

Thank you Sir!

Spend most of my free time on the water tournament fishing, both fresh and saltwater...

1980 ... my second year of college after leaving the Navy. Needed some material to present a 'how-to' for speech class so, stopped into a local tint shop. Before leaving asked if they needed any help ... yes, I've tinted before, I told them. The day I went to, eh hem, work along side their seasoned tinter, she stopped my half way through my cut and said, you've never done this before have you. Pray tell, how did you come up with that, I says. Her answer tells it all ... you are not fluid with your cutting. I begin to pray. Didn't help. By lunch time they booted me to the street but, not before setting up their main competitor by telling me that place over on Clearwater Rd needs an auto tinter.
 
Next day I go to Clearwater Rd place after class and ask if they were hiring. Yes, they say but, do you have any experience. I said, yes, I worked for that place for awhile. They then proceeded to give me tools, film, the keys to a late 70's Ford Fairmont Wagon and point to the auto tint bay. I was to tint the car a bring it back for their inspection before I would be hired. Off I went and did the best I could returning the keys to reception. Boss man and reception lady go out to investigate the work. I pray. They come back in and the Boss man says, nice job son, there's just one thing I'd like you to do when you start for us tomorrow. I says, what's that? He says, can you bring your time down from 5 hours to just a couple hours per car; I can't make any money at the rate you're going?
 
I did just that and three months later I was taken off minimum wage and put on 35% commission only. I was shown how to do invisa-seam back glass instead of overlapping strips and went on to work for them for another two years before the IRS shut them down for not paying taxes, which included Social Security taxes. If you were to see my Social Security income report you would see 0$ for 80 an 81.
 
A few days after shut down I contacted the boss man and said they still owed me $2500 in back pay and since they were strapped for cash I have a list of things I would take instead and call it even. I was given all I needed in tools and film to start my own gig and did so in the new location the were to move to before getting shut down. I also took the client list. 14 years later I went to work for a major manny in sales, migrating to tech support in less than two years.
 
Never mind the story of how I would 'blow' the shops that I had during that 14 year period.
 

Just wanted to say hello...I havent tinted one window yet, but Im going to practice on my 2003 Silverado 2500HD. Passenger and driver side windows. I ordered a 50' roll of tint from Express Window Films, and I ordered up some tools. If Im at all lucky I hope by the time Ive used up the 50' of film that I have a couple windows that look pretty good. LOL...Im wearing out the search feature on this site....There is a LOT of great information on this site.
 
Thanks
Todd
Medford, OR

Welcome to the site. Only tricky thing on those is cutting that rear edge where it comes mostly out of the window. Some of those seals pull and some are one piece. Good luck.

Welcome to the forum and the world of tinting. Tons of good info here for you to draw from.
 
 
 

Kick ass ride, one of my fav's

Building models and showing and racing my 68 Camaro

Building models and showing and racing my 68 Camaro

Building models and showing and racing my 68 Camaro

Building models and showing and racing my 68 Camaro

Building models and showing and racing my 68 Camaro

Thanks for the help guys. Im going to hit up some of my friends at work that have newer 4 door cars and see what happens. Ive tinted my car over 6 times now. Also tinted my wifes and sons car. I bought some SunTek. Super sweet tint.  Been picking up tools little by little and I have a good time tinting. Also Im a welder fabricator and work around 55 hours a week. 

Dude i know what i'm doing and i still watch tint videos on youtube just because i like it and i learn from other people. get the DVD's and watch them, watch youtube, read these groups, always keep learning. I was going to buy the DVDs just to see how Stan does his work and maybe pick up a few pointers. You're lucky this is a time when you can ask anybody on the planet a question via the internet. there's a lot of good tips out there, but also a lot of low quality people making vids. but to answer your question yes get the DVDs, Stan is one of the top people out there and well known among the tint folk. @flat rock stan 

I would be careful about taking everything Ralph does and says to heart...He is what my grandmother would have called a "snake oil salesman." You would do much better if you stick to all of the fine folks here on this site. As a collective we have the experience and knowledge to help you, and we don't have to make a snappy video to do it.