In our last episode our hero he was contiplating installing a PPF Kit on his rocker panels (here). We will now re-join our hero after getting the kit...
ClearMask is a another distributor of PPF (paint protection film). They are unique in that kits they make are made with a DIY'er in mind using 3m Areospace film. Thier lineup from top to bottom includes Clearmask AR, Areogard, and Areogard Utra. Kit's come in Standard and XL (the latter provides more coverage).
Once you select your vehicle and they present the available packages each is rated on a scale of 1 to 10 for difficulty. They include a instructional DVD which among other things shows a guy doing a install on a Porchse (front bumper, hood, and fenders) with commentary on how to do each part.
I think it's a special they are running cuz I got their Headlamp kit for my Audi (lightgard) and a install kit (two industrial spray bottles. a squeege, a exacto knife, and a hard card) included in my order for free.
okay let's get on with it shall we.
Everything arrived well packaged but the Rocker kit was all on one Cap Sheet, so I needed to cut each pattern out seperately using the exacto knife.
When I got my front end done in the early part of spring the installer used Avery Stoneshield and I am still not too pleased with the Orange Peel. This film has no OP and is clear as can be.
Now I've never done PPF installs before but figured I taught myself everything else about Autobody and Engine Repair I should be able to learn this. I figured I would start with the headlamps cuz they are small and I stll have the one's from the Avery Kit (just in case)
I mixed up the Slip Solution in one bottle (they say to use dish soap but anyone who knows me knows how I feel about dishsoap and cars). So I used Johnson's baby shampoo.
Mistake one: Don't use too much soap in the slip solution.
They said to use 1 tablespoon to 32 oz of distilled/purified water. Well to me that didn't feel slippery enough so I used 6. Big mistake and I'll tell you why later.
Getting the damn film of the liner is a PITA. Make sure your GF is over if you don't have nails.
I can now say I see why people say it's very difficult to install this stuff. It's not like you just lay it out and squeege it down. Once you put that Slip Solution down the film wants to move all over (if your working on a vertical surface).
In addition you need to smooth/stretch the film to conform to the part/panel with one hand while using the squeege with the other.
Parts with curves are harder for that reason. If you don't get the film flat, you'll keep getting bubbles around the edges. Fortunatley this a DIY'er product so you can lift the film up and reposition it lots of times. Just keep it wet with the slip solution.
Ohh now back to that. I was having a hellava time getting this to seal flat around the edges. I was spraying the alcohol/water mixture beneath it and squeege'ing my little azz of but the film kept popping up. This went on for a couple hours till I realized I must've used too much soap and now the alcohol/water stuff can't get it all out. I went back into the house and dumped it out and made some more the right way.
Well long story short (thanks for hanging in) the first one I had been working on now for several hours was getting all cloudy and I still couldn't get the edges down, but feeling more confident now that I had learned to work the material and with the right slip solution I went over to the other one.
Piece of cake, knocked it out in less than 15 or 20 minutes and it looks great. Just like a pro did it. No bubbles, not cloudy and fits exact.
I then went back to the other one and lifted the whole thing off again (for the 5th or 6th time) and began all over. This time (with the help of a hair dryer) I got it into position and the edges are down. I managed to put a little scratch in it and am hoping the cloudiness will clear up.
This is my long way of saying you can do install's of PPF if your careful and game. Don't expect to get it right the first time (it is really a skill) but once you get the hang of it you'll be all set.
Now tommorrow those rocker panels.
Morbid
ClearMask is a another distributor of PPF (paint protection film). They are unique in that kits they make are made with a DIY'er in mind using 3m Areospace film. Thier lineup from top to bottom includes Clearmask AR, Areogard, and Areogard Utra. Kit's come in Standard and XL (the latter provides more coverage).
Once you select your vehicle and they present the available packages each is rated on a scale of 1 to 10 for difficulty. They include a instructional DVD which among other things shows a guy doing a install on a Porchse (front bumper, hood, and fenders) with commentary on how to do each part.
I think it's a special they are running cuz I got their Headlamp kit for my Audi (lightgard) and a install kit (two industrial spray bottles. a squeege, a exacto knife, and a hard card) included in my order for free.
okay let's get on with it shall we.
Everything arrived well packaged but the Rocker kit was all on one Cap Sheet, so I needed to cut each pattern out seperately using the exacto knife.
When I got my front end done in the early part of spring the installer used Avery Stoneshield and I am still not too pleased with the Orange Peel. This film has no OP and is clear as can be.
Now I've never done PPF installs before but figured I taught myself everything else about Autobody and Engine Repair I should be able to learn this. I figured I would start with the headlamps cuz they are small and I stll have the one's from the Avery Kit (just in case)
I mixed up the Slip Solution in one bottle (they say to use dish soap but anyone who knows me knows how I feel about dishsoap and cars). So I used Johnson's baby shampoo.
Mistake one: Don't use too much soap in the slip solution.
They said to use 1 tablespoon to 32 oz of distilled/purified water. Well to me that didn't feel slippery enough so I used 6. Big mistake and I'll tell you why later.
Getting the damn film of the liner is a PITA. Make sure your GF is over if you don't have nails.
I can now say I see why people say it's very difficult to install this stuff. It's not like you just lay it out and squeege it down. Once you put that Slip Solution down the film wants to move all over (if your working on a vertical surface).
In addition you need to smooth/stretch the film to conform to the part/panel with one hand while using the squeege with the other.
Parts with curves are harder for that reason. If you don't get the film flat, you'll keep getting bubbles around the edges. Fortunatley this a DIY'er product so you can lift the film up and reposition it lots of times. Just keep it wet with the slip solution.
Ohh now back to that. I was having a hellava time getting this to seal flat around the edges. I was spraying the alcohol/water mixture beneath it and squeege'ing my little azz of but the film kept popping up. This went on for a couple hours till I realized I must've used too much soap and now the alcohol/water stuff can't get it all out. I went back into the house and dumped it out and made some more the right way.
Well long story short (thanks for hanging in) the first one I had been working on now for several hours was getting all cloudy and I still couldn't get the edges down, but feeling more confident now that I had learned to work the material and with the right slip solution I went over to the other one.
Piece of cake, knocked it out in less than 15 or 20 minutes and it looks great. Just like a pro did it. No bubbles, not cloudy and fits exact.
I then went back to the other one and lifted the whole thing off again (for the 5th or 6th time) and began all over. This time (with the help of a hair dryer) I got it into position and the edges are down. I managed to put a little scratch in it and am hoping the cloudiness will clear up.
This is my long way of saying you can do install's of PPF if your careful and game. Don't expect to get it right the first time (it is really a skill) but once you get the hang of it you'll be all set.
Now tommorrow those rocker panels.
Morbid
. Well I finished the install today and it come out perfect. The film wasn't cut long enough to make to the edge of the rocker (short by maybe a 1/2 inch) but this time I whizzed through it.