MDog Soap Shrinking

January 13, 2008

Hi Guys -

Fairly new to the business - started after being convinced by Shady down in Southampton that this was the thing to bring into my workshop as an add on to our other business (Parts sales/fitting) - mainly tuning and accessories) seemed like a good thing to try as we offer most other things that the guys come in wanting and we are asked about tinting regularly.

Shady helpfully had me down for a few days and started me off back in march - I've been practising when I've had time since.

Thanks to the site for some great tips which have moved me on leaps and bounds just lately in both confidence and finish quality - dot matrix's now solved with the wet ad dry, the snap method for roll ups etc - I've done some paying jobs now with the new techniques etc and the custys were happy with them which is a nice feeling after all the practise to know your getting somewhere near.

I've tried as much as I can from your posts etc and feel its time to put up this post without being shot down as a newb who can't be bothered to read through the site lol

I've most back glass's licked now, roll ups too and Qtr's for some reason have never been a problem other than the matrix bit which a TOTW solved nicely.

However - I've always used Shadys powder method for dry shrinking with a H anchor - this has served me well (Once I eventualy got the hang of it) however I get the odd car with a bad back glass (Like my Missus Mk2 Clio) where this just doesn't seem to enable me enough shrinking - also seems to be windows which sit almost vertically like the clio? - windows which the film naturally lays down on seem easier.

I figure its about time to give the Mdog method a try - I get the basic principle however for really curved back glass's should I use the H anchor or just use the horizontal and add the vertical later?

I'm using Allstars Sungaurd at the moment - though I have some Llumar samples on order from CP as several people tell me this shrinks better.

The other q that springs to mind is cars such as the Mk2 Mondeo where the main curve is side to side - is it best to switch the film and put the grain horizontally rather than vertically or will this not work?

January 14, 2008

Good questions.. wish I could answer the machine edge question turning 90deg.. but the soap is a great method.... out of all the ones I tried when I started, soap worked the best

callwild · January 14, 2008

Hi There

I'm fairly new to tinting professionally myself after a couple of years for friends etc. Opened my shop in Cumbria in July. Anyway I find the soap method the way to go for most back glass and use an H anchor nearly every time. Like most things its trial and error with no fixed rules.

I was taught to use an H anchor and work the shrink from the centre out, a couple of inches at a time. However on more curved back glass I've found if I work from the centre out often there is a large finger left at the edge, so I now sometimes when required shrink from the outside edge in as it leaves a bigger area in the middle to absorb the shrink. Trick is to take it slow and try not to do too much at once, and I use the cooler of two settings on my heat gun.

However on a Clio I've moved on to the lift and pull method which works a treat once mastered and a lot quicker than the soap.

Hope this helps.

January 14, 2008

(Like my Missus Mk2 Clio) where this just doesn't seem to enable me enough shrinking - also seems to be windows which sit almost vertically like the clio? - windows which the film naturally lays down on seem easier.

if I get you right, when soap shrinking, when soap is dry I run a damp flannel (2 inch) across screen to allow film to anchor to the glass and work away (up/down) from that line

For the clio have the anchor slightly higher towards the top curve, I dont H it either

glad to hear you have quarters licked! For 5dr 1/4's do you take them out then? Like golf mk3 mk4 clio?

January 14, 2008

Hi There
I'm fairly new to tinting professionally myself after a couple of years for friends etc. Opened my shop in Cumbria in July. Anyway I find the soap method the way to go for most back glass and use an H anchor nearly every time. Like most things its trial and error with no fixed rules.

I was taught to use an H anchor and work the shrink from the centre out, a couple of inches at a time. However on more curved back glass I've found if I work from the centre out often there is a large finger left at the edge, so I now sometimes when required shrink from the outside edge in as it leaves a bigger area in the middle to absorb the shrink. Trick is to take it slow and try not to do too much at once, and I use the cooler of two settings on my heat gun.

However on a Clio I've moved on to the lift and pull method which works a treat once mastered and a lot quicker than the soap.

Hope this helps.

Yeah I find the H anchor works really well for keeping the sides finger free etc but I'm thinking maybe its not allowing me enough play with the film on really curved back glass's.

So what I'm thinking is on those to start with just a horizontal like walestint and then add the verticals later once the majority of the shape is there just to help with the edges.

I was taught to work from the centre outwards too but I've switched to bringing it to the middle for the same reason.

Had a go a the lift and pull on a Mk2 Mondeo but I instantly managed to melt the film lol - more practise required on that method.

(Like my Missus Mk2 Clio) where this just doesn't seem to enable me enough shrinking - also seems to be windows which sit almost vertically like the clio? - windows which the film naturally lays down on seem easier.
if I get you right, when soap shrinking, when soap is dry I run a damp flannel (2 inch) across screen to allow film to anchor to the glass and work away (up/down) from that line

For the clio have the anchor slightly higher towards the top curve, I dont H it either

glad to hear you have quarters licked! For 5dr 1/4's do you take them out then? Like golf mk3 mk4 clio?

Yeah it was funny really I had real bad probems shrinking when I started but Qtr's were easy from the word go.

I guess it because I used to do a lot of model making so am used to very precise cuts - the only Qtr ones I take out are saxo's etc where the bolts go through the window, doing the others was bad for contamination to begin with but even though its finicky I've started reverse rolling Qtr's like the rear and it seems to stop me picking up debris on cars where the Qtr's are fiddly to get to.

I always do them first when they are bolted and then leave them on the bench with the heat lamp on them low to get the film to adhere really well before the bolts go back through - seems to stop it pinching.

January 14, 2008

Yeah I find the H anchor works really well for keeping the sides finger free etc but I'm thinking maybe its not allowing me enough play with the film on really curved back glass's.
So what I'm thinking is on those to start with just a horizontal like walestint and then add the verticals later once the majority of the shape is there just to help with the edges.

I was taught to work from the centre outwards too but I've switched to bringing it to the middle for the same reason.

Had a go a the lift and pull on a Mk2 Mondeo but I instantly managed to melt the film lol - more practise required on that method.

Yeah it was funny really I had real bad probems shrinking when I started but Qtr's were easy from the word go.

I guess it because I used to do a lot of model making so am used to very precise cuts - the only Qtr ones I take out are saxo's etc where the bolts go through the window, doing the others was bad for contamination to begin with but even though its finicky I've started reverse rolling Qtr's like the rear and it seems to stop me picking up debris on cars where the Qtr's are fiddly to get to.

I always do them first when they are bolted and then leave them on the bench with the heat lamp on them low to get the film to adhere really well before the bolts go back through - seems to stop it pinching.

fair do's to you if you can cut a tight quarter door window that has no matrix and get it as good looking as if it was removed :angel