Window Tint Tips?

[sketchman]

I have no idea what I'm doing wrong. I've watched youtube videos. I've read howtos. I've even tried all 3 ways I've found to do it. But I've gone through 6 boxes (yes six) of the stuff and can't shrink it to the hatch glass.

I tried focusing on the fingers individually and found something else that says to just go in tiny circles with the heat gun and cover everything. Once i got the top perfect, then ruined the bottom. Then the opposite happened.

What it looks like is happening is that the outer edges are shrinking too much and causing a "ring" around the edge of the glass to pull towards the center and then it looks perfect everywhere but the corners. Try to shrink them some more and it just gets worse. If I don't go that far it still has fingers all along the edge.

I've tried dryer sheets, water, and soap. Dryer sheets seem to be the best. One issue I noticed is that the anchors will NOT stay down on the bottom corners. I'm wondering if maybe I just need to let them float like they want to and assume they'll be OK?

At this point I know I should have just paid someone to do it, but I'm like $90 into it now, and the only place that does it is an hour away, so I may as well keep going for a bit more till I get ticked enough to punch through the window. Not far away, believe me.

Anybody have any clue why I keep screwing it up?

[william]

I don't ever use heat.
Just clean soapy water and a good soft rubber squeegee.
Here's how I do it cut your film buy using your out side a a gage this is just to get close you will have to trim.
using 2 prices of tape separate your film from the backer while spraying soapy water on the film. (Helps with a partner).
Then I like to shoot the glass with some more soapy water.
Place film on window move till your satisfied, then start from the center with your squeegee working out wards.
Then you will have to trim your film around the edges a razor blade and steady hand is what I use. Then continue to work all air and water out.
Your film may look hazy for a few hours till the glue dryer.
Hope that helps

[Charlie1717]

I don't ever use heat.
Just clean soapy water and a good soft rubber squeegee.
Here's how I do it cut your film buy using your out side a a gage this is just to get close you will have to trim.
using 2 prices of tape separate your film from the backer while spraying soapy water on the film. (Helps with a partner).
Then I like to shoot the glass with some more soapy water.
Place film on window move till your satisfied, then start from the center with your squeegee working out wards.
Then you will have to trim your film around the edges a razor blade and steady hand is what I use. Then continue to work all air and water out.
Your film may look hazy for a few hours till the glue dryer.
Hope that helps

That's how I do it as well^^ Lots of soap/water, makes it easier to work with. I've never used a heat gun either. Along with the haze, there may be a few spots of liquid that will go away over a few days, park in the sun to help.

Good luck!

[sketchman]

I don't understand how you can do the hatch glass without shrinking it. I'm looking at the film laid out, and there doesn't look to be any amount of squeegeeing that would take out what I'm seeing. There are fingers around the edges where the compound curve of the glass is too much for the film to lay flat against.

Maybe I'm being too picky or something IDK. If it isn't perfect I will rip it off and do it again, or I'd want to punch it every time I saw it.

[toecar]

I tinted my back window utilizing the 'strips' method......outlined in the directions as an alternative to the full sheet method.
Because of the rear window defroster wire lines, looks almost as good as the full sheet method.

[itstock]

This is of no help, but I paid for a shop to do it. 2 hours later, I couldn't be happier. Just wish I had done it sooner.

[sketchman]

^Yeah, that's what I'm going to end up doing. I'm a perfectionist. I can't stand it being wrong even if it means I can't do it.

How much did it cost?

[jaketlong11]

mine was bubbling and wouldn't stop do I need to clean my window more?

[sketchman]

Pretty sure if it's bubbling it's either not shrunk enough or the adhesive isn't the best.

[itstock]

I ended up paying $208 after tax.

[Damkid]

Window Tint Tips?

Reading this thread is exactly why I stopped attempting to tint my own cars, I will HAPPILY pay someone else to tint my cars every single time cause the materials costs is roughly half the price of paying someone else to do it, so to me the cost difference is money well well spent to not have to deal with the headaches lol

[Flyin4stroke]

Window Tint Tips?

Best way to tint a Festiva.
Remove all windows
Pay someone to do the hatch.

I did the tint in my car and I'm not a tint guy. I knew the strips were my best bet for the hatch and I'm not a perfectionist of my own work because obviously I don't do this everyday. I'm happy with the strips they worked good and it's not completely obvious. Next time I will have someone do it for me though it's too sketchy but you are sketch man so I see why you would want to do it. [emoji106] it's all about your working environment it has to be 100% clean. No dust floating around causing bubbles. Stupid stuff like that.

[Chobobulous]

I agree with damkid, I pay someone else to do it, I don't have bubbles, I got 3m 20% installed for 100 dollars by a reputable installer, they do all police cars and everything.

Best mod to the car, I was unsure about the 20% I thought it may be too dark at night, not at all though, I love it.

[Damkid]

I wanna go 5% on my 323 :evil4:

[jason_]

I only do 5% on every car I own everywhere. . Pointless to go lighter. I do front doors as well. And yes, unless you can do a car all around, including curved glass, within hours, pay $30 a window and also get a warranty.

I just had my 09 jetta wagon done. 9 separate pieces of glass. $320 lifetime. And I had the windshield done for extra $60 Only 5% block though. Everything else is 95% block.

It's nice.

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