Decal / Sticker adhesion...

I bought some logo "Decals" from Mudhole that are stickers, not what I would call a decal. To me, decals are the waterslide things. I have also tried some of their stickers for VFW emblems, the little hearts they recently had specials on and the like. I clean the blank with alcohol, apply the sticker, and rub it down. They will stay stuck like this overnight or longer. Now I go to apply finish and as the rod is rotating the edges of the sticker slowly lift. I seem to be missing a step here to seal the danged things down and the finish seems to be loosening the adhesive on the sticker.

Any suggestions?

Kevin, The only thing I can think of is to try heat. I would get it as hot as you can without damaging the blank or the decal, this should help it keep its shape. I run into the same issue at work, only on a larger scale, when doing vehicle wraps and heat usually does the trick. Hope this works for you.
Mike

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Originally Posted by mgliss

Kevin, The only thing I can think of is to try heat. I would get it as hot as you can without damaging the blank or the decal, this should help it keep its shape. I run into the same issue at work, only on a larger scale, when doing vehicle wraps and heat usually does the trick. Hope this works for you.
Mike

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As in use the heat to kind of "set" it? I had thought of that, but wasn't sure. I'll try it on a butt section and see if it helps. It is irritating that the sticker will stay rubbed down until I put finish on it. Then the edges want to lift.

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Originally Posted by kbproctor

As in use the heat to kind of "set" it?

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Exactly, vinyl is in a liquid form to begin with so it can usually be set with a little heat!

I read somewhere to wrap some thread over the decal until the finish begins to set, but haven't tried it.

I haven't had problems with stickers coming up, but I do a few things that supposedly help. First, I trim corners where possible so that the profile is as rounded as possible. Those corners are what usually seem to come up for me, and some trimming seems to help for some strange reason. I've also heard of putting a thread wrap over the entire sticker overnight to make sure it is stuck down good. My stickers are usually manufacturers stickers, so I put a wrap over each end that mimics my guide wraps. It usually looks nice, IMO. Heat may be easier, though. Finally, I put stickers and decals down on a light coat of cured finish, then finish over the top. I've also put CP on the edges to help with peeling in the past, and that might help keep the finish from getting to the adhesive.