Dealing with stripes when detailing

[R2Limited]

thanks junkman, the stripes are oracal 951m vinyl.

Thanks for all the info on ORCAL 651 that you posted, Junkman. It's good stuff. Pretty much the standard for automotive graphics. Of course, not full wraps. That would be the ORCAL 970 series "cast" wrapping film. It's much more flexible and conforms to the intricate contours of the car's body easier.

951m is pretty stuff. Has a metalic flake to it like a pearl or mica car finish. It's also a "cast" film which will be a slight bit more durable and smooth than the calendared films.

thanks for the abundance of info. I'll most def. tape them off when waxing/buffing

I would. Especially if your vinyl has more intricate details like the "EUNOS" lettering on my stripes. I would avoid those with a buffer. I wouldn't be afraid to polish/wax/buff them by hand, though. While there is a lot of talk about the vinyl being removable within the warranty period....it's not exactly super easily removable. It takes some effort. More effort than you'd exert hand buffing a car.

[★ revlimiter ★]

So there you are. A document that definitively instructs you on how to care for your stripes. One thing that he said to definitely not do is wax your stripes. He said that waxing the stripes will dry up the plasticizing content in the vinyl and cause them to fail well before their supposed lifetime.

So now we all know.

Huh. I've been doing it wrong for 12 years.

[94R]

Huh. I've been doing it wrong for 12 years.

Haha. I've been waxing mine for the past 17 years. Although, I did just replace my stripes about 7 years ago. Oh well.

[Junkman2008]

Thanks for all the info on ORCAL 651 that you posted, Junkman. It's good stuff. Pretty much the standard for automotive graphics. Of course, not full wraps. That would be the ORCAL 970 series "cast" wrapping film. It's much more flexible and conforms to the intricate contours of the car's body easier.

951m is pretty stuff. Has a metalic flake to it like a pearl or mica car finish. It's also a "cast" film which will be a slight bit more durable and smooth than the calendared films.

Sounds like you are really up on this stuff! Are you as well versed with the 3M line also? I'm thinking that the various companies share some common areas when it comes to this stuff but I'll wait for your answer. I have been meaning to do some in-depth research on this for years to compliment what I already know. Thanks to you guys, I have finally gotten started.

Haha. I've been waxing mine for the past 17 years. Although, I did just replace my stripes about 7 years ago. Oh well.

Well hell, now we all know for sure.

[R2Limited]

Sounds like you are really up on this stuff! Are you as well versed with the 3M line also?

I've only used one sample of 3M vinyl. I have a small roll of it at the office with all my other vinyl products. Not sure which model or grade of their vinyl it is. But, honestly, based on my limited sample, I really prefer the ORCAL 651 better.

I'm sure you can't go wrong with either one. They're both fantastic products that will hold up in this application for years and years.

[Junkman2008]

Cool. You would know better than I since you do the installing. I'll take your word for it.