For all you wrappers...

[Tr1cksta]

After having a successful attempt at 3m carbon wrapping my door sill covers, I feel ready to attempt the centre console. However, the heating control panel has the back lit displays for the heating ect (i.e not the climate control display), so what's the best way to attack this part....any ideas suggestions? Am I simply going to have to lose my back lighting?

Cheers

Rich

[martin3df]

I think people just don't wrap the buttons, that way you keep the symbols and the backlights, and as for the screen you could make a template of the screen and then carefully cut the wrap away from the screen when you're done. I dunno though, I'm sure one of the wrapping geniuses will be along soon

Edit: Oh, I think I read your post too quickly and missed the point! Are you talking about the standard climate controls, not the aircon ones? If so I see the dilema, that could be tricky. I'd be interested to see what solutions any comes up with

Edited January 27, 2011 by martin3df

[martin3df]

I pulled these images off Wrapper Delights (Richard is it? I can't remember but I know I've met you at a sheffield meet before!) corporate page, I really hope he doesn't mind, but they illustrate what I was getting at. The buttons and dials arn't wrapped. Hope this helps

Edit: Those pic embeds didnt seem to work, so heres the links. Dunno what went wrong there!

Standard

Climate

Edited January 27, 2011 by martin3df

[rpsmith79]

I have only ever wrapped one manual A/C unit and that was for Boynxdoor, but it was wrapped in gloss silver wrap which is thinner than the cast carbon wrap, Boynxdoor has said that he can actually see the back lights through the wrap, but i doubt you will see the lights through the 3M carbon wrap as it is considerable thicker vinyl

Rich

Manual A/C

Digital Climate Control

[Tr1cksta]

I pulled these images off Wrapper Delights (Richard is it? I can't remember but I know I've met you at a sheffield meet before!) corporate page, I really hope he doesn't mind, but they illustrate what I was getting at. The buttons and dials arn't wrapped. Hope this helps

Edit: Those pic embeds didnt seem to work, so heres the links. Dunno what went wrong there!

Standard

Cheers mate....Yeah mines the standard one, so it seems I may have to lose the displays

I have only ever wrapped one manual A/C unit and that was for Boynxdoor, but it was wrapped in gloss silver wrap which is thinner than the cast carbon wrap, Boynxdoor has said that he can actually see the back lights through the wrap, but i doubt you will see the lights through the 3M carbon wrap as it is considerable thicker vinyl

Rich

Manual A/C

Digital Climate Control

Cheers Rich.....If only the control panels were interchangable

Ok i'll have to have a good think about what to do

[juicygoolies]

I have a Q for the wrappers too... Can you wrap a flat surface? I don't have a clue how wrapping works, do you need it to literally wrap round something? It's hard to explain what I mean... Could you 'wrap' a squared section in the middle of the bonnet as an example? I'm doing my nut in here trying to explain...

[Slugster]

A wrap is a wrap, err.... as covering something completely in vinyl. A square section, as in the middle of a bonnet would in my mind be a graphic.

Mind you I'm speaking as a mere 'sticker monkey' here (I just do vinyl lettering, graphics and signs etc) and have utmost respect for vehicle wrapers who go the whole way with colour changes and printed images etc. I've done my own console in textured carbon and I'm happy with it, but doing the same for a paying customer would be a different thing.

[rpsmith79]

I have a Q for the wrappers too... Can you wrap a flat surface? I don't have a clue how wrapping works, do you need it to literally wrap round something? It's hard to explain what I mean... Could you 'wrap' a squared section in the middle of the bonnet as an example? I'm doing my nut in here trying to explain...

Not too sure what you are saying, but i'll try and explain how vinyl wrapping works

Basically it is flexible sticky back plastic (Blue Peter style), so flat surfaces are the easiest thing to wrap, pretty much peel the backing paper off and stick it down, curved surfaces are more difficult. a typical Gen 7 centre console is medium difficulty i'd say

The one thing i have not been able to wrap yet that i have been asked many times about, is the Gen 7 dial surround trim, mainly due to all the curves and the fact that it is basically like a giant doughnut, and as you need to start and finish somewhere, there is nowhere that you could put a seam without it being very visible

If you take a pic of what you want to wrap i could give you an idea on if it's doable and how to go about doing it

[Slugster]

The one thing i have not been able to wrap yet that i have been asked many times about, is the Gen 7 dial surround trim, mainly due to all the curves and the fact that it is basically like a giant doughnut, and as you need to start and finish somewhere, there is nowhere that you could put a seam without it being very visible

I too thought my G7 clock surround would look good in carbon. I ended up wraping myself in the damn stuff, it has no begining and no end and the surface seemed to resist all attemps to get vinyl to stick. Poss it's a matt finish thing but try whatever cleaning stuff (IPA, meths, panel prep, etc etc) I had to hand, it just would not stick. I didn't fancy a bash with wet n dry as I only had the one surround to play with so I put it back in place and now intend to wait for a proper wrapper to post a tip on how to it!

[rpsmith79]

I had the exact same problem trying to wrap the engine plastics, the wrap just would not stick to it, but again i didn't want to take the wet n dry to it in case i just ruined it

[Slugster]

Not just me then? I reckon it's something to do with silicones in the plasic moulding from the factory.

..... I hate doing jobs on vans when the owner says "I've washed and polished it for you" and I then have to resort to a strong Fairy Liquid wash to undo his work and remove the polish so the vinyl will stick.

[juicygoolies]

Not too sure what you are saying, but i'll try and explain how vinyl wrapping works

Basically it is flexible sticky back plastic (Blue Peter style), so flat surfaces are the easiest thing to wrap, pretty much peel the backing paper off and stick it down, curved surfaces are more difficult. a typical Gen 7 centre console is medium difficulty i'd say

The one thing i have not been able to wrap yet that i have been asked many times about, is the Gen 7 dial surround trim, mainly due to all the curves and the fact that it is basically like a giant doughnut, and as you need to start and finish somewhere, there is nowhere that you could put a seam without it being very visible

If you take a pic of what you want to wrap i could give you an idea on if it's doable and how to go about doing it

Nah I get it. Don't worry I just had a crazy idea for my car, but it wouldn't work.

[rpsmith79]

The only other option i was thinking was to spray primer onto the plastic first and get the wrap to stick to the primer, but that means twice the amount of work having to prep, prime, prep again then wrap