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3m di-noc how easy?

daniel mason - 4/1/14 at 03:42 PM

how easy is it to fit the 3m carbon di-noc on to various parts of a fibreglass body? and whats the finish like?
my car has a few cracks/chips in the glass which i want to cut out and fill, but wondered if carbon di-noc would be ok to cover it once done?
if so wheres the best source to buy it from? cheers.
i want to do side skirts, rear arch louvres (could be tricky), and across the back of the rear pannel so need long lengths! (1.75m ish)

ste - 4/1/14 at 04:32 PM

I found it fairly simple but on compound curves and very tight areas it's harder. It needs to be applied with heat to make it more supple and too much can melt the textured finish. I had it inside a car and the heat caused it to peel off. Exterior stuff was fine though. The peeling could have been my fault due to poor prep work though.

Slimy38 - 4/1/14 at 04:38 PM

quote:
Originally posted by ste
I found it fairly simple but on compound curves and very tight areas it's harder. It needs to be applied with heat to make it more supple and too much can melt the textured finish. I had it inside a car and the heat caused it to peel off. Exterior stuff was fine though. The peeling could have been my fault due to poor prep work though.

I've got cheap stuff right next to an engine casing on my bike and it's not peeling off. It's the same as a paintjob, most of the work is in the prep. A proper clean and degrease will help enormously.

3M is obviously the best but you can get perfectly decent results from cheaper options, as long as you stick to cast vinyl. Calendared vinyl is the cheapest, but is much more difficult to work. I still managed to get it round a bike fuel tank so that should give you a guide on what's possible.

Finishes aren't as good as a paintjob, but are obviously a lot better than filled in cracks and chips. I find the matt surfaces look nicer, the gloss just isn't very glossy. You can also go for carbon fibre, TVR-esque flip colours, or even fake snake skin if you're feeling really brave.

Some nice choices here;

http://www.mdpsupplies.co.uk/vehiclewrapping.asp

[Edited on 4/1/14 by Slimy38]

40inches - 4/1/14 at 05:40 PM

3M DiNoc was never intended for automotive use, only architectural. 3m have introduced 1080 CF12 specifically for automotive use, it
drapes easily over compound curves, doesn't need a primer and doesn't lift at the edges. It also has a gloss finish, looks nicer than DiNoc.
I have used both, the 1080 is much better. This is DiNoc with two coats of laquer, the 1080 looks nicer

DiNoc 3

Wadders - 4/1/14 at 07:29 PM

Can't comment on Di-noc, but i wrapped my old OMS single seater with normal vinyl, it does not cover up imperfections any better than a top coat of paint would, so you need to fill prime and flat as if preparing for paint. I mistakenly thought it would cover a multitude of sins and was sorely disappointed after rushing the prep.

Looked ok, but didn't stand up to close scrutiny, i would paint if doing it again as there is not much difference in time/cost if you prep properly.

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Al

[Edited on 4/1/14 by Wadders]

The Black Flash - 5/1/14 at 11:43 PM

Having recently used Di-noc and a cheaper copy, I'd say it's worth the extra for the 3M stuff if you care about the finish. It's much easier to work and regains its shape when you apply heat, the cheaper stuff just stretched and stayed stretched. So you can redo bits with the Dinoc if you get a kink, just peel back, reheat, and do it again.

One mistake I made was nudging the temperature control on my heat gun and scorching an area - so I would suggest taping the heat control down if you have one!

Slimy38 - 6/1/14 at 08:06 AM

quote:
Originally posted by The Black Flash
One mistake I made was nudging the temperature control on my heat gun and scorching an area - so I would suggest taping the heat control down if you have one!

I used my wife's hair dryer rather than a heat gun, it did pretty much the same job but without the danger of scorching.