Several years ago, I had the pleasure of meeting Dustin Owens, at a Wrap Quest event in Pompano Beach, FL sponsored by the Professional Decal Applicators Association, (PDAA). Owens had invented the RollePro, a soft, heat-resistant foam roller applicator. If you are looking for the next latest and greatest vinyl application tool, look no further. The RollePro makes application of vinyl graphics over rivets fast, easy and painless.
“In
fewer than three minutes, I can apply vinyl to the bottom row of rivets on a
53-foot trailer,” claims Owens. Ever the skeptic, I asked Dustin to show me.
With propane torch in one hand and the RollePro in the other, Owens
simultaneously heated the rivets and rolled over them with his new tool. “You
can lay down rivets just as fast as you can walk,” says Owens.
For professional decal
applicator, Dustin Owens, applying vinyl graphics to rows and rows of rivet,
day after day was pure drudgery. What’s worse, it was time-consuming and it was
the primary cause of the tendonitis that he still suffers from. Owens did more
than hope for an easier way. He invented one. It’s called the RollePro, a soft,
heat-resistant foam roller applicator that uses 3M licensed technology and makes
application to rivets fast, easy and painless.
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| RollePro Vinyl Application Roller |
Here are the unique
RollePro® features:
● Using a RollePro eliminates
the need to puncturing holes in vinyl films. No need to use a rivet brush.
● Reduces the speed of
applying vinyl graphics over rivets up to 50%.
● Install vinyl graphics
faster to make more money.
● Apply vinyl over rivets and
contoured surfaces, such as door handles and side moldings in seconds with the
RollePro.
● The high temperature wheel
can be used on a variety of surfaces such as brick and concrete
● Ergonomic design prevents
repetitive motion injuries, such as tendentious.
● Versatile. Great for application to rivets and textured surfaces, such as diamond plate panels.
● The Rollepro Textured Surface Kit includes a standard handle, an
original wheel and a high temperature wheel.
You probably think that my
description of applying vinyl with a RollePro sounds too easy. It’s actually easier than you think. Here’s one reason. What’s missing in this
application procedure is the puncturing of the vinyl. That’s right. You don’t need to prick the
vinyl. You also don’t need to use a rivet brush. “After developing the
RollePro,” Owens says, “the only thing that I use a rivet brush for is to clean
the glue off of the rivets in a removal job.”
Other than buying a
RollePro, the only other thing that you need to do is to slightly change your
application technique. Instead of
squeegeeing over the rivets, Owens instructs installers to squeegee just up
to the rivet row. If you have a double row of rivets to do,
squeegee the film on either side of the two rows. Then, with your squeegee at an angle, apply
the film between the rows. After that, use the RollePro to lay down the film
over the rivet rows.
Rivets aren’t the only
application for this new tool. “I’m
always finding new ways to use the RollePro,” Owens says. “It’s also great for
applying film on textured wall surfaces, over diamond deck plates, louvered
vents, side moldings and emblems on cars, and over door handles.”
Installation Tip: Here is a
tip for installing laminated, air-egress digital prints with the RollePro. This
technique is not for conventional pressure-sensitive vinyl. Rather than leaving an open channel over the
rivets by squeegeeing on both sides, some installers squeegee up to a row of
rivets, leaving all of the vinyl on the other side of the row un-squeegeed. He
then rolls over the film with the RollePro. Repeating the procedure, he squeegees over to the next row and then rolls
over the film-covered rivets once again. This innovative technique provides
much more room for the air to flow out and prevents problems that can occur if
the channel inadvertently touches the
substrate and blocks the air from escaping.
About Jim Hingst: Sign business authority on vehicle wraps, vinyl graphics, screen printing, marketing, sales, gold leaf, woodcarving and painting.
After fourteen years as Business Development Manager at RTape, Jim Hingst retired. He was involved in many facets of the company’s business, including marketing, sales, product development and technical service.
Hingst began his career 42 years ago in the graphic arts field creating and producing advertising and promotional materials for a large test equipment manufacturer. Working for offset printers, large format screen printers, vinyl film manufacturers, and application tape companies, his experience included estimating, production planning, purchasing and production art, as well as sales and marketing. In his capacity as a salesman, Hingst was recognized with numerous sales achievement awards.
Drawing on his experience in production and as graphics installation subcontractor, Hingst provided the industry with practical advice, publishing more than 150 articles for publications, such as Signs Canada, SignCraft, Signs of the Times, Screen Printing, Sign and Digital Graphics and Sign Builder Illustrated. He also posted more than 500 stories on his blog (hingstssignpost.blogspot.com). In 2007 Hingst’s book, Vinyl Sign Techniques, was published. Vinyl Sign Techniques is available at sign supply distributors and at Amazon.
© Jim Hingst 2018
Good information!
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