Applying decals? - Snowmobile Forum: Your #1 Snowmobile Forum

NorthernGuy · 11-04-2006, 09:09 AM

Hey everyone, I got my custom license plate numbers in for the new sled but had a few questions. I had to order these so I don't want to screw them up! The sled is in a garage, un-heated, and it's about -6deg C out there right now. I want to know if the temps will effect the stickers when applied? For example should I try to warm up the part of the hood I'm putting the sticker onto (with my arm?) so that the sticker and hood will be warm and no difference in temps will make them shrink or expand differently? Or should I just put the stickers outside for a while so they are the same temps as the hood and that way they should be the same when I apply the sticker? I'm going to clean the area with an alcohol pad as the decal guy told me to, I just wasn't sure about temperatures.

tamacat · 11-04-2006, 09:46 AM

If its -6

your gonna need more than your arm! And the decals and hood definately need to be above freezing to apply them . A hairdryer would work if you dont have a warm place to do it.
Think of it this way. When gum gets cold or freezes, it gets hard like a rock. Same thing goes for the adheasive on the sticker. Directions with the decals might say what temps you can apply.

Unless you have no directions.

BRPforlife · 11-04-2006, 09:58 AM

If you don't have a propane heater that you can heat up your garage with temperarily than just warm the spot with a hair dryer or heat gun. Be careful not to heat it too much with the heat gun or the sticker could wrinkle when you put it on. Don't put heat on the sticker because it's probably vinyl and will melt/wrinkle easily.

After you put the sticker on, hold your hand on it for a bit while the plastic cools off. I do the same thing with my trail pass every year.

Where did you get the graphics done?

NorthernGuy · 11-04-2006, 10:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BRPforlife

If you don't have a propane heater that you can heat up your garage with temperarily than just warm the spot with a hair dryer or heat gun. Be careful not to heat it too much with the heat gun or the sticker could wrinkle when you put it on. Don't put heat on the sticker because it's probably vinyl and will melt/wrinkle easily.

After you put the sticker on, hold your hand on it for a bit while the plastic cools off. I do the same thing with my trail pass every year.

Where did you get the graphics done?

I got the name of a guy who runs a shop out of his house from the AC dealer I went to. He made them and mailed them to me but did not specify temperatures, only that I needed to clean the area w\alcohol first. No instructions were included unfortunately. For some reason we are going to a warm spell (damn!) in 2 days, it could get to be +5 or +6 deg, maybe I'll wait till then to try and apply it.

headbanger7483 · 11-05-2006, 11:21 AM

I got a whole new set of decal for one of my sleds two years ago and put them on the sled christmas morning...yes it was cold. Heat the area with a hairdryer (a heat gun may be too hot for the paint) then heat the sticker so the adhesive isn't hard. After that apply the sticker...and here the most important part: CHECK FOR AIR BUBBLES! they can be diasaterous. If you find any pop them with a pin or something very small and smooth it over and you should be all set!

Kemo · 11-05-2006, 11:32 AM

you call that a warm spell? it was 20's last week... and this week it supposed to be in the 60's.

or for you... it was about -7 celsius, and is supposed to be about 16 to 18 degrees this week.

Now, that is a warm spell.

NorthernGuy · 11-06-2006, 01:13 PM

Got the plates on today

. I waited for this "warm" day, it's +10deg C out which is pretty warm. It's also unfortunately killed almost all of our snow... HOWEVER! I was a great day to decal. I cleaned the area really good with an alcohol pad then wiped it down hard with a paper towl and removed all the lint. I applied the decal and held it down with my arm to warm it up then carefully peeled the top layer off and smoothed it out with my fingers. It turned out pretty good, hopefully it stays! Here's some pics, I think these plates look WAAAAAY better than the god awful white plates the DMV sends out! I'm glad I found out about the guy who made these

Pics (wow I'm just like a new parent aren't I? posting pics constantly lol):

And with the registration sticker (no way around that one!):

tamacat · 11-06-2006, 01:21 PM

Looks good!!We're not aloud to use those anymore in PA. We have to use the stupid rectangle one the DOT gives you

SUCKS!!!!!

NorthernGuy · 11-06-2006, 01:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tamacat

Looks good!!We're not aloud to use those anymore in PA. We have to use the stupid rectangle one the DOT gives you

SUCKS!!!!!

Yikes. I thought we had to do that as well but just couldn't bring myself to do it to a brand new sled that looks so nice as it is! Hopefully they never enforce that kind of law up here.

tamacat · 11-06-2006, 01:38 PM

Believe me, I hated every second of putting it on my F7 when it was new. And the stupid thing doesn't even fit right

. Damn authorities!!!!

IndianRvrShiver · 11-06-2006, 02:05 PM

Those look great!! Very nice job of mathing the font style!

headbanger7483 · 11-06-2006, 02:07 PM

looks great....last season around here the reg. stickers were a big blue rectangle with black lettering...and you HAVE to put it on...man did I ahte putting that thing on my green sled

SnowBunny550 · 11-06-2006, 04:32 PM

The decal job looks amazing! I'm another one that is less-than-enthused about the state-issued "plates". They don't match ANYTHING.

I_R_Josh · 11-06-2006, 06:44 PM

do you guys have different rules on WHERE you can put the plates? I've always put them on the tunnel. I never even thought about having someone make a custom set, he did a good job on those Northerguy!

NorthernGuy · 11-06-2006, 07:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by I_R_Josh

do you guys have different rules on WHERE you can put the plates? I've always put them on the tunnel. I never even thought about having someone make a custom set, he did a good job on those Northerguy!

I'm real pumped at how they turned out too. They are actually individual numbers and each "line" is seperate. It's hard to explain kind of, the black and white lines are individual and the gap in beween lets the orange on the sled show through which in turn made it look like an EXACT match to the sled, it was a great idea and ensures that if the orange fades it will even fade the same within the decal. It was assembled onto a straight sheet with a top sheet so they all applied in a perfect row. It was really well done and worth the money I think.

As for the rules you cannot put the plates on your tunnel, if I could have done that I think I might have done it with the white plates and never got around to researching a custom. TECHNICALLY speaking the plate has to be in a specific part of the hood for my province, which is just unfeasible since that area of my hood won't accomodate a sticker the size they gave me due to the curves, edges, and of course the killer decals! lol

But the law is a bit leanient on this type of thing up here, I'm sure if you really peeved an officer off he would be more than happy to point out that my numbers are too high and ticket me, but you'd have to have really made him mad to do that. Everyone here runs decals like that and every cat in the dealership I went to had them in the exact same spot.

In case anyone wants similar ones done I got mine from Bob at Trim Line in Sault Ste Marie Ontario. He shipped them right to me, all I had to do was give him my plate numbers and what type of sled I drove so he could match or make one that would match.