Vinyl wrap

[Orwell boy]

Considering vinyl wrapping my boat console instead of spraying , just wondering if anybody has tried this and how it went ? also wondering do you see joint lines or do you buy a bit big enough to do it in one ?
thanks any guidance helpful as at this point i know nothing
thanks

[willk]

Originally Posted by Orwell boy

Considering vinyl wrapping my boat console instead of spraying , just wondering if anybody has tried this and how it went ? also wondering do you see joint lines or do you buy a bit big enough to do it in one ?
thanks any guidance helpful as at this point i know nothing
thanks

It's been done - there was a Protector cabin boat here a few years back with a Union flaige overlaid on it. Maybe not the boat to do your first Calais run in.

[GuyC]

I did mine in vinyl and made a feature of the edges.

I measured a lot before I did any cutting but it was possibly easier than I anticipated, I didn't suffer from air bubbles and it all seems quite well stuck. I'd definitely do it again.

I'm not sure why the photo has turned through ninety degrees though.

[gtflash]

There was a whole hunton vinyl rapped. Bronze ish colour. My fear when I considered it was fuel spills.

[Orwell boy]

Originally Posted by GuyC

I did mine in vinyl and made a feature of the edges.

I measured a lot before I did any cutting but it was possibly easier than I anticipated, I didn't suffer from air bubbles and it all seems quite well stuck. I'd definitely do it again.

I'm not sure why the photo has turned through ninety degrees though.

Looks good but as you say you have done it in a panelled system ,which wont really be possible for me on a moulded glass console ,how has it held up or is it just finnished ? what about the edges ?,it does look good ! ,if i see people doing complete cars how do they deal will sheet sizes and edges ? ,i can see doing a jockey seat would be a dream ,but if i draped a bed sheet over my console then if it was vinyl then the hairdryer would be the start point maybe ???
Looks like painting may be easier but i was hoping to join the 21st century and give it a go with a few pointers

[Poly]

Originally Posted by Orwell boy

Looks good but as you say you have done it in a panelled system ,which wont really be possible for me on a moulded glass console ,how has it held up or is it just finnished ? what about the edges ?,it does look good ! ,if i see people doing complete cars how do they deal will sheet sizes and edges ? ,i can see doing a jockey seat would be a dream ,but if i draped a bed sheet over my console then if it was vinyl then the hairdryer would be the start point maybe ???

Looks like painting may be easier but i was hoping to join the 21st century and give it a go with a few pointers

I might be wrong about this but I think it’s quite a specialist skill. A bit like me assuming I could buy an aldi compressor and spray guy and get professional finish on my first job. I’d get it covered but I doubt it would be perfect, and having spent a lot of time and a bit of money I might be better having just paid a pro, unless it’s something you will do a lot.

[Tim M]

I run a large metallic black boat that is extensively wrapped (inside and out). It’s very clever what the pros can do (we’ve had all sorts of things wrapped from fridges, TVs, even wooden flooring), but you still end up with joints and seams. Done well in the right places you hardly notice them unless you’re looking. A jockey seat would be a challenge but might be possible with only one seam if you wrapped around the seat pod rather than from the top. You can get away with a lot using a hot air gun to stretch the fabric but it has its limitations.

In terms of how it holds up – it’s a quicker and cheaper fix than paint. On a RIB console I think it would be fine, but I’m not a fan of large areas for a long term finish.

[GuyC]

Originally Posted by Orwell boy

how has it held up or is it just finnished ? what about the edges ?

It's just finished although it has been hosed it down and wiped with a softish brush. The edges seem well stuck down but obviously time will tell.

Originally Posted by Poly

I might be wrong about this but I think it’s quite a specialist skill. A bit like me assuming I could buy an aldi compressor and spray guy and get professional finish on my first job. I’d get it covered but I doubt it would be perfect, and having spent a lot of time and a bit of money I might be better having just paid a pro, unless it’s something you will do a lot.

I think the vinyl technology has improved over time - the adhesives are better and you can get 'breathable' stuff so you don't get air pockets trapped. There are different flavours depending on whether you are covering predominantly flat areas or there are lots of curves. I think this puts good quality finishes more in reach of the DIY person but I've no doubt that even my intentionally simple panel arrangement took me an exponentially longer time than it would have taken a pro.

Originally Posted by Tim M

Done well in the right places you hardly notice them unless you’re looking. A jockey seat would be a challenge but might be possible with only one seam if you wrapped around the seat pod rather than from the top. You can get away with a lot using a hot air gun to stretch the fabric but it has its limitations.

In terms of how it holds up – it’s a quicker and cheaper fix than paint. On a RIB console I think it would be fine, but I’m not a fan of large areas for a long term finish.

I've got a couple of overlapping seams on mine and they aren't noticeable.

For those that frequent the Solent, Red Jet's 6 and 7 are vinyl wrapped down to the waterline and it is standard practice on the fast ferries in Australia. My panel idea came from the Australian ferries as the ones I looked at left the corners as bare aluminium so the vinyl didn't get scuffed plus I guess it was easier to apply.

[willk]

Originally Posted by Orwell boy

thanks any guidance helpful as at this point i know nothing
thanks

Have you got a quote from a van outfit?

You'd get a custom colour, your boat name and whatever else you wanted and it would fit.