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      08-22-2020, 01:44 PM   #178
argento
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Drives: 2013 X5M
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Another Taillight Vinyl Wrap Install

In an effort to clean up my original install from above, I'm sharing additional details on this fix. I watched the video posted by ryansbmw from CKwraps as I always learn something from his videos. Because I didn't wrap my front left headlight I had barely enough to rewrap a tailgate light and the right side taillight. In fact I don't recommend using barely enough, it's already difficult enough, it's nice to have ample excess to pull and maneuver the film. ryansbmw advice helped a lot and I was able to avoid adding tension to the edges. I'll add that when you squeegee, hold the edge of the film lightly so as you squeegee the film to the surface you are laying down film from the edge in your hand AS OPPOSED TO stretching the film at the point of squeegee. Doing the latter will add tension to the film. Adding pix in case folks can glean something that helps.

1. Already taped off and cleaned; Started on inside most light edge and squeeged about 2", then stretched the film across the light. Then I began to squeegee from that edge toward the raised feature in the middle of the light.
2. Pulled it back half way, heated to relax film (I see it as returning it to original condition), then pulled again across the back half of the light.
3. Did most of the internal surface, you can see the outer edges are rough
4. Bottom edge with lots of folds and wrinkles
5. Heated that bottom edge and squeegee
6. Lifting the film edge, heated and pressed the film into the gap between the light and the body
7. Another edge with wrinkles;
8. Heated, squeegee, press into the gap. You can see some diagonal lines that show from this angle. That's where I pulled back and reheated. The edge touching the surface seems to leave this artifact. It didn't happen all the time, maybe it was too much heat or too little.
9. Heat, squeegee into the gap all around, making sure the excess film is loose so when I press the squeegee in the gap I don't pull on the surface film just laid, instead I pull from the excess edges of the film.
10. Closeup of the gap filled
11. Another gap filled closeup
12. Cut and done. Make sure you have a new or very sharp blade to make this part easy.

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Last edited by argento; 10-24-2020 at 08:42 AM..
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