Thanks very informative information. I will be checking out the paper transfer tape you suggest too.
I have been soooooooo tempted to pick up a Cameo. Unfortunately my wife calls it a Cam-e-NO. 
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You really should look into it - I bet both you and your wife would find a lot of uses for it. There are often sales on it at the stores or Amazon (getting closer to the $200 price) and (at least in my opinion) it is worth it. Labels, stencils, numerous types of greeting cards, iron ons, decorations, tags ,etc. so much you can do with it either as a cutter or put in a pen and it’s a plotter.
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Sure it is! I’ve got the new model on woot for $199. Too much fun, and most important, pretty easy to use.
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I have a plan to try out the paper transfer tape for masking non-premasked materials before lasering. Think it will be a lot easier than using multiple strips of painters tape as I have done in the past.
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If you are going to do a lot of masking, consider making a dispenser system. You can spend a lot on a fancy one, some of which are made with a CNC and might be able to serve as inspiration for what you could make with a glowforge (and clamps) or you can make a simple one for cheap. I used products from the plumbing aisle at Home Depot for mine.
My initial design had the bars going through the round holes, but I spaced them poorly, and the bars were difficult to remove for swapping rolls. The slots allow me to lift one end out very easily.
At the moment I have 24", 6", and 4" rolls of transfer paper on the upper bar, and the lower bar has a 30" and a 14" roll. There is a 2" roll in the shelf for freehanding little bits.
I am a fan of TheBigSqueegee products. This is the “Dent & Rivet” tool, which works great for initially laying down masking/transfer tape without wrinkles. I go back afterwards pressing firmly with a gold 3m squeegee to fully activate the adhesive.
I replaced the carriage bolt that was part of this test-cap assembly with a longer one, and added the washers. It is the same on the other side.
That would be it for pre-masking materials for the glowforge. If you were masking a decal you would continue…
Three pieces of tape and a centerpoint ruler for alignment to the substrate, in this case banner material.
Flip the unsecured side over, peel the backing away from the decals (not the other way around!) and slice it off.
Holding the loose end up, squeegee from the center out, in ‘waves’, to avoid trapping air bubbles. Don’t drop the loose end!
Now you can remove the alignment tape and flip the other side over, and peel the backing away from the decal. If the decal comes away from the transfer sheet and stays on the backing just go back a bit and re-squeegee or burnish from the back.
Peel off your transfer tape, and hang your banner!
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Really nice setup and great results. Wonderful tutorial for those new to making any sized vinyl decals.
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I always wondered how that was done for really large decals (any I have made have been very small). Thanks for the lesson!
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The REALLY big decals (ie wraps) are a different story.
Ink Monstr, out of Denver, is really pushing the bounds of art wrapping. 3M is using photos of this building in their current advertising. The guy designing at the begining of this video is Nick Hughes, an extremely talented artist who I first met when he put me into his currated show at Wazee Union. We don’t exactly speak too often, but I am proud to count him as a friend.
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Neat job on that concrete building!
The method for removing the back is how glue-down carpet is laid. Rough cut it in, peel back half and spread the glue. Unfold and repeat with the other side.
Like that ‘clean or Die’ there at the deep sink!
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I too was wondering if you could use this transfer tape as a mask for standard materials to prevent burn dust. Wonder how it would work.
Transfer tape is pretty sticky - you might break off delicate parts trying to remove it.
You can buy a low tack paper masking tape here that should do just as well and will be easier to remove.
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I bought some masking from laserbits. It works better on finished wood than unfinished. I’ve had better luck with Loctite general spray adhesive and brown painters masking. One extra step to prep the masking but easy enough. Spay on the paper and not on the material and apply without delay. It comes of we’ll if you don’t wait long after the print to remove it and weed.
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Gosh how nice it’d be to have a “tips” section of the forums. With no BS in it. Just straight up tips with clear names like “Adhesives.”
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I first read that as “barn dust” and this popped into my head
And for that cat dander
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Can’t like the wrapped animals. I’m hoping they are Photoshopped.
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Nope! Local – NBC10 Philadelphia
I live in the area. I remember when this happened. It was just a few years ago.
Pro tip: You don’t want to visit North Philly. I don’t care who you are, what color you are, what religion, what age.
(When I say I live in the area, I mean within 40 miles.)
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You realize 40 miles gets you all the way to Wilmington, DE and almost to Princeton?
Thank you…I am learnin !
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