Rapid Tac™ Rapid Prep® (4oz)

What is the most important step in applying Rvinyl products?
An absolutely clean surface is the key to any good application. Rapid Tac Products were created for this reason.

Why shouldn't I use cloth towels or shop rags to clean an application surface with?
We recommend using paper towels. Shop rags are great for wiping a great deal of things like oil, tire dressing off of tires, cleaning engine parts, auto detailing, etc. All of these oils, waxes, and silicone contaminants can become "trapped" in the rags, and when cleaned by a commercial linen services your shop rags will come back with contaminants from other businesses. There is NO way to ensure that you are getting rags back that are free of these contaminants. Stick with the cheap paper towels, and you will have substantially more consistent applications.

 Do I need to buy any "other" cleaning solvents or chemicals?
No. Rapid Tac and Rapid Tac II are both cleaners as well as application fluids. If you are concerned that wax, or silicone or oil may be present, then clean once with Rapid Prep.

Should I use "lint free / static free" paper towels?
No, use the "cheap" grocery store kitchen paper towels (they do not contain chemicals).

What about paper towels marked "Super Absorbent" or " Absorbent Pockets?"
No, they also may contain chemicals that will contaminate your application surface, cause bonding problems, and failure.

When applying vinyl to glass should I use a quality glass cleaner?
No. Glass cleaners can contain ammonia, silicone, and other chemicals that not only degrade vinyl, but will also contaminate your application surface and cause bonding problems.

Why is the vinyl not sticking to the glass when I try to pull off the application tape? What should I do?
The two most common problems associated with glass applications are surface preparation (cleaning) and transfer tape. You must first (as the instructions on each bottle read) clean the surface twice with Rapid Tac or Rapid Tac II, and cheap paper towels. Second, you must NOT use "High Tac" application tape on non premium-cast vinyl. Low Tac or Mid Tac is what should be used on wet glass applications.

I'm following the instructions on the Rapid Tac bottle for "Glass Application" but I'm still having problems getting the vinyl to Bond to the glass in less than 90 seconds.
Use Rapid Tac II. Rapid Tac II promotes a faster bond, and works well with less aggressive adhesives like those found on intermediate calendared, metal-ized, Mylar, and polyester films. Rapid Tac II also works well in areas of high humidity and also cold temperatures.

How hard should I press when I squeegee?
You must press VERY hard. The adhesive on pressure sensitive vinyl film consists of a layer of microscopic beads that must be burst by applying pressure to the film, hence the name "pressure sensitive".

How are Rapid Tac and Rapid Tac II different than soap and water solutions?
Mixing soap and water to apply vinyl was originally started to aid in positioning. This worked marginally well, but also required an extremely long time to bond (if it would bond at all in some cases). Not only does soap and water NOT promote adhesion and bonding, but "mixing-you-own" also opens the possibility of inconsistency, contamination (what was in the bottle or bucket before you mixed your soap and water formula?). Rapid Tac and Rapid Tac II accomplish several things during an application. First, Rapid Tac and Rapid Tac II are always the same uncontaminated, consistent product every time you need them. They both clean the application surface, and leave only a compatible residue. Next, Rapid Tac and Rapid Tac II allow the user to position and reposition the vinyl being applied up to the point of applying pressure with a squeegee. Rapid Tac and Rapid Tac II also activate the adhesive on pressure sensitive vinyls by breaking the surface tension (softening so to speak) of the adhesive beads. Another great benefit of Rapid Tac and Rapid Tac II are their abilities to release the transfer tape from the vinyl once positioned and squeegeed. The best thing is that all of this can take place in 90 seconds or less.

What should I use for the Carbon Fiber II, Chrome and Brushed Aluminum series films?
Rapid Tac II. This new product is not a replacement for Rapid Tac the original, but was designed to work better with less aggressive films such as these.