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Stuart Orrell
05-01-2009, 11:11 AM
Hi Creekers,

I've been asked to cut some 3M 468 Adhesive Transfer Tape for a client.

I haven't cut this material before. Has anyone experience, recommendations, do' s and don'ts for this stuff?

Rodne Gold
05-01-2009, 12:37 PM
I would suck it and see.........
It might be better cut adhesive side up or not?
I often cut veneer and formicas with tape already applied with ease.
What I would do however is drop either the PPI or frequency of the machine , if you have that option , to fairly low figures , IE just a little bit more than "perforation"

Lee DeRaud
05-01-2009, 12:53 PM
What Rodney said. That's the stuff they use on the peel-and-stick veneer Rockler sells and I've gone through a ton of it over the years. But I have no idea what it looks like "naked": does it have the same peel-off backer on the "face" side?

(google, google) This (http://multimedia.mmm.com/mws/mediawebserver.dyn?6666660Zjcf6lVs6EVs666Bb6COrrrr Q-) may help.

Joe Pelonio
05-01-2009, 3:18 PM
It's available in sheets too, with release paper on both sides, but if you have to cut from the rolls, apply it first to used release liner from your friendly neighborhood vinyl sign shop. I throw lots of it out every day. The rolled stuff has liner only on the top. You are also far better off with a machine that has a vacuum table, otherwise you have to use something to hold it down flat and some may fly out the exhaust.

Stuart Orrell
05-02-2009, 4:42 AM
Thanks Guys,

Great advice!

The material is coming in next week in to my clients next week in sheet form and I believe it should have double sided release paper.

The exercise is a bit of an experiment for both me and the client and if successful, could be repeat business.

Thanks again for the great advice!

Richard Rumancik
05-02-2009, 9:48 PM
The material that has double liners is commonly used in the membrane switch fabrication industry. A double-linered 468 is sold by 3M as a 7955MP I believe. It comes in 24" x 36" sheets. You will have no problem cutting it, as you are mainly cutting the kraft paper liners. It will sit very nice and flat. (Normally it is cut with steel rule dies.) You will get a bit of smoke but I think it will wipe off. Would not really cause a functional problem though, just a visual one as the liner is discarded eventually. I would probably cut it "in air" though, not on a metal grid.

I'd be happy to get jobs cutting this material but it is difficult to buy it directly from 3M. It's great if the customer can supply it. It can be expensive to stock - you need to buy 100 sheets min. for $1000.

Tony Lenkic
05-03-2009, 2:48 PM
Richard,

In regards of cutting this material I do agree with you completly.
As for purchasing it one can find local sign material distributors that do have them in stock and it can be purchased in small quantities( 5 or even less).
My distributor has it all the time up north in Toronto area. They have 468MP and 467MP.

Richard Rumancik
05-03-2009, 11:37 PM
Tony:
Thanks for the info on the sheets of double-linered 467 and 468. I will send you a PM regarding your distributor. I'm in Canada too.

Martin Reynolds
05-09-2009, 1:16 AM
The sheet material cuts very nicely. Cut it with the logo side down, and you can slit the top surface with a light cut to make assembly easier. I cut the sheet into smaller panels, as it usually comes to me with creases and it is a bit too big for my bed.

I cut it on a vector bed, no problems.

Lee DeRaud
05-12-2009, 5:44 PM
For what it's worth...

After a futile search for a local small-quantity source of 3M 7955, I happened upon something in the Johnson Plastics catalog called "SHT330", which is described as a "4-mil acrylic adhesive, double polyester backing, 18"x24" sheets". My order just arrived and my preliminary test indicates it's as strong as the 468-based 3M stuff I've seen before. (Note: my experience with 468 is based solely on doing a lot of work with Rockler "peel-and-stick" veneer: I've never seen it in its "raw" form.)

The backing is a lot heftier (about 6-mil), and somewhat harder to strip...although it would probably be easier if I hadn't cut my fingernails last night. Overall it reminds me of a wide-format version of some 3M "carpet tape" I bought awhile back.

The scary part is, even in minimum (5-sheet) quantities, it's roughly the same cost as the 7955: a little less than $1.25/sqft (direct from 3M), vs about $1.30 for the JP stuff.

And they ship it flat.