Red, Self-Adhesive Vynil?

[Witchboard]

I'm working on a Neo-Geo cab and there's a few places where I could use some recovering.  Anybody know of a source for this?

[prOk]

Candy Cabs were formica, not vinyl.

[Witchboard]

I'm working on a MVS-4-25 version 1, not a candy cab.

[Brax]

Any sign shop should be able to sell you some.

[Witchboard]

Yeah, I thought about that, but I was thinking they may be too thick.  I think there is a vinyl sign shop just down the street from my house actually.  I may stop in and see if they can give me a sample to match thickness and color.

[Brax]

Thick?! I got some of those button graphics made up that were floating around here earlier and the standard vinyl at the sign shop is about half as thick as a sheet of paper. Heck, maybe a third.

[Witchboard]

Well, maybe it won't be thick enough then. ^_^  I guess I won't know until I get some.  I called a sign shop down the street and he didn't offer any swatches or the like for color matching, so I guess I'll have to just buy the minimal amount and see if it matches.  I might make it large enough to cover a control panel so it's not a waste if it doesn't work out for me.

[eccs19]

Where are you located?  I've got lots of vinyl pieces, and you'd be more than welcome to a chunk of it.

[Witchboard]

Moore, Oklahoma.

[eccs19]

Moore, Oklahoma.

Sorry, not even close.  Barrie Ontario.   

[Witchboard]

I figured that.    I'm going to run by the sign shop today and see what they have to offer.

[flyguy1821]

Can you put a clear coat over vinyl?  How do people protect this investment?  My cab will have a potentially huge graphic and afraid it will cost me some serious $$.  I dont want it scratched or torn.  Any ideas?

[PoDunkMoFo]

There are different types of vinyl.

Cast vinyl is thinner and less prone to shrinking.
Also referred to as premium it costs more.

Calendered vinyl is thicker and more prone to shrinking.
Also referred to as economy it costs less.

Different vinyl manufactureres produce different thickness vinyl in both cast and calendered.

As far as clearcoating goes I have seen some custom auto painters clear over vinyl.  My concern would be reaction with whatever solvent your clear uses.  Also keep in mind if your vinyl shrinks at some point in the future you are going to have some strange things happen with your clear.

Don't know if any of this helps but here it is FWIW.

[Brax]

There's actually a real art to clearcoating over vinyl. You first need to spray a fine "sealer coat" of clear over the vinyl to help prevent the solvents from interacting with the vinyl. A painter that is familiar with, and good at, this technique is a real find. There's a local shop that handled the graphics of my motorcycle restoration and they're worth their weight in gold.

One solid sheet of vinyl probably IS more forgiving than fine little, pointy, curly q's of graphics though.

[inky]

i'm think i saw red adhesive vinyl in the diy shops

[Witchboard]

DIY shops?  Is that like a Hobby Lobby or something?