alexw1

Question for Tinting Experts; I want a tinted visor that has a straight line across the windshield rather than a bow. Because of the curvature of the windshield, the center of the bow gets way too narrow and in my opinion looks bad, wide on the edges, narrow in the middle. The problem is that I can't figure out how to cut the film so that it ends up a straight line. I took it in to have it done by a so called experienced tinter and he had no clue. Anyone encountered and/or solved this? Thanks!

Rip_Van_Winkle

roll the tint out on the front of teh window, tape it on the sides and top then score it with a razor the way you want it to curve...that should do the trick?

lil_xb

Why do a strip just tint the whole window. you can't do any thing about the center of the strip it is the window .it's les noticeable then a strip.


the PRO_TINT BOYZ> JP

bB2NER

Run a tape line straight accross the window on the out side and use it as a guide to trim the tint the way you want. Personally I like the way mine curves down towards the outer edge of the windshield. It gives you better coverage where you need it. IMO

UnFocused

yeah, I know waht you mean. The guy that did mine did a full 10" strip and it arcs to about 5 inches in the middle. legal limit is 6" , measured at the side in my state....

r26

i am a tinter. there's not much you can do. if you try and cut a straight line, you will fail. i have great hands and am very precise with my cuts but woud't be able to do that. just leave it or tint the whole windshield. and there is no guide that will make a straight line on that windshield; it's too curvy.

bBTOY

Make a Pattern with some kind of Paper.
OUTLINE the TOP of Windshield
Using a Mesuring Tape/String/straight edge Draw across that line , from one point on 1st side and equal length down on Other side .
It WILL "look" Straight ON THE Windshield - but on the floor it Wont .
Put the Pattern on the Floor or Table , ADJUST and DRAW the LINE better , Then CUT OUT the Pattern and TAPE it to the FILM and CUT it OUT .
As long as you DONT follow the the TOP LINE of the Windshield , it will be as CLOSE as you can get to STRAIGHT .

Fetthunter

What I've seen others do before:

* Take a roll of freezer paper or poster paper and unroll it on the windshield. Cut it a little bigger than the width of the windshield, then tape it in place.

* Take a chalk line (like carpenters use) and pop a line from one side of the windshield to the other in a straight line wherever you want it, say 6" down from the top of the windshield (you'll need someone to hold one side of the line for you).

* Trace the top curve of the windshield and the sides onto the paper, then take it off the windshield and cut it out along those lines and the chalk line.

There's your template!

windowtint

Tape the tint down? Paper patterns? Chalk lines?

Jesus, you people make things complicated. I'm really loving the folks who say (in so many words) there's nothing you can do about the "wide on the side - skinny in the middle" look.
Not only is it perfectly doable, it's faster to do than a regular visor that you have to triple check side to side to make sure it's 'level.

Here --> but keep in mind, what you're seeing is an illusion... it's impossible.

bB2NER

Looks sweet BUT... How is it done??? You forgot to mention that part.

alexw1

Yes, looks cool, I like how the edges are rounded. Leads ma to believe it's painted. Please explain so that we might become less ignorant.

ShredSled

That is one sweet box...

xB_Ratpack

that is just an ilusion. they only cut the corner to give the round look. and that why it look strait. from the outside it look straight. from the inside it will look curvy.

whe i do banner that what i do. i just cut the corner to make it look like that. but is an ilusion.

professor-xb

well , i know what you mean , and here is the easy and best way to do IMO , line up the bottom edge of the film to the top molding of the windshield, cut the film to follow that , slide down to desired visor thickness , and trim ...

TheScionicMan

When I got my done, the guy showed it to me both ways and let me choose. I like the tapered look but doing either was equally easy. Here's how they did it:

They sprayed the window with water or whatever they use. they took a roll of film and put it across the top edge of the outside of the window. Adjust it to where you like the look, straight or tapered. When it's positioned how you want it to look, take a sharpie and trace the outer edge of the top and sides of the windshield. You want to go along the edge of the glass as seen from the inside. Take it off, cut it to the sharpie line and then apply it to the inside of the window. It seemed really easy watching them do it. Hope it helps.

windowtint

What in the heck are you talking about Ratpack?!?!? From the inside it looks "curvy" ? ... are you really a tinter? There's about a dozen members on the board that'll tell you it's not "curvy", or a wobbly edge or anything else (as they've seen that particular car). That particular visor (and however many 1000 others that've been done) follow the curvature of the glass at a constant distance e.g. - if it's 7" from the top edge to the bottom edge at the side, it's also 7" at every other single point along edge. But there isn't any time you sit in a car with a shaped visor and think "man that looks curvy!" - What about all the cars that come with a factory CONTOURED visor? Those look 'curvy' too? What makes a film visor look more so.

The only "curve" is in that it follows the glass contour - JUST LIKE FACTORY -. There's no "illusion" about it. I used the word to poke a little fun at tinters who say it's only possible to make visors that are fat on the side and skinny in the middle (which is completely incorrect) - but alot of tinters also incorrectly tell you you have to leave gaps on the top edges of doors, that you have to leave windows rolled up for X-amount of time after tinting, that cut up rubber seals on 1/4 glasses is the only way to hide edge gaps (like on the back doors of an xB) - or that edge gaps are even neccessary, etc etc etc.

As far as don't get to analytical Freud. The corners were 'rounded' - "just because." The actual reason is just that... "just becuase". There's no hidden meaning to it. Sometimes they're rounded off, sometimes they're not. It's up to the customer. It's nothing more than a cosmetic flair done simply becuase "I felt like it". No other reason.

Sorry about that Jethro B - you got PM You too ALEXW1

sexyscionlover

yea Ratpack, you totally threw me dude

windowtint is one of the most knowledge people on this board. and not just on window tint. id go with him on this. what diff. would it make if the inch sides curve? we're talking about the arch that curves in the MIDDLE of the windshield here. how can that be an illusion? is it like magic? we'll call him "houdini windowtint" from now on i guess. the ignorance is killing me. anyways, nice xB windowtint, i hadnt seen pictures in awhile.

and for those wondering how to do a straight line, make sure you PM windowtint and only him, i think you'll get the best results and best answer that way!

claybo1708

Tape it off and spraypaint your brow on the inside with flat black spray paint!!!

ssdm7683

Nice Hot Lava

windowtint

LOL. You could I suppose. (although spray paint tends to flake off glass once it's got hot and humid). The overspray cloud insode the car could be a little interesting.

An interesting side point - there are a few "tinters" (notice the qoutes) that do do just that on the BACK glass on some cars. Cars with a wide area of dots (like what's in the middle of the xB's windshield) such as Mustangs, 2dr Accords, Maximas/Sentras, Camaro's, etc etc. They paint that dotted area because they don't know how to tint over it and make it look good also. I got a whole photo album on the front counter of those and other cars - cover on the album says "What Not To Do To Your Car".

oh - sorry - almost forgot - spray paint is damn near next to impossible to remove 100% from glass. Even with some good-for-your-health solvents like MEK and Xylol. It gets down into the pores of the glass and you can scrape and wipe most of it off - but you always have these little black specs peppered all over the formerly painted area