Matte White Porsche
Last Friday I wrapped a Porsche with an installer from Squeezy for Jacob's 55th anniversary, a sign maker here in the Netherlands. Instead of the usual black matte the owner opted to put white matte on - 3M 85 series. Truthfully, I have never been a big fan of the black matte look (though I love the extra jobs its created). Yet, the matte white was really spectacular. It created depth to the vehicle as well as made it look somehow smoother. It almost made me want to go out and wrap my own car white matte. Thanks to Neils Landgedijk from Squeezy for the work and 3M for making a fine paint replacement film.
Squeezy Carwrap Workshop – Sept. 6
The 3M sponsored Carwrap training at Squeezy on Sept. 6 was a big success. We have now paired the workshop down to two trainers for 10 people which creates a great flow throughout the day. All the participants were very active and kept on practicing the techniques until they got them right. Workshops can be very hit or miss this way so its always refreshing to get an eager group. As per usual, Ruben van Raam was spot on with his theory training. Herman and I then talked about recessed areas and how to approach them with different media - in this case it was IJ380 and 85 series. After lunch Herman talked about cleaning, hardware removals and planning then I did a Speedwrap demo by wrapping the side of a car. After this, people worked on cutting and installation techniques upstairs while I took different groups downstairs to show how to wrap difficult bumpers - always the thing people want to see most and, why not? Bumpers are not easy unless a couple of tricks are learned. Thanks always to Niels Langedijk for setting up the trainings at Squeezy. The next one is in a week - Basic training. For the full schedule go to: www.squeezy.nl.
Black Matte Audi A5
This is an Audi A5 that I wrapped the other day. I have wrapped a lot of vehicles in black matte this summer but this car for some reason had the coolest transformation. I used 3M 85 comply black matte and it went on like a dream as usual. The picture doesn't quite do it justice but the particular shade of black matte is really nice, not too gray but deep black, almost satin. Thanks as usual to the incorrigible Ruben van Raam for getting me the 85 comply to play with. The next cool project I have coming up on the horizon is a wrap for Pim Smit, an artist in Belgium. He is designing a special wrap for one of his cars. Should be good.
Basic Training Workshop at Squeezy
Today I finished teaching the second Basic Training Workshop at Squeezy in the Netherlands which is sponsored by 3M. There was 10 students and I, along with Herman and Sandra, provided hands-on instruction throughout the day. For the Basic Workshop, Ruben van Raam from 3M provided theory training about 3M, the properties of the film, how they are made and the different films and uses. After that I talked about tools and then the students got their hands dirty for the rest of the day. The main focus for the Basic Workshop is on learning proper fundamentals - how to squeegee, clean, cut, make text straight and problem solve. This training is a stepping stone to the Car Wrapping workshop taught at Squeezy and for the advanced paint replacement training that begins in November. The films used for the Basic Training varied widely so as to give the students as much experience as possible - IJ50, IJ70, 85, IJ100, IJ380 and 580 reflective film.
Matte Black Week Continues
I wrapped another car in matte black this week. This time it was a super slick Jaguar. For this wrap, I used the new 3M black matte 85 series with comply that is coming on the market soon. Up until now its come with only Controltac but it now has Comply which makes it go on super smooth. The black matte is nice and rich as well with no shining when stretched. Thanks as always to the dapper Ruben van Raam from 3M for hooking me up with this new film and HDV for the work. Next up is a black matte motorcycle and a Mercedes.
First Squeezy Carwrap training completed
Yesterday was the first carwrap training at Squeezy and it went very well. There were 9 students with 3 instructors - Sandra, Herman and myself. Ruben and Ronald from 3M were there to provide theory training and answer any questions regarding the media. The facility is just perfect for trainings with lots of mounted doors, a dedicated vehicle for wrapping and a lecture room for video (and for drinking coffee). I am very happy to be part of this training program. For more information on these trainings go to my workshop page on this site or www.squeezy.nl. The media used was 3M's IJ380 and 85 series.
Squeezy workshop a success
The pilot training session for Squeezy's new 3M sponsored carwrap training took place today. 7 attendees participated in the training which focused on 3M IJ380 and 85 films. Squeezy's training facility is first rate with a dedicated training room that includes a wide array of mounted doors. This is for focusing on the more complex aspects of applications like compound curves and deep recessed areas. In their main installation space there are two vehicles that serve as practice for learning the general story of car wrapping. Niels Langedijk, owner of Squeezy, has really gone out of his way to make this a first rate program. I am very happy to be a part of this new endeavor as it has the potential to set the quality standard for car wrapping and paint replacement. A special thanks to Ruben van Raam of 3M for helping with this project and for instructors Sandra and Herman for being so damn cool.
Workshop for 3M Belgium
On May 6 I will be teaching a one day workshop for 3M Belgium. This will be my third workshop for 3M Belgium with another one next month. This workshop, like the others, will feature 3M's IJ380 and 85 films. The goal of the workshop is to teach the basics of vehicle graphic installations to give 3M customers greater confidence and help provide them with another means for making a profit with 3M media. For more information on these workshops feel free to contact me.
New training center
After months of preparation, the Squeezy training center in the Netherlands is ready to begin offering 3 levels of workshops. The workshops are sponsored by 3M featuring IJ380 and 85 series paint replacement film. The three levels of workshops are: basic application, car wrapping and paint replacement. Niels Langedijk, co-owner of Squeezy, has spearheaded the training program and has created a beautiful training facility in their new building located in Zwaag (1/2 hour north of Amsterdam). I will be the lead installer for the car wrap workshop which will feature UGIS: Universal Graphic Installation System. The first workshop, which starts this Tuesday, May 4 sold out along with the other 2 scheduled courses so more dates are being added shortly. I will post those dates as soon as I get them. I am very excited about these new workshops at Squeezy. I think that with the quality of the facility and vision of the program it will help set a standard for the industry that will help bolster it for long-term profitability.
Workshop – Brussels
On Nov. 19 and 20, I will be teaching a workshop in Brussels with Niels Langedijk and Sandra Schreuder, both of Squeezy, the premiere installation company in the Netherlands. The class will be held at 3M Belgium in Brussels. The class has 36 participants, much larger than expected. The two day workshop will focus on 3M's 85 series and IJ380 films. This is always one of my favorite workshops to do, mainly because I get a chance to eat some of Belgium's famous french fries. Pics will be in the follow up blog to the workshop.