Car wraps are becoming very popular these days. They are a great way to improve the look of your car.
They also add a professional touch to your vehicle without costing the same as a professional paint job. But before you start wrapping your car yourself, you will need to get all your equipment together.
You can easily create your car wrap using a vinyl cutter, a vinyl roll, a squeegee, tape, scissors, and other materials.
The right tools are essential because you want to make sure that the wrap looks exactly as you want it.
If you don’t have the right tools, then you may end up with a low-quality car wrap that is not just unsightly but also may damage the original paintwork of your car.
It is important to know what kind of tools you need to do this project successfully, so let’s get started.
Essential Equipment For Wrapping Your Car
Here is a list of all the essential items you need to give your car wrap a professional look.
Your Vinyl Wrap
This is the most important piece of kit you need for your wrapping. The right vinyl wrap will go a long way to making your car wrap a success.
There are several different finishes for a vinyl wrap, and it is worth spending some time finding the right wrap for you.
Squeegee
A good quality squeegee is an absolute must for any car wrap artist. It helps you remove excess air from the surface of your vinyl and gives you a smooth finish on your car.
You will need to be careful when choosing the right squeegee as you don’t want it to be too stiff or it could scratch the vinyl wrap surface.
We found that a felt-end squeegee worked very well when wrapping a car. You may also want to get a contoured squeegee if you want to apply the vinyl wrap to curves and other difficult areas.
Heat Gun
Another essential tool for a car wrap is a heat gun. This is used to help cure the adhesive between the vinyl and the surface of your car.
This allows the vinyl to stick properly and stay put over time. If you don’t use a heat gun, then you might find that the vinyl starts peeling off after some time or it may look wrinkly.
In addition, the heat gun will also allow you to stretch the vinyl better, so you get a smoother finish.
But make sure that you don’t overheat the vinyl, as this could make the vinyl thinner and cause it to tear.
Ideally, your heat gun should have variable temperature selection, so you can choose the right temperature.
Cutting Tool
One of the most important parts of your car wrap kit is a cutting tool. This is used to cut out the vinyl pieces you need for your car wrap.
There are many different types of cutting tools available today. However, you will need to make sure that the blade is sharp so that it doesn’t tear the vinyl.
You may also want to have different cutting tools at hand, including a rotary cutter for curves and a straight edge for straight lines.
Measuring Tape
To measure the panels and the vinyl sheets accurately, you will need a measuring tape. Make sure that the tape has markings every inch or cm.
When measuring your vinyl, you should ensure that you leave around an inch on all sides. This will give you some extra room for errors.
Cutting Tape
Cutting tape is a great alternative to your cutting tool. This tape comes in handy if you want to trim the edges of the vinyl sheet before applying them to the car.
Make sure that the tape you buy is strong enough to cut vinyl. You can also get specific cutting tape for the vinyl wrap.
Safety Glasses
We would recommend getting safety glasses while doing this job. Handling different tools and working with several items means you should always put safety first.
It may always happen that small particles are released into the air, and you want to make sure that your eyes are protected.
Microfiber Cloth
A microfiber cloth is another useful item that you should always have at hand when working on car detailing projects.
This is because it removes dust and dirt from surfaces easily and without scratches.
A microfiber towel will help you make the wrap surface look clean and shiny, and it’s also ideal for cleaning before you start wrapping.
Gloves
Gloves are not just a versatile household item but they are a must-have for any car wrap project.
They protect your hands from getting scratched and they keep your fingers safe from any sticky adhesive.
Also, they make sure that you don’t leave any fingerprints on the surface of the vinyl. This will give your wrap a much more professional look.
Gloves can help you make the surface relatively smooth. This will help you to run over the vinyl surface easier, making it more even.
Infrared Thermometer
If you’re going to be using a hot glue gun, then you’ll probably need a thermometer. It helps you to know how hot the glue gun is, and you can adjust accordingly.
This is essential as you don’t want the vinyl to get too hot. If you do, then it might melt or tear, and stick to the surface in the wrong way.
A Helping Hand
Not strictly speaking a tool, but a second pair of hands can come in very handy when wrapping your car.
Wrapping your car does take a lot of time and patience, and when you get a friend in to help, you can get the job done quicker.
Conclusion
The majority of the car wrapping equipment mentioned above also comes in handy car wrapping kits.
It’s important to understand that wrapping your car does take time and a lot of effort.
So if you are not sure that you want to go down the DIY route, then you can also hire professionals who specialize in creating custom car wraps.
