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Vinyl roundels are used to display race numbers on vehicles, they aren't used very often on modern racing cars due to space surface limitations
roundels are much more commonly found on classic cars, to easily distinguish the cars race numbers from the cars colour.
We make our roundels from high exterior rated vinyl to make sure they last a long time under the driving/racing conditions.
available in gloss or matte finishes in any colour you would like
making the roundels isn't a particularly difficult task but being precise with measurements and aligning the sheets of vinyl on the cutting machine takes a lot of practise and getting used to.
getting familiar with the cutting software was the most difficult part of the process.
but after some trial and error we have learnt how to use it and get amazing results with the tools we have.
These are the main hand tools we use to make and produce roundels
The cutting machine we have does its job well if you know how to use it.
The most important things you have to do before cutting any vinyl is making sure the alignment of the vinyl is completely straight or as straight as possible on the machine.
our machine has some measuring markers on the front and back, this makes the process of aligning the vinyl much easier but it is still important to align the vinyl as accurately as possible
the markers are helpful but in my experience with the machine you have to align the vinyl sheets to an even smaller degree than the increments shown here, for example lining the vinyl exactly on one of the lines rather than anywhere within the line.
The next most important thing is the depth at which the blade cuts at.
when we initially started using the machine the blade was set far too low and was cutting clean through the vinyl.
it took some trial and error but the standard depth for the blade should be no more than half the thickness of a credit card
the blades are really small and sharp.
The third step is using the clamps at the back of the machine to secure the vinyl to the machine.
The machine calculates which direction the vinyl needs to be moving for the vinyl to be cut in a certain shape the blade is fixed to the x axis moving left and right and the roller underneath the vinyl moved the vinyl up and down in the y axis, the clamps at the back secure the vinyl to the machine and the rollers underneath, it is important to secure the vinyl tightly but not so tightly as to not leave marks, if you clamp the vinyl down too hard the rollers leave imprints onto the vinyl and this could ruin your print.
After learning these aspects of the machine we have gradually narrowed down errors in our technique of making our roundels, now we can create any design we want to a high degree of precision and the roundels look great once they are cut and applied.
If you have any questions regarding making your own vinyls get in touch were happy to help.
-Ashley
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