Before You Apply Holographic Tets

Proper firefighter holographic tet application

Disclaimer: I'm no expert at applying helmet tets. I don't even have tets on my own helmet...

With that said, I reached out to my buddy, Rekindled Lids, who has applied literally hundreds, if not thousands of tets, of all types. Based on the info he provided and my trial and error here's what I can say: When I applied my first few tets as a test and to take photos, they looked like trash but with proper prep and careful application even a first timer like me can put these on. However, I will acknowledge they ARE unforgiving. 

See some of my crappy attempts:

Firefighter helmet tet screwup
I didn't clean the area underneath at all and then decided to use a heat gun to try and smooth things out.

Firefighter helmet tet screwup
A speck of the old adhesive I didn't notice because for a half second, my OCD was turned off.

 
Firefighter helmet tet screwup
Poor technique applying from random
directions and getting my dirty fingers
all 
over the adhesive on the left side.
Here's what I learned:
  1. Cleaning the crap out of the area you are applying the tet is maybe the most important thing. I scrubbed the eff out of it with a cotton ball and rubbing alcohol and then re-cleaned the area maybe 6-7 times. The alcohol dried fast and didn't leave any residue of any kind.
  2. Handling the tets too much reduced the effectiveness of the adhesive. I tried not to touch the corners at all
  3. NEVER EVER EVER use a heat gun unless you 100% know what you're doing.
  4. I started to apply from the bottom (the long side) and worked my way up
  5. As I moved up I was rubbing the tet quickly and with pressure to generate a little heat to make the glue more forgiving and also to help the tet itself stretch a bit to accommodate the curve of the helmet
  6. I only had one shot before throwing the tet out and cleaning again
In the end, it's a flat sticker and a curved surface so the two are not a match made in heaven. The holographic tets show little bumps and imperfections underneath immediately. There is no hiding anything. They are unforgiving, but if you are diligent prepping your helmet, take your time applying and being careful not to touch too much of the adhesive... The results are pretty effing cool. Good luck and stay safe.

Leave a comment

Please note, comments must be approved before they are published