What is the GunSkins Hand Squeegee Used For?

Installing GunSkins camo wraps is quick and easy, especially if you're using the right tools. In addition to having your gun/accessory and the vinyl kit, it will be helpful to have a few other tools available to ensure a smooth installation experience. One such helpful tool is a felt-edge hand squeegee.

Professional vinyl installers have been using plastic squeegees for years. They allow you to lay the material on a flat surface from one end to the other, pressing out air bubbles as they occur and working out wrinkles to create a smooth installation. Squeegees come in various sizes and colors. For GunSkins installations, a 3" hand squeegee is more than adequate.

Squeegees are one or two sided, sometimes with the second edge wrapped in soft felt for sensitive surfaces. The plastic straight edge is helpful when pressing the vinyl firmly to contour where corners meet, straight edges, and inset ridges. Sometimes fingers are just too bulky and in order to make the installation look as nice as possible, the squeegee will allow you to bring out more detail.

Hand squeegees can make installation much easier and look sharper!

We've had the most success installing with a hand squeegee on the picatinny rails. The felt edge of the squeegee fits perfectly inside of each notch, pressing the vinyl into place with pressure to guarantee adhesion. We also like to run the hard plastic edge up and down the entire underside, folding the material so it remains hidden. This hides the seam for the perfect look.

Other areas of recommended squeegee use include the surface ridges of magazines. For example, the grid design for PMAGs, hexagonal shapes of the Hexmag, and the deep valleys of the GI mag. Using the squeegee in conjunction with heat and pressure will make all the difference. When the vinyl is pressed along every edge and corner, it makes the gun or accessory look like it has a new finish, rather than wrapped in a sleeve or sticker.

They can be found at your local craft or hardware store, too.

If you don't have a squeegee at your disposal, that's not a problem. Any small, hard, and flat object can get the job done as well. We've heard stories of customers using credit cards, measuring rulers, and protractors to achieve similar results. It's important to use something hard and flat, but not sharp. For example, using even a butter knife might cause more harm than good to the material.

Our officially branded GunSkins hand squeegee is available for purchase stand alone or as part of our install bundle (which also includes a heat gun, hobby knife, and bottle of cleaning solvent). Our professional installers don't wrap without the use of a reliable hand squeegee. Using a hand squeegee enables you to install the GunSkins camo wrap efficiently, achieving the quality finish you want.