Hi guys,I received my liquidator channel and exelerator handle today,the mmoerman rubber was junk as most seem to find it so I used the moerman rubber as a template and fitted some ettore rubber instead but the rubber still leaves horrible streaking all over the glass,I used more and less soap and whilst using more soap improved it it’s still leaving streaks.
From the research I did it seems most modify the end clips by either filing them flat or heating them and bending them flat,others just say to keep using for several hours and it will get easier.
Before I go heating and bending clips and ruining them what is the preferred method to get the streak free results,I knew I was taking a risk getting this channel but the no detailing works perfect so I want to stick with it and use the best method to get it working properly,it baffles me as to why the clips would be the problem as why would they make them bent downwards like that if it just introduces streaks-they obviously have a reason for it so it’s handy to know why rather than start modifying without knowing why I’m doing it.
I personally would not bend or modify the clips.
I find the tips of the rubber will burn out faster than a standard channel especially if using of rough seals or wooden frames.
Many people find that they need to make shallower moves to avoid streaks.
Using the liquidator requires slight modification of technique and more frequent rubber changes.
I got better with the Moerman when I learned to keep the glass really, really wet and to go with shallower “hang glider” angles vs. the sharper angles of mountain carving.
Thanks guys,I have now used the squeegie for a solid 6hrs straight and can’t get it streak free,I systematicly changed one thing at a time to see what change helped.
First I varied the amount of water from not enough right through to too much,it didn’t get rid of teh streaks,then I did the same again this time varying the amount of soap used,then I changed techniques from my normal fanning through to shallow fanning and s shaped fanning,on every single fan the leading edge and trailing edge would leave streaks right at the point the clips bend down,no amount of pressure change made the streaks go away,I went from light pressure to heavy,I went through each combination of the above till I had exhausted every combination of amount of water and amount of soap and pressure etc so I could be satisfied I have tried everything.
are the clips bent down like that as this is what achieves the zero detailing or is it the angle of the way the rubber is cut that gets the zero detail?
Paid a lot of money for the set up so don’t want to throw it away just yet nor did I want to give up before trying everything,only thing I haven’t tried is modifying the clips but I would like to know how the clips work first,if I can’t get the zero detailing after modifying the clips I won’t bother doing such mods,my cheap squeegie I use now gives perfect fanning results except for the amount of detailing on the edges,I use the same ettore rubber in the liquidator that I use in my cheap squeegie
Yeah, I’ve had difficulty using ettore in the liquidators. Too soft and “grippy”; the rubber tends to fold over at the tips very easily.
I switched to Black Diamond and don’t have the same issues I was having with Ettore. But like @Steve076 mentioned, the ends can wear out very quickly, especially on rough frames. I think I went through both sides of two rubbbers in a matter of 4 hours yesterday, just because of the rough wooden frames.
Every new guy I train has problems with the Liquidator. I present them three choices, the liquidator, an ettore brass and a sorbo.
So far the guys have all chosen the ettore (yes with no swivel brass handle) as their weapon of choice. Later on I upgrade them to an Ettore swivel handle and they feel levelled up.
I dunno, I was dead set that the Liquidator was a squeegee sent from Heaven but that was when I was doing a lot of residential. Heating the clips and bending them back solved a lot of problems for me.
Is it hot where your are Oz (Australia)? Lot’s of direct sun?
Be aware that an 18" Liquidator will grab on the high end tip when fanning, if in direct sun or heat drying the glass quickly.
More soap as a rule (squirt a line straight on scrubber).
More water with more soap in direct sun.
Two handed method, scrubbing simultaneously wetting the glass directly under squeegee as you fan down the glass in direct sun.
Slow your fanning speed down (be more precise) when learning this tool.
Follow the water. Top end tip should not be more than a centimeter or two above water when fanning.
Harder bass line angle (hold handle steeper out from the glass).
Pay careful attention on the turns with the handle angle (that’s the key).
Less pressure is better.
Stand just a little further than normal out from the window (arms a little straighter).
Work from the inside out of the glass pane (start squeegeeing in the middle of the glass). Don’t start at an edge (unless no other choice).
Use Moerman rubber. It’s designed for it. Burns out faster, but just add into price.
In reality, the Liquidator is less detailing, not zero detailing.
Use an Excelerator handle in the hand, in fixed setting (not pivot or with FLIQ pad), and work those angles to your advantage. 45% when reaching to glass above your head 25% normal setting 10% in deep sills.
Could say more but haven’t got time. Watch PolznBlades, Bubble Guy, Trad Man video series on Liquidator issues.
Live in QLD Australia,but since it’s winter it’s cold at the moment,even during summer I wasn’t having any problems with the ettore rubber,after many more hours I am starting to see an improvement,getting that by using the suggested smaller movements in fanning,I am barely fanning at all so does take longer to complete the window but I am sure that the speed will pick up once I have the technique with more muscle memory.Still getting streaks but also getting windows with no streaks what so ever so just need to repeat that technique every time,not quite getting it the same each time,also I have only ever been used to using a small 10inch squeegie and the 14 is taking me a little while to adjust to,should have maybe gotten a 10" channel to start with.I won’t order that till I know I have the 14" down
Here’s a short clip of where I seem to be having my biggest problem,when I first cut in going from left to right…as soon as I reach the right and go to start fanning it leaves a streak,from there I am streak free.Have gone back and watched lots of videos of people’s different techniques for cutting in when using a liquidator 2 and have copied them all but they all leave a streak once I reach one side or another depending where I start.what could I be doing wrong here?
I have also seen people use unger clips or zip tie ends under their end clips so for now I am using tooth picks,I don’t seem to have any room to run anything else,still leaves the same streak with or without using something under the clips,I have also managed to start doing wider and wider fanning without streaks so practice is definitely paying off,just need to get the cutting in right.I have also varied the pressure and how hard I hit the frame on the right side all to no avail
Thanks for the vid Trad,towards the end you mention that you leave a link in the description about how to cut in but there is no link to it,are you able to link me to the specific video on proper technique for cutting in using the liquidator? After more practice today I am getting the hang of it but not eliminating the streak from cutting in
In theory it works even on paper.
But in reality fails.
Those clips are there so to have even pressure on the ends.
(However bending them in solves nothing.)
As you might notice the small rise at the end of the clip?
This is what keeps the squeegee rubber from flexing at the ends.
All they had to do is have a short clip with this small rise at the ends.
For me…I can’t seem to get the liquidator channel to work for at all. The rubber always slides when I use it, and I asked on the forum awhile back how to fix this issue. Someone told me put a paper clip on both sides, I’m not knocking this idea. I just couldn’t see why I spent all this money on a brand new tool for me to put paper clips on the end lol…I threw the product into the tool box for about 8 months and picked it back up. Luckily Luke came up with his modified excelerator and I have not been having troubles ever since… He replaces the liquidator channel with an Ettore channel, does a couple mods and it’s smooth as heck.
Trad Man on his Moerman Snapper review video, said that the end clips on the Sanpper channels are tighter than the LIquidator 2.0 end clips, and (apparently) has solved the moving rubber problem. But the down side to that is, they will no longer take some non-Moerman rubbers like Ettore easily (very hard to put in the channel now).
It appears (and I could be wrong) that the new version of the end clips only comes with the Snapper pack. Which is annoying. I’m not interested in the snapper handles. I just want new end clips.
slight is all you need for a perfect finish. I find at least.
