Hydrographic film printing - Experimenting on Dirt Bike plastic and Sprocket

Testing film transfer to trashed dirt bike plastics & sprocket:

I bought a water transfer kit off ebay for 88 bucks which comes from mydipkit.com.

It comes with mask, scrubber, gloves, a gray etching primer, a base coat (silver this kit) the film activator- and a can of high gloss.

I have fixed up many plastics with 100-1500 wet sanding - then clear coating, with 75-80% personal satisfaction rate. A lot of times sanding just can not fix the deep gouges & Buying new plastics all the time can get expensive......and boring.
So I'm always looking for new ways to make a bike pop & do something different than stickers and graphics.
This will be the newest adventure.
The last 2005-crf230 had a very bad sprocket that I had to replace and a broken mud flap, Rather than throw them away I gator-glued the mud flap and saved them both to experiment (get some experience) with hydro printing.

After cleaning and using scotch bright to rough up the sprocket and mud flap I actually sat down and read the directions for third time. I've watched about 60 videos on the process so feel like I can figure it out :)
Setting up a table outside I sprayed the grey etching primer on in light coats.

After about 3 coats (both sides which I shouldn't have done- explained later)

I let it dry for a good 2 hours * it was ready for the silver base coat.

After another 2 hours to dry it was ready to be dipped. Instructions said it needed to be done within 12 hours of the base coat so I couldn't procrastinate for long. I had to get the film ready. The mud flap was about 8x8. so I figured since i was doing both sides I needed to cut a piece close to 16x16... what I get for thinkin'...I guess.

Keep your eye on that piece of tape laying under the film inside the masked box ... how I didn't see it I can only blame on good beer. But see it I didn't and you'll see the mistake in my mudflap. hey. That's why they calls it 'practice', right?
I cut the corners and cut a slit in the tape every 3 inches or so and prepared the water container.

Instructions say water should be around 80 degrees. I of course made it hotter so I could sit and think about this some more.

I actually dumped some out and put cold in til it was around 90. When It got to 85 (about 20 minutes) I hesitantly put both beers down and gently laid the film on top of the water.

You'll notice that dam piece of tape is still there------ hic!
So it asks that you dip the item in slowly at a 30 degree angle. (huh?) Is that like a 1-2-or 3rd position in my recliner?

See where that piece of tape was... would have turned out great if it wasn't for all that damned coffee.
And the reverse side did not WRAP around it like I had hoped. So I guess I either did it wrong - or I have to mask off one side and do one side at a time. I'm going to re-do this one and practice til I get it right.

The sprocket turned out pretty well - tho once again it did not do both sides. It did about 1/4 of the other side. I think I have 3 problems that I will have to work on. I think my tub is not wide enough; my film is not cut wide enough; and I am dipping too fast. Will have to practice to see.

I'm pleased with the sprocket. The black sprocket I bought for the 230f was 60 bucks. I could have got a plain aluminum one for 30 and done something like this instead. Think I'll try RED instead of silver on the backside experiment.

beeeertime.



Gonna try these brake & clutch levers next. They are in baaaad condition. I could buy some new ones for $17-20 bucks. Can I fix banged up ones for less?
After practicing hydro dipping on several throw away parts I think I'm ready for the real stuff now.


I took a file and some 100-400 sandpaper to these banged up n gouged levers and am pretty happy with the results: Click on pics to enlarge.

I used the kits' silver etching Primer on these- but instead of using the kits DARK grey Base coat, I instead used the light silver paint I use on the Frame and other parts ( Dupli-color Honda  StarLight Silver BHA0974 )

I was able to cut the wait time down by using my heat gun. It's been pretty cold round here and I usually heat up the part and the can anyway. By heating the parts up after each coat I cut the 2 hour recommended wait time down to under an hour. They came out ok so I guess taking that chance worked out.

Prepared film. As you can see, make sure you have enough film masked off to do all sides of your part. I'm fairly convinced now that my earlier 3d wrap around failures were because I didn't use enough film & I immersed the part to quickly.

The piece of tape in the plastic tub acts as a border. The instructions say your container border should not be more than one INCH larger than the piece of film you will lay into it.

The film needs to be able to expand slightly also. Instructions want slits cut into the 4 corners and every 3 inches or so. You lay the film in gently keeping water off the top of it. Just set it down and let it float. If you have to touch, touch the taped edges only. Sometimes you'll see air bubbles. They are bad news. You can GENTLY (without blowing a hole in the film!) blow air bubbles out  towards the taped edges.
After 60 seconds (I count to 90) You can then add the "Activator" in a consistent EVEN spray pattern- side to side. Don't over do it. After 45 seconds or so (I count to 60) you can begin the part dipping.
I didn't get pics of the actual levers being dipped. But I did them at an angle (30 degree?) and very slowly giving the ink time to roll over the top of the object. Experiment on some thing else for practice. You'll notice in one of my lever pics I had practiced on a round socket extension first. (4 images below)

Lil blurry but the process worked out pretty well for worn beat up junkers. Now I won't have to buy new levers.

I first ran a test on a socket extention to make sure the print would cover all the way around- and at what speed I would need to dip to achieve it. Slow and steady worked.

This air box cover is pretty much history. It can be cleaned up and hit with
Meguiar's® Hot Shine™ High-Gloss Tire Spray and it could look OK; but in most cases I'd just order a new cover ($9.98 plus shipping). I'm trying to find alternatives to the shipping WAIT time and costs. This hydroprinting seems to work out really well.

Same process as above-- Hit it with couple coats of etching primer then a base coat.

I had hoped the primer would fill in all the pitted areas. It didn't so I took some 400 grit sandpaper to it and got most of it out. I didn't spend inordinate amount of time getting it perfect because that area was going to be covered  up by a white side panel anyway.

After sanding out most of the bad areas - I re cleaned the part- hit it with alcohol - dried- and re etched/primed it.

I just BARELY covered this part when I dipped it.
                           I should have masked it off several inches longer and wider. 
After the dip you wait around 90 seconds and rinse the part under slow running warm water without touching any part of the filmed surface.

Finished air cover!

Now it just needs a coat of Gloss and she's all done.

Looks pretty sharp.

Hydrographic Water Transfer Printing is pretty dang awesome!

In conclusion:
I can cut dry time down with heat gun.
I don't HAVE TO buy base coat colors from hydro dip companies. A premium auto paint seems to work great for 3/4 of the cost.

Next: I'll get a 12oz can of etching primer and do some tests to see if I can get same results thereby saving nearly 4 times what the dip company charges for their 4oz primer.

************************************************
So an update:  I have used 2 different brands of etching primers and they work just fine in conjunction with premium grade auto spray paints - I've been using premium Dupli-colors for base coat ; and I have tried both Dupli-color self etching primer and Rust-Oleum self etching primer; which contains 3 times the volume and less than half the cost of the dip companies' etching primers..
. ************************************************
another trash looking sprocket.  

Done in Silver Base - Black carbon print

*****************************************
I did my latest crf230-2003 Bikes' mudflap in Flames & the chain guard in skulls, purchased from
Dip Wizard