DIY decals are easy - if you are RHM
08-09-11, 05:39 AM
#26
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A similar thing that I did recently was make some stickers by inkjetting onto packing label paper, which is already sticky on the back, covering the art with the clear packing tape, and then cutting around the art a bit oversized. With two layers it's a bit thicker, but looks good and seems to be lasting well.
08-09-11, 06:17 AM
#27
Fat Guy on a Little Bike
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I had no idea you'd have been interested.
EDIT - this is a mean joke/taunt.
08-09-11, 08:02 AM
#30
No one cares
I think it's cool, but honestly I'd have the same questions about durability. If i'm going to go through all of that trouble I wouldnt want it rubbing off a year later or have to "walk on eggshells" with it. That said, if there wasnt already a high quality replacement for a given decals I'd look into this then a clear over top. Glad you posted this either way!
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08-09-11, 09:10 AM
#31
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if you really took your time you could use a hobby knife to crop all the letters really close. You could probably also use some kind of clear vinyl to do this.
Water slide paper isn't expensive or hard to get either.
Water slide paper isn't expensive or hard to get either.
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08-09-11, 09:25 AM
#33
incazzare.
How durable is water slide paper? Can you clear coat over it?
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08-09-11, 09:53 AM
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Ah - I didn't realize there was clear tape involved. In other words, it's good for a rider, but if you want a ground up restoration, go with real decals?
08-09-11, 10:37 AM
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I just tried this method using an image on google. It came out pretty good to my suprise. I could have soaked it longer to remove more of the paper, thats why it looks a bit hazy. The tape is still a bit tacky once you remove the whitespace.
08-09-11, 12:36 PM
#38
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So true and needed - Often you don't want to spend the bucks on a bike that is not going to be completely stripped and repainted - Or you just have one section of a decal that needs repair - I see a very good use for these type decals...
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08-09-11, 01:19 PM
#39
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The quality of the decal you end up with will depend on the quality of the tape and how new was the toner cartridge in the printer, among other things.
Take a piece of the tape you're thinking of using, and stick it to something like a bicycle, and see how tough it is. That's how tough your decal will be. Find a piece of the same tape that's been stuck to something for ten years, and you'll see how it will hold up. In my experience the kind of tape we're talking about was not made to hold up well over time; but it should be fine for a few years.
I am pretty sure this tape would not care whether it's clearcoated or not. If the clearcoat sticks to the tape, then no harm. If the clearcoat protects the tape (especially the tape's glue) from the harmful effects of the sun, then clearcoat might be a good idea. But if I were planning clearcoat I would probably go for more expensive decals.
The sticky stuff that makes tape stick to things --let's call it glue, though it isn't really-- is not water-soluble, but water interferes with its stickiness. When the paper is completely saturated by water, it is very easy to rub it off the tape without damaging the stickiness of the tape. But at this stage it is also very easy to get dirt into the tape, and this will not wash out. So I don't trim my decals until the last minute. They are easier to apply wet, since they don't stick down quite so readily. Moisture trapped behind the decal will dry away eventually, leaving the decal well stuck.
Take a piece of the tape you're thinking of using, and stick it to something like a bicycle, and see how tough it is. That's how tough your decal will be. Find a piece of the same tape that's been stuck to something for ten years, and you'll see how it will hold up. In my experience the kind of tape we're talking about was not made to hold up well over time; but it should be fine for a few years.
I am pretty sure this tape would not care whether it's clearcoated or not. If the clearcoat sticks to the tape, then no harm. If the clearcoat protects the tape (especially the tape's glue) from the harmful effects of the sun, then clearcoat might be a good idea. But if I were planning clearcoat I would probably go for more expensive decals.
The sticky stuff that makes tape stick to things --let's call it glue, though it isn't really-- is not water-soluble, but water interferes with its stickiness. When the paper is completely saturated by water, it is very easy to rub it off the tape without damaging the stickiness of the tape. But at this stage it is also very easy to get dirt into the tape, and this will not wash out. So I don't trim my decals until the last minute. They are easier to apply wet, since they don't stick down quite so readily. Moisture trapped behind the decal will dry away eventually, leaving the decal well stuck.
08-09-11, 01:43 PM
#40
incazzare.
Ah, it's the same stuff as on model kits? I remember that stuff. I believe I used to clear coat over models, so it should work. Hmm. I'm going to have to do an experiment.
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08-13-11, 04:48 PM
#41
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Just used this method to make a chain stay guard out of clear thick plastic tape - Looks reasonably good and easy to replace if I mess it up... The PR-10 is relly a FrankenPeu because of all the varied components on it - Although I have tried to stay with components made in Europe in the 1970s it is still a FrankenPeu to the purest - So I just named the bike for what it is in the decal... (I'll post more pics when I finish)
08-13-11, 10:55 PM
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Just used this method to make a chain stay guard out of clear thick plastic tape - Looks reasonably good and easy to replace if I mess it up... The PR-10 is relly a FrankenPeu because of all the varied components on it - Although I have tried to stay with components made in Europe in the 1970s it is still a FrankenPeu to the purest - So I just named the bike for what it is in the decal... (I'll post more pics when I finish)
