mkeller234

This process was introduced to me by RHM not long ago. It amazes me that he knows how to do these things. He was generous to spend his time to teach this to me. It is very simple and inexpensive to do.

My subject: A viscount Aerospace G.P. with trashed decals.




Step 1: Produce the art.

This is definitely the most difficult part but there are probably many ways it can be done. I photographed and measured the decals on my bike and redrew them with Adobe Illustrator.

Print the artwork out on plain paper. I found that ink jet printers work but you need to let the paper dry for a full day.


Step 2: Cover the art with plain packaging tape.



Step 3: Flip the paper upside down and rub the back of the paper, I used a spoon. It doesn't take too long, just be sure to cover all areas well.



Step 4: Cut to shape. The closer you cut the better it looks, just be careful about cutting too much away because it can tear easily.



Step 5: Soak in water. Give the paper time to saturate.



Step 6: Rub away the soaked paper. It should rub away pretty easy.


The result is a clear decal. RHM suggested that I could paint the backside to add color but it was not needed for this bike.

Zaphod Beeblebrox 

does it work well with laser printers?
I've got a really high end color laser....

Maybe I should make some Dawes Decals.

mkeller234

Step 7: Place and admire! I measured the placement of the originals before I removed them.

mkeller234

It works BEST with laser printers. That is what I used for the black and white decals. The headbadge was a bit of a compromise, I printed onto sticker paper, in color on a commercial proofer. With some experimenting you can really get great results.

Zaphod Beeblebrox 

Cool man looks great!

mkeller234

Thanks! The Schwinn is next up, it's missing one whole side.

Zaphod Beeblebrox 

you've got a superior!!?

I've got a major thing for those bikes. Care to post a pic?

thenomad

So the adhesive works well after that? Extremely cool and I'm in! Time to go make some hawt decals.

mkeller234

Well, yes but it is probably the least desirable of them. It's more like a sports tourer with a fancy name. Fillet brazed, basic aluminum components. I really like it and green is one of my favorite colors on a schwinn.

fender1

Here are some pics from the for sale thread:

https://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...-condition-140

mkeller234

Yes and no. The decal will stick but they were not durable. For the final decals I used a bit of elmers glue thinned with water, much better results.

mkeller234

Yep, that's the one. I got it Sunday when we met up for a ride. I've got a lemon yellow sports tourer frame to match it

fender1

Put em' toghther and make a tall bike! All the cool kids are doing it! All kidding aside that Superior color is fantastic!

zandoval 

Hey man - This is great - I'm going to try it out soon - There are also some different pics you can download and manipulate in your PhotoShop or Gimp from the GettoCal thread...

https://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...light=gettocal

Is there a preferred tape that you are useing?

mkeller234

I've never seen the ghettocal thread before, I like it! I'll add the little bit I have done to it.

I only used the one tape brand, there may be better choices. I think it mostly just needs to be sticky.

mkeller234

Oh really, got any proof?! Maybe a Riv on top of a De Rosa? Actually, there was one tall bike at a critical mass in Cleveland... looked scary.

3speed

This is great! Thanks!

delicious

Wow!

MrEss

Hmm, I'm surprised it's sticky after you rub the paper off, but using some kind of glue or spray-on contact cement seems like a great idea.

I used the commercially-produced laser printer waterslide decal paper on my Atala project. It was not nearly this easy-to-use, but I was happy with the results anyway.

Zaphod Beeblebrox 

*sniff* its beautiful.

notenoughdaylig 

Got any pics? I've been trying to find the "world champion" decal for a while and this technique sounds promising.

blaise_f

What's the scoop on clear-coating these?

mkeller234

I have not tried it. Depending on what you are after, it might not need to be done. All of the print is on the sticky side of the tape, so it's pretty safe under a layer of clear tape.

Captain Blight

Wait, so the final quality of the decal depends on the primary quality of your tape? Where do you start/end your run of clear tape? How do you disguise the ends of the tape?


I'm sorry, I see a lot of problems cropping up in the future with this method.

mkeller234

How much perfection do you want from this? This method works well, but it has limits. If you demand perfection you can buy waterslide decal paper and give that a shot, or pay a pro. If you want reasonably nice decals on a shoestring budget then this is an option.