Dry Transfer Method

[+rusty_tlc]

So I have this shiny ammo can with a fresh coat of bright (Jeep) yellow paint on it. I was trying a trick I used years ago to make printed circuit boards. I mirrored the text I wanted, printed it out and tried ironing it onto the can. I know this works well with photocopies, it didn't work worth beans with an ink jet print.

 

Has anybody else tried this?

 

Well I guess I'd better go paint over my failure.

[+Seamus]

I've used the dry transfer method a few times for circuitboards, with varied success. The idea is that you either print it with a laser or copy it with a photocopier, either one set to lay down as much toner as possible onto your transfer medium. Ironing it on melts and "re-fuses" it to the new surface.

 

I'm not sure hnow this would work with ink-jet technology, since the whole idea behind toner is that it's a powder that is effectively melted onto the surface, whereas the ink is just that - ink.

 

You might try again using a photocopier set to make really dark copies, or a laser printer set to really high-density output.

 

I haven't tried this method on painted surfaces before, but may have to give it a whirl and see how it goes.

Edited July 8, 2004 by Seamus

[GeoFD]

Um ......... I use spray paint on my ammo cans, try it!

[+Gizmo & Brazin]

If you are really adamant about using this method, get some of the iron on transfer paper to print on. I have used it for t-shirts and it does iron on beautifully, and in full color. The ink holds up well in the wash, but don't know how stable it would be on a nonporous surface. Good luck!!

[+TotemLake]

Avery has a transfer now that doesn't require you to mirror the image. You print it like normal, peel it off the paper then iron it on. I did a t-shirt of my avatar using this. It goes on looking like a silkscreen job instead of some cheap iron on. The part number for this is 3279 and is good for dark colored backgrounds. I still wouldn't know how this would work for non-pourous surfaces, but because it is a polymer that basically melts onto the fabric, it just might work for the ammo can.

[+mtn-man]

Rusty, once you get your ammo can done in whatever method you should seal it. I have seen a great way of doing it suggested by one of our GGA members. This web page hopefully will give you some ideas.

 

http://www.ggaonline.org/resources/cache_kit/cache_kit.html

[+rusty_tlc]

Um ......... I use spray paint on my ammo cans, try it!

[+Renegade Knight]

Um ......... I use spray paint on my ammo cans, try it!

If it worked it would be a simpler way to mark the ammo can than a stencil. You would have the ability to mark the outside with the cache name, waypoint, etc. without cutting a new stencil each time.

[+Marky]

Joani found some large waterproof avery labels that she prints on with a color laser printer. It doesn't get much easier than that.

 

--Marky

 

P.S. Color Laser Printers are now cheaper to own and operate than an ink jet, and for geocaching purposes, do a great job. The one we got was $500, and does double sided printing! A $99 black toner cartridge is good for 7000 pages. Compare with printing 7000 pages on an inkjet and you've probably already justified a laser printer purchase.

[+rusty_tlc]

I tried again with a photocopy. Still no joy.

 

Mt Man thanks for the link. I was just going to give the thing a coat of clear lacquer. The decapoge stuff would hold up a lot better.

 

Maybe I should try thr Avery website?

[The John Lee Supertasters]

When looking for decals to use on a yellow Jeep TB, the local hobby shop

suggested water-slide decal printer sheets. They can be found here

http://www.beldecal.com/model_decals.cfm along with instructions on how they

work. Maybe a local hobby shop will sell it by the sheet? Looks like it

could work for lettering or changing the apearance of an ammo can. You could

print a picture of a jeep and put it on the yellow ammo can. Camo letters on a olive drab can would be neat too. I ended up using preprinted decals and sealed them with clearcoat, it worked well.

[+rusty_tlc]

When looking for decals to use on a yellow Jeep TB, the local hobby shop

suggested water-slide decal printer sheets. They can be found here

http://www.beldecal.com/model_decals.cfm along with instructions on how they

work. Maybe a local hobby shop will sell it by the sheet? Looks like it

could work for lettering or changing the apearance of an ammo can. You could

print a picture of a jeep and put it on the yellow ammo can. Camo letters on a olive drab can would be neat too. I ended up using preprinted decals and sealed them with clearcoat, it worked well.

I'll look for that stuff.

Guess I'm going to resort to the Sharpie marker for this one though. It has to be "Rubicon ready" by tomorrow AM.

[+tirediron]

A trick my wife uses to take the mirror-imaged photocopy (you're right ink-jet will NOT work) and then apply it wet rather than dry. Wipe over the image with any tolunene based solvent (such as Goof Offand that will (hopefully) transfer the image. It works best with porus surfaces, but might do okay with paint as well. It's nasty stuff though... best used outside!

[+rusty_tlc]

A trick my wife uses to take the mirror-imaged photocopy (you're right ink-jet will NOT work) and then apply it wet rather than dry. Wipe over the image with any tolunene based solvent (such as Goof Offand that will (hopefully) transfer the image. It works best with porus surfaces, but might do okay with paint as well. It's nasty stuff though... best used outside!

I wonder if you could just tape the image in place then mist it down?

[+Seamus]

A trick my wife uses to take the mirror-imaged photocopy (you're right ink-jet will NOT work) and then apply it wet rather than dry. Wipe over the image with any tolunene based solvent (such as Goof Offand that will (hopefully) transfer the image. It works best with porus surfaces, but might do okay with paint as well. It's nasty stuff though... best used outside!

I've also heard of using acetone-based nail polish remover (probably more effective: straight acetone from the auto-parts store) to reverse-transfer printouts to surfaces such as rubber erasers and linoleum blocks for stamping and printing purposes. Perhaps that might work, but I imagine that it might cause problems with the underlying paint layer you're trying to transfer it to, as well.

 

If all else fails, you could probably get away with the grid method, subdividing your image into little square bits and duplicating them by hand to build up the image on the can. Of course, by then you're putting about as much (or more) time and effort into it as if you'd just done it freehand in the first place...

[+flask]

maybe this is way too low-tech for you guys, but i just use spraypaint and a chisel-tip marker.

[+woof n lulu]

I would just use blank Avery bumper stickers (office max) to print on and give it a coat of Modgepodge (you can get it at wallyworld) decopodge gunk...