Reel Repair by Alan Tani

Fishing Rods => Fishing Rods => Topic started by: droppedit on December 26, 2016, 01:38:22 AM

Title: Custom decals
Post by: droppedit on December 26, 2016, 01:38:22 AM
I've never had any good luck trying to write a name on a rod. I've tried different pens, markers and dry transfer
letters all with the same results. I ordered a couple of pages of my logo from the decal connection and was
quite impressed with the quality. I did lots of surfing for info on making decals and decided to try the inkjet
media.  This worked fairly good but if you had a light color on the decal it had to have a white background
to be viewed. Low cost, fun but not too high of quality. I finally bit the bullet and bought my 1st Alps printer.
They can print all colors, metallic gold, metallic silver and white. For names on a rod I use Office and print
the water slide decals from that. Any graphics or work from jpg's has to be refined on Corel draw, Photoshop,
or many other graphics programs. Little bit of work, sometimes a lot of work but in the end you come up
with something that is usually one of a kind. I tell my customers that I'll print almost anything with the  exception
of the New York Yankee's logo. There are some things that I just won't do ;)
Here are a few different ones I've done.
Title: Re: Custom decals
Post by: droppedit on December 26, 2016, 01:42:17 AM
A couple more. Even with the Alps printer I sometimes try to use a white background to
get the better quality of the image.

Dave
Title: Re: Custom decals
Post by: reel man on December 26, 2016, 02:05:43 AM
Absolutely gorgeous.  Good on you for putting forth the effort to produce a very professional product.
Title: Re: Custom decals
Post by: foakes on December 26, 2016, 04:05:52 AM
Very nicely done -- good to know...

Best Always,

Fred
Title: Re: Custom decals
Post by: Newell Nut on December 26, 2016, 03:43:37 PM
Good Looking Work, are you selling decals or just doing personal work?
Title: Re: Custom decals
Post by: droppedit on December 26, 2016, 03:56:53 PM
Quote from: Newell Nut on December 26, 2016, 03:43:37 PM
Good Looking Work, are you selling decals or just doing personal work?

Just personal work and custom work for the rods I build. I find it hard enough
trying to find time to work on rods. In my next life I'm not going to be a farmer!
Title: Re: Custom decals
Post by: alantani on December 26, 2016, 06:27:11 PM
i need something like this.  i want "alantani.com" in an arc over the top and "mono," fluoro" or "braid" in an arc at the bottom, with a line weight in the middle.  jeff at onecooltuna.com can't do this, but boy it would be nice!!!!

http://www.onecooltuna.com/

(http://alantani.com/gallery/16/1_26_12_16_11_28_32_16647187.jpeg)
Title: Re: Custom decals
Post by: reelrepair123 on December 26, 2016, 09:42:08 PM
going to let yo all on a trade secret i used 35 years ago, go to a decent stationary store, ask the for sheets of transfer letters, you rub on the letter with a dull pencil and it trasnfers the letter to the blank. you can see thru the sheet, so when your writing a name you can align the lretters. if the letter is not to your liking , just press a piece of masking tape to the letter and it comes off. they have a bunch of different types of letter configurations. i would put it on after the first coat of finish, then put the second coat over the name, beautiful.  another little secret you might know about, after i put the finish on and the rod is spinning , i would take a torch on low heat and pass it by left to right on the finish, the heat would disperse all the little bubbles in the finish and turn out like glass, if you do it too much, the finish would get thin and drip off . hope this helps.    harryk
Title: Re: Custom decals
Post by: droppedit on January 03, 2017, 05:11:42 PM
I just had my 1st experience with spar varnish over a decal. Nothing like watching it disintegrate when the brush touches it.
I used the normal sealer on it which didn't work. Next a new decal set with finish and then an acrylic spray over it, same results.
Next try was same as the last but 2 coats of acrylic, turned out so stiff that it wouldn't form to the rod. The next step was to use
the first style of decal and a light coat of Gudebrod rod finish. Nice, clear, thought I won till the reaction with the varnish.
OK, now it was time to strip the rod back down and re-do that section and try again. New decal, 2 coats of finish and a
new technique to laying the varnish down. I brushed on the varnish to the back side of the rod, a bit heavy so it
wanted to drip off the bottom while spinning. Then took the brush from the bottom and wicked the excess varnish that way.
So far it looks like I won. The varnish discolors the decal in the same way it has the white under wraps on the rod.
We'll let it dry for a few days and then see how it looks all put together.

Dave