stoneman
Member
First, thanks a million to jp_white (whose deer decal on antler inspired me to try this) and Grizz (whose tutorial was also a big help).
I decided to try applying decals to a pair of pens I already had made (by popping the hardware off and following Jeff & Jon's processes).
My very first try ended up with the edge of the decal not well adhered. This one I just removed and tried again.
The first pen is an antler/cartridge pen using the same deer image that Jeff used (very nice image). In another try, I would ease off the darkness of the image (more charcoal/less black) as I like the "ghosty" appearance of Jeff's pen better. Still, overall I was not displeased with the result for a first try.
The second pen in a maple cigar that I made about a year ago to test the black chrome plating. My wife adopted it and uses it daily around the house. Since our son and his family recently moved to NC, I decided to try adding a picture of our granddaughter to that pen so it might have more meaning to her. BTW, the black chrome still looks great.
Both decals look pretty nice from a layman's point of view. For someone who is concerned with detail (aka, moi), the edges of the decal are visible in most areas as the pen is turned and examined in the light. I'm hoping to learn/find a way to reduce/eliminate this.
Lastly, do any of you decalers out there have any idea how well the decals adhere over time? They are well sealed under CA and the edges are not detectable by feel, but in the end, the decal itself was applied with water and dried to set. Any data on long term durability out there?
I decided to try applying decals to a pair of pens I already had made (by popping the hardware off and following Jeff & Jon's processes).
My very first try ended up with the edge of the decal not well adhered. This one I just removed and tried again.
The first pen is an antler/cartridge pen using the same deer image that Jeff used (very nice image). In another try, I would ease off the darkness of the image (more charcoal/less black) as I like the "ghosty" appearance of Jeff's pen better. Still, overall I was not displeased with the result for a first try.
The second pen in a maple cigar that I made about a year ago to test the black chrome plating. My wife adopted it and uses it daily around the house. Since our son and his family recently moved to NC, I decided to try adding a picture of our granddaughter to that pen so it might have more meaning to her. BTW, the black chrome still looks great.
Both decals look pretty nice from a layman's point of view. For someone who is concerned with detail (aka, moi), the edges of the decal are visible in most areas as the pen is turned and examined in the light. I'm hoping to learn/find a way to reduce/eliminate this.
Lastly, do any of you decalers out there have any idea how well the decals adhere over time? They are well sealed under CA and the edges are not detectable by feel, but in the end, the decal itself was applied with water and dried to set. Any data on long term durability out there?
