My verticle, clear cast, sublimation printed Rabbit Hole

[ramaroodle]

I have a request from a customer who wants 10 pens with her company logo on them. Seems like the sublimation printing thing on painted or powder-coated tubes is the way to go, at least for me. From what I've seen, sublimated heat printing produces a much better quality image than printing on regular or label paper. I also found a member here who is selling his slightly used Underhill system for $30 and I also found a Canon sublimation printer for $40 on eBay and HF sells a powder coat set up for $75, which, as always has a few recommended mods to make it work better. I am following the process posted here, however, it is an older thread. I'll try the heat paint before spending the $ on a powder coat setup.

So, what have I gotten myself into? "JT the clockman" has given me some input but any additional advice is always appreciated.

Also, what is this Silmar41 stuff and how is it different or better than any of the other resin choices I already have?

Thanks in advance.

Andy

 

[KenB259]

If the pens use a 3/8 tube, there's a way, I documented here on this site that you can forego painting and coating the tubes.

 

[jttheclockman]

I have a request from a customer who wants 10 pens with her company logo on them. Seems like the sublimation printing thing on painted or powder-coated tubes is the way to go, at least for me. From what I've seen, sublimated heat printing produces a much better quality image than printing on regular or label paper. I also found a member here who is selling his slightly used Underhill system for $30 and I also found a Canon sublimation printer for $40 on eBay and HF sells a powder coat set up for $75, which, as always has a few recommended mods to make it work better. I am following the process posted here, however, it is an older thread. I'll try the heat paint before spending the $ on a powder coat setup.

So, what have I gotten myself into? "JT the clockman" has given me some input but any additional advice is always appreciated.

Also, what is this Silmar41 stuff and how is it different or better than any of the other resin choices I already have?

Thanks in advance.

Andy

I like what Ken does with his and if you can duplicate that, to me is the way to go. Better you ask. It is not better it is just another tool or way of casting. I believe somewhere in here and you would have to do a search there is a comparison thread about the different resins available. The pros and cons of each. May have even been put in library. I only use 2 resins so I can not tell differences for you. But silmar and epoxy (Liquid Diamonds)

 

[ramaroodle]

I saw Ken's thread. I like the concept but I can't really see restricting it to only 3/8" blanks.

 

[KenB259]

I saw Ken's thread. I like the concept but I can't really see restricting it to only 3/8" blanks.

You don't have to only use 3/8 tubes but that's the only size they have that are already coated with sublimation media. I would start with this size and then go from there. Just a suggestion, it's your journey.

 

[ramaroodle]

You don't have to only use 3/8 tubes but that's the only size they have that are already coated with sublimation media. I would start with this size and then go from there. Just a suggestion, it's your journey.

This is a little tutorial I put together on how I'm doing some of my clear cast pen blanks. Hopefully it's helpful and inspirational. I feel this could open up a whole new avenue of blank making.

Definitely both helpful and inspirational. Ordered 10 of those Amazon pens and bought a little Canon SELPHY printer to practice with. Since I want the ability to do different sized tubes other than 3/8" what do you recommend for the high heat paint? Assuming that you spray it on then use fine sandpaper to smooth it or is that even necessary? Where do you source the shrink wrap tubes separately? Do I still need the Dypress Polygloss if I'm using the sublimation ink in the printer or does the high heat paint and sublimation ink and paper take the place of that? Sorry to ask so many questions.

Does seem like @ $15 for 10 pens is easier to just buy the Amazon blanks & toss the guts if I'm doing a batch of 3/4" pens?

 

[KenB259]

Definitely both helpful and inspirational. Ordered 10 of those Amazon pens and bought a little Canon SELPHY printer to practice with. Since I want the ability to do different sized tubes other than 3/8" what do you recommend for the high heat paint? Assuming that you spray it on then use fine sandpaper to smooth it or is that even necessary? Where do you source the shrink wrap tubes separately? Do I still need the Dypress Polygloss if I'm using the sublimation ink in the printer or does the high heat paint and sublimation ink and paper take the place of that? Sorry to ask so many questions.

Does seem like @ $15 for 10 pens is easier to just buy the Amazon blanks & toss the guts if I'm doing a batch of 3/4" pens?

I just bought some high heat white paint at a local DIY store and I don't scratch before I apply the sublimation media, yes you do need the sublimation media, if you're not going with the ones on Amazon. If you buy the pens on Amazon, they come with shrink wrap, but I bought extra on an Etsy site, don't remember which, but I'm sure you can do a search. I find the precoated pens on Amazon work better than the ones I coat myself, but they limit you to 3/8, thankfully there are a lot of pens with 3/8 tubes.

 

[ramaroodle]

I just bought some high heat white paint at a local DIY store and I don't scratch before I apply the sublimation media, yes you do need the sublimation media, if you're not going with the ones on Amazon. If you buy the pens on Amazon, they come with shrink wrap, but I bought extra on an Etsy site, don't remember which, but I'm sure you can do a search. I find the precoated pens on Amazon work better than the ones I coat myself, but they limit you to 3/8, thankfully there are a lot of pens with 3/8 tubes.

Thanks for the reply. So...there is no pre-mixed sublimation media that you can spray on like the tubes that come from Amazon? You have to spray them with heat paint and still use the Polygloss?

 

[KenB259]

Thanks for the reply. So...there is no pre-mixed sublimation media that you can spray on like the tubes that come from Amazon? You have to spray them with heat paint and still use the Polygloss?

The pens from Amazon are all ready to go. They already have the sublimation on them. You only have to paint brass tubes and then cost them with sublimation media. Again, the pens are ready to print in when you get them.

 

[ramaroodle]

The pens from Amazon are all ready to go. They already have the sublimation on them. You only have to paint brass tubes and then cost them with sublimation media. Again, the pens are ready to print in when you get them.

Yes thanks. Got that. I guess my real question is for when I'm using other than a 3/8 blank. Is there a "white sublimation" spray-on product or do you need to spray with heat paint and use the polygloss on top of that after it dries, or is there a one-step process that can be sprayed on? Like I said, for 3/8" blanks I'm good with just harvesting the tubes and tossing the pens.

 

[KenB259]

Yes thanks. Got that. I guess my real question is for when I'm using other than a 3/8 blank. Is there a "white sublimation" spray-on product or do you need to spray with heat paint and use the polygloss on top of that after it dries, or is there a one-step process that can be sprayed on? Like I said, for 3/8" blanks I'm good with just harvesting the tubes and tossing the pens.

If there is a one step process, I am unaware of it.

 

[ramaroodle]

So, I found this. https://www.jpplus.com/subli-glaze-...I3XBkaBIpytRVWKg_yviPbg8NGBSqSwRoCC5oQAvD_BwE

Subli Glaze™ Opaque White Spray Coating 13.5oz

Subli Glaze™ is the only do-it-yourself sublimation coating solution that is designed to enable sublimation decoration on a whole range of surfaces such as ceramic, wood, glass, plastic, metal or stone.

www.jpplus.com

Seems like it would do the job and let me coat pretty much anything?

Not great reviews but there are other products out there I'm finding.

 

[boatemp]

Check coastalbusinesssupply.com for info on self-dye sub.

 

[KenB259]

So, I found this. https://www.jpplus.com/subli-glaze-...I3XBkaBIpytRVWKg_yviPbg8NGBSqSwRoCC5oQAvD_BwE

Subli Glaze™ Opaque White Spray Coating 13.5oz

Subli Glaze™ is the only do-it-yourself sublimation coating solution that is designed to enable sublimation decoration on a whole range of surfaces such as ceramic, wood, glass, plastic, metal or stone.

www.jpplus.com

Seems like it would do the job and let me coat pretty much anything?

Not great reviews but there are other products out there I'm finding.

Worth a shot.

 

[ramaroodle]

Worth a shot.

Actually, probably not, after looking into it. This rabbit hole appears to be too deep to reach the bottom so I'm taking a step back and rethinking what I want to do.

I received my pack of ten "sublimation pens" from Amazon yesterday. (It's cool living in Seattle where at 1 am I can order those pens and they are on my porch when I wake up in the morning!) After looking at them I have a better understanding of what is needed. Those tubes are smooth, white and coated by some mass production machine in Asia. I can't reproduce that. I bought a little open-box Canon SELPHY printer for $40 on eBay which was probably a waste of money for my purposes.

So, here's what I've done so far.

I already had some 2"x4" Avery brand address labels (#8163) so I started out with them. I also ordered different Avery label material types. Of the types I ordered these seemed to work the best. When printed they produced a nice, crisp, glossy label.

Using the Avery app for the #8163 2x4 address labels made the exact sizing and manipulation of these to within a hundredth of an inch a snap, so the wraps are perfectly sized at pi times the diameter of the tube which Alexa takes 2 seconds to tell me.

The sticker paper is just a full sheet so instead of putting the address labels in the printer I put the Sticker Paper sheet in and the app produces a pdf to print.

From there I simply cut them out and wrapped the tube. For the best results, the tube should be painted white.

The original rabbit hole goal was to be able to do a "clear cast" style pen. I haven't gotten to that stage yet but I'm thinking that I can either paint the bare tube glossy white and wrap it and then clear cast it or like in this first trial run I just painted the bare wood white and gave it a double coating of my GluBoost finish. I bought a pre-owned Underhill cast set-up from a member that arrived yesterday so getting that to work is the next step. This first test isn't ready for prime time but I can see a light at the end of the tunnel. I wanted vibrant, glossy graphics without breaking the bank and this technique seems to have potential and offer some interesting variations.

Don't know if this qualifies as a tutorial yet as the goal is to clear-cast but this is what I've done while gathering the tools, materials and skills to do that.

This also gives me another easy method of personalizing a pen or batch of pens with logos. Also, those "sublimation" pens from Amazoo are only $1.50 each so I'm good with harvesting the sleeve and tossing the guts. A 3/8" pen tube slides inside that smooth aluminum sleeve which is perfect and easy to wrap to be made into any of the popular pens using a 3/8" tube.

 

[KenB259]

Actually, probably not, after looking into it. This rabbit hole appears to be too deep to reach the bottom so I'm taking a step back and rethinking what I want to do.

I received my pack of ten "sublimation pens" from Amazon yesterday. (It's cool living in Seattle where at 1 am I can order those pens and they are on my porch when I wake up in the morning!) After looking at them I have a better understanding of what is needed. Those tubes are smooth, white and coated by some mass production machine in Asia. I can't reproduce that. I bought a little open-box Canon SELPHY printer for $40 on eBay which was probably a waste of money for my purposes.

So, here's what I've done so far.

I already had some 2"x4" Avery brand address labels (#8163) so I started out with them. I also ordered different Avery label material types. Of the types I ordered these seemed to work the best. When printed they produced a nice, crisp, glossy label.
View attachment 348610

Using the Avery app for the #8163 2x4 address labels made the exact sizing and manipulation of these to within a hundredth of an inch a snap, so the wraps are perfectly sized at pi times the diameter of the tube which Alexa takes 2 seconds to tell me.
View attachment 348612

The sticker paper is just a full sheet so instead of putting the address labels in the printer I put the Sticker Paper sheet in and the app produces a pdf to print.

View attachment 348613

From there I simply cut them out and wrapped the tube. For the best results, the tube should be painted white.

The original rabbit hole goal was to be able to do a "clear cast" style pen. I haven't gotten to that stage yet but I'm thinking that I can either paint the bare tube glossy white and wrap it and then clear cast it or like in this first trial run I just painted the bare wood white and gave it a double coating of my GluBoost finish. I bought a pre-owned Underhill cast set-up from a member that arrived yesterday so getting that to work is the next step. This first test isn't ready for prime time but I can see a light at the end of the tunnel. I wanted vibrant, glossy graphics without breaking the bank and this technique seems to have potential and offer some interesting variations.

View attachment 348614View attachment 348615

Don't know if this qualifies as a tutorial yet as the goal is to clear-cast but this is what I've done while gathering the tools, materials and skills to do that.

This also gives me another easy method of personalizing a pen or batch of pens with logos. Also, those "sublimation" pens from Amazoo are only $1.50 each so I'm good with harvesting the sleeve and tossing the guts. A 3/8" pen tube slides inside that smooth aluminum sleeve which is perfect and easy to wrap to be made into any of the popular pens using a 3/8" tube.

Looking good. Now you see why I say the 3/8 tubed pens work well. I also think this method looks way better than any label cast I have seen.

 

[ramaroodle]

Looking good. Now you see why I say the 3/8 tubed pens work well. I also think this method looks way better than any label cast I have seen.

Yep. It all was made "clear" when I got that pack of pens from Amazon.

What printer do you use for sublimation? If I'm going to do it that little Canon is useless. Seems like you need a decent machine that you can swap out ink types. Using that Avery system wound be a snap if I could use the printer like a regular inkjet and just slide the paper in there.

So, gonna work on this method until I can make a decision on a printer. The taping and shrink wrapping seem pretty straightforward. Thanks for the advice.

 

[KenB259]

I was lucky and the reason I even tried this, my wife does sublimation. She has an Epson EcoTank. One thing you need to know is you cannot switch back and forth between sublimation ink and regular ink. You pretty much need a new printer that has not had regular ink in it. At least that's my understanding.

 

[ramaroodle]

I was lucky and the reason I even tried this, my wife does sublimation. She has an Epson EcoTank. One thing you need to know is you cannot switch back and forth between sublimation ink and regular ink. You pretty much need a new printer that has not had regular ink in it. At least that's my understanding.

Ah! The wife factor. That makes sense. That's kinda' what it looks like to me too. Can't see spending a bunch of $ but I can get an Epson EcoTank 2803 sublimation printer for $199 and Amazon will deliver the ink tomorrow for $19.

 

[KenB259]

Ah! The wife factor. That makes sense. That's kinda' what it looks like to me too. Can't see spending a bunch of $ but I can get an Epson EcoTank 2803 sublimation printer for $199 and Amazon will deliver the ink tomorrow for $19.
View attachment 348632

One little caveat is even though it is sublimation ink, you can still print on paper like a regular printer.

 

[ramaroodle]

One little caveat is even though it is sublimation ink, you can still print on paper like a regular printer.

Good to know. Thanks. So I can use sublim. ink on the labels without heat, wrap the tubes and cast 'em?

 

[KenB259]

Good to know. Thanks. So I can use sublim. ink on the labels without heat, wrap the tubes and cast 'em?

I've never used labels so I can't say if that will work.