[fotodoug2]

...without paint?  I'm going to try...stay tuned!

[KensRedZed]

I've lined my Mickey Mouse cap that I'm wearing with aluminum foil, and hooked it up to a 9V battery for amplification.

Painting without paint? I'm all ears you might say. 

[fotodoug2]

Well, don't get too excited.  I decided I would try the vinyl wrap method...it looks so good on real cars!  Who would have thought the vinyl would be so thick?  I guess everyone but ME!!!  I haven't given up yet, but it sure has limits.  

[chrisguyw]

Hello Doug,.....as an option to vinyl wrap, you could look at Hydrographic Film dipping,............the process has been used on slot bodies for several years now, and compared to vinyl wraps, the benefits are many..............1/Much easier (read quite foolproof) ,...2/ very thin, will not hide body details/shut lines,...3/ lots and lots  of patterns/designs,...4/ quite reasonable at roughly $3 to 4 per car.

Cheers
Chris Walker

[KensRedZed]

Just out of curiosity. Don't you need to use heat to shape the vinyl wrap over the various contours and compound curves? Like, enough heat to possibly damage/deform the plastic body?

I honestly don't know.

[fotodoug2]

Thanks Chris...I've never heard of that before...trying to find someone in Vancouver!

[Kevan]

Hydrofilm (aka hydro dipping)...not the best photo as this was on my old phone a couple of years ago taken late in the evening without decent light...(that's the excuses out of the way)

   
   

There's more designs than you could think possible. 

Hydrofilm comes on rolls but you can buy A4 sized 'samples' that are big enough to get two cars out of.

After a couple of other cars after this one I realised the best method was to put sellotape all round the edge of the film as a 'frame' as the film spreads as the backing solvent melts away.

Here's my notes on the envelope holding some film I have:

• sellotape edges to stop it spreading
  
• sticky side down (usually shiny side) test with a wet finger on a corner of the sheet
  
• water at 32°C
  
• let it soak for a minute until creases are gone and it's a flat film
  
• apply activator spray, one or two passes so the surface is shiny (activator is NASTY STUFF...use a well ventilated area)
  
• wait 10 seconds
  
• dip
  

[fotodoug2]

Well, not very good news as far as painting without paint.  I think it could work if you could find vinyl thin enough, and work pretty well!  I couldn't, and it didn't!  I think the title of this should be "Good from far, but far from good!".

[Tibbs]

Just out of curiosity. Don't you need to use heat to shape the vinyl wrap over the various contours and compound curves? Like, enough heat to possibly damage/deform the plastic body?

I honestly don't know.

Your bang on Ken, to give the vinyl wrap it's new memory, it needs to be heated to 100 degrees.
I've worked in the sign industry all my life and personally I'd choose paint over wrap any day, you get scratches in vinyl it needs a panel replaced which could be large or small. Paint can be feathered in.
Each to their own though 

[KensRedZed]

Thank you very kindly for the explanation Tony.