I've watched a zillion youtube videos and it looks doable and not expensive.

EXAMPLE

Just wondering if anyone here has tried it and what your results were.

I've tried it about 5 times now, but the results have all been crappy.

I'll share with you what I've learned from my mistakes.

Hydrodipping works because a type of ink/paint is placed over a layer of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA).

When you put the film into the water (PVA side down, pigment side up) the PVA dissolves. That's why warm water is better.

Tip #1: Different manufacturers films require different soak times. You have to watch it, time it, and use it at the right moment that the PVA is dissolved.

Tip #2: Too much activator and too little activator work against you. Each company's films are different. You do have to experiment.

Tip#3: (and to me the most important "secret") The ink/paint floats on the water because it is hydrophobic. You need that material to adhere to what you are dipping. I am just now starting to experiment with clear coats (rattle can type) on the metal pieces I am dipping, to act as a type of attractant/glue for the ink as the metal passes through it.
My next dip will be done 10 minutes after spraying a painted upper receiver with the clear coat (and I chose 10 minutes because that seemed to be the point of maximum stickiness of the clear coat).

Where my hydrodipping was failing was with the pigment not covering recessed areas very well (just draping over the recess, and not adhering to the metal below). I "think" my new technique of making the painted metal sticky will fix this issue.

I'm killer on all guns that are shaped like a window pane. I just don't own any guns shaped like a window pane.

G.

LOL at that part. Although I haven't tried it it seems from videos you have to go a a slow steady pace to get it to work right. And the site OP posted is one of the best one at least was a few months ago. My hands are not steady enough to do it so thus I will not even try. Although if done right will come out great. I do agree lots and lots of practice to get it right.

I've tried it.  I have no artistic abilty, and mostly screw it up.  Base laint doez not have to be kit specific, and clear coat over your finished dip.  Timing is important, as the pattern will enlarge/start to dissipate the longer it sits in the water.  Having it contained near the sjze of your dip item is important.  Those pvc framez you make yourself are awesome for that.

I appreciate the tips. I'm thinking of 'investing' in one of the $69 kits and seeing what happens. If it's crap I haven't lost a lot (except for any parts I've screwed up!) But I can always paint them, I guess. I've watched a bunch of videos on it and it looks reasonably easy, but so does brain surgery.

Pre-coating with clearcoat shouldn't be necessary... that's what the primer is supposed to do. Maybe you need a good etching primer (?) But if it works, it works!

Yeah, I lol'd at that too. And it's interesting to see the pros dipping things with all sorts of shapes. They seem to be able to just slowly dip straight down and let the ink sorta be attracted to the object. Their ink just moves across the surface and onto the object like it's magnetic!

Other people roll objects like AR forends and buttstocks.

There's no question experimentation and practice is the key.

What do you do with items that were poorly dipped - paint over the dip, remove it somehow, or?

According to what I've seen, if it's a small imperfection you can use a small paintbrush (like a watercolor brush), dip it in some activator, pick up some of the ink from a sheet of film, and paint in the color that didn't take.

If it's big area, you can either dip that area again or start over - scuff up the surface, spray with primer and base coat and dip. If you dip only part of the object you have to consider whether the pattern will match up.

There are some good videos on youtube about this very thing.

Tou can immediately rinse the dip off with running warm/hot water and some rubbing.
It's like jello, once it gets cool, it solidifies.  Without the remelty factor.

I've read that mineral spirits will also remove the ink pretty easily if you get to it before it really sets.

Yes, and brakleen just hoses it off.  However, it often hoses off the base paint at the same time.

Don't use high temp engine clear.  My brother dipped a pistol using a black and white pattern.  It looked great after hie dipped it.  Then he clear coated it using engine clear, and it turned yellowy.

And definitely practice before trying the piece you want to do.  It took 3 tries to get the film to lay on the water with no bubbles or wrinkles.

they make it all look easy. touch up is an art in itself and is a pain to make it look good. there are those who get it right the first time but few that ive seen, to remove a bad dip you can immediatly use some 90 % alcohol in a spray bottle. it will come right off and then after drying you can try another dip after it dries. its tricky and the vidoesa make it look fun and easy. its not. lol