Posted: 2/6/2014 11:45:27 AM EDT
Anybody here ever get one of the kits and do it yourself? If so, what was the results and your opinion?
BravoCharlie |
| I tried the mydipkit once. I did an encore rifle with it. It was a comlete pain in the butt to do an entire rifle. The hardest part is that the container you use must be just slightly larger than the part you are dipping. Small parts are easy, but something like a barrel or stock are hard to do because you need a container that big. Biggest problem I had was on large parts, I kept getting bubbles in the pattern that blew out. And, the paint that comes with it is basically krylon so it isnt a high quality base coat to use. If you want to play around with small parts, go for it but for an entire rifle, send it off and let a professional do it. |
| The quality of the base-coat paint basically being like krylon is an important point. I purchased some hydrodipped rail covers and buttstock from sexyweapon.com for my SR-15. It looks awesome BUT the hydrodipped finish is fragile. Basically anything with a texture that is noticeably harsher than your skin will damage the hydrodipping. The clip on my sling rubbed against the buttstock on a ~100 yard walk and it totally rubbed-off a ~1cm square area. If you are doing it for looks on a gun that will be used but handled gently then go for it. If you plan on abusing the gun through don't waste your money. |
| It takes a lot of practice to do this stuff right! I have tried a couple different kits and while they do work, durability is an issue with the DIY kits. Save yourself some time and money and let a pro do it if you want it dipped. One of the biggest issues I had with the DIY kits, they want you to use masking tape around the edges of the film to act as a frame for the film, it doesn't work to well once the activator is sprayed on the film just starts spreading out across the top of the water as the tape starts to open up. The pros use an adjustable frame in the tank to hold the film from spreading out. Holding the part at the right angle and moving the part into the film as you slowly go down takes a lot of practice! And items that's round you have to slowly roll them in to the film as you dip to get coverage all the way around. If its not done right you stretch the film and distorts the image and you end up with air pockets and areas that just doesn't get covered. After trying this a few times on my own I have a new respect for those that do it! |