Spy Hunter Side Art Tips

FrizzleFried

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OK... I am going to apply full side art to my Spy Hunter tonight likely. I've always done my side art with the dry method... but this stuff has to be 100% right on the money aligned because of the border...so I think I am going to try my first "wet methid" installation.

From my recollection the best way to do this is with the cab laying on it's side... 4 drops of dawn or some other dishwashing detergent for every quart of water... right?

How much do I spray? Do I spray right on the side of the cab or on the artwork itself?

How much movement will I have to work with to get it right? How much time do I have to get it right? Etc?
 
I did the full side art last week. I used the dry method. I don't know what exactly the "air release channels" are, but it went on SO easy, with no trapped bubbles to contend with.

Cab lying on it's side, started in the middle and worked down, then middle to top. I cut about 4-5 two inch notches around the top and put painter's tape in the notches to hold the art down (taping it to the cab is what I mean) while I applied it. Mrs. Cartouche helped me, as you know, it's a pretty big sticker.

positioning the art:

IMG_3314.jpg


see the notches around the top, that's where I taped it into place

IMG_3312.jpg


starting from the middle:

IMG_3311.jpg


now I just need to clean this 25-year-old gum out of the speaker grill:

IMG_3301.jpg
 
OK... I am going to apply full side art to my Spy Hunter tonight likely. I've always done my side art with the dry method... but this stuff has to be 100% right on the money aligned because of the border...so I think I am going to try my first "wet methid" installation.

From my recollection the best way to do this is with the cab laying on it's side... 4 drops of dawn or some other dishwashing detergent for every quart of water... right?

How much do I spray? Do I spray right on the side of the cab or on the artwork itself?

How much movement will I have to work with to get it right? How much time do I have to get it right? Etc?

More like a teaspoon dawn for spray bottle.
 
I did the full side art last week. I used the dry method. I don't know what exactly the "air release channels" are, but it went on SO easy, with no trapped bubbles to contend with.

Cab lying on it's side, started in the middle and worked down, then middle to top. I cut about 4-5 two inch notches around the top and put painter's tape in the notches to hold the art down (taping it to the cab is what I mean) while I applied it. Mrs. Cartouche helped me, as you know, it's a pretty big sticker.

positioning the art:

IMG_3314.jpg


see the notches around the top, that's where I taped it into place

IMG_3312.jpg


starting from the middle:

IMG_3311.jpg


now I just need to clean this 25-year-old gum out of the speaker grill:

IMG_3301.jpg

I don't get it, you taped it down an started from the middle??? How did you peel the backing off? Did you have some of the backing off already? :confused:
 
How smooth did it come out cartouche? Obviously my prep work sucks because while it's pretty bubble free, mines got "texture"... just like the Centipede I did a couple years back. It certainly looks 100x better than the original stuff that was there in it's wore out state, but I'd love to get it 100% right and get it smooth as silk. :(

I so prefer painting over full side art. I almost just painted this SH white and stuck the SH medallion side art set I have on it... but I wanted the stripes...
 
I don't think I would ever try it alone, the way I do it, it's just too easy for the art to flap over and stick to itself.

I taped the top half to the cabinet at a few places around the edge. See the second photo at the top of the cab? There's a little tab I cut out so I could tape it without bending or folding.

Then with the top half securely taped to the cab, we lifted up the untaped half, peeled the backing to the halfway point and cut it off with scissors (photo 3). I held the side art up, again photo 3, then lowered it slowly as Mrs. Cartouche smoothed it down with a clean rag, working from the middle to bottom of cab.

Once the bottom was stuck to the cab, I took off tape at the top, peeled off backing, and repeated. Again from center to top.

I've applied full side Centipede art, full side black and white vinyl, Sys 2 side art, and this is the easiest and smoothest it ever went down. No peeling back for any trapped bubbles at all. In fact, at one point, I said aw, shit, there's a big bubble, but it turned out to be between the art surface and the protective film/sheet over it. I'm not going to peel off the protective layer until it's in it's final spot, but it looks and feels really smooth.

I sanded my cab down with an orbital sander (light grit), then a light coat of white prime, hand-sanded with very light grit, then vacuumed and wiped down with tack cloth 2-3 times. I hate little bumps trapped under vinyl, and I find that the black vinyl in particular sucks up dust and sanded wood particles like a magnet.

The one downside is that I don't get to show my arcade visitors this anymore:

IMG_29222.jpg
 
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I learned a hard (and expensive) lesson over the last 36 hours....

That lesson: NEVER use the wet method...

It appears that the sides of Spy Hunter don't like water... at all... I now have a fully textured right side of my cabinet that looks like it's been drenched because the f*cking wood has expanded... it looks like complete ass... terrible... disgustingly bad... and it really really really has put me in a downer mood.

When I first applied it I noticed a few areas that looked "meh"... but over night it's turned to complete ass... It looks as bad as my original Tempest side art at the bottom that saw water.

I now have a couple options. (A) Remove and shit-can the right side art... hope to find another piece of right side art for a reasonable cost.... sand the sides (did I mention how much I LOVE sanding?) flat... re-apply the new art... (B) Rip the side art off... sand the bastard flat (did I mention how much I LOVE sanding?)... paint the f*cking thing white and stick the medallion (just the square art) art I have on it and use the other side full artwork as wall art or something... or (C) Just f*cking forget about it... apply the left side art dry... do the best I can with that side and either stick it between a couple games or in an area where only the left side shows. I've already thrown almost as much on the asthetics of the damn cab than I did to actually BUY the cab so option (A) is unlikely...

GOD I am pissed off... absolutely f*cking pissed off...
 
Sorry Frizz. I guess I should have chimed in earlier when I saw this post as once in the past I tried the wet method and also learned the hard way that their can be issues. I guess I didn't say anything since so many people seem to use/like this method. Personally it just doen't seem smart on a particle board cab. Even with good prep and a nicely painted cab to use water on it would seem to hold some risk using water on any particle board cab. Of course plywood cabs would be a different story. Personally I would remove the art, sand down, prime, paint white. Then I would apply the other full side and temporarily just leave the one side white. Since this is not screen printed art Rich should be able to help you out and print just the one side you need at almost any time down the road. Maybe contact him now to see if a few months in the future he would be willing to help you out in this way. Assuming he is, I would buy the other side in the future when it's less of a financial burden. Who knows you may simply forget about it once it's in the game room and decide to leave it with one white side.
 
*NOW* you guys gonna listen to me about using the dry method?

Cabinets are wood, paint is porous. Water plus porous paint plus wood = raised grain every single time. Even pressboard is wood, and the grain raises which is what creates the texture you got.

The ONLY time to use the wet method is when applying to laminated or glass surfaces.
 
*NOW* you guys gonna listen to me about using the dry method?

Cabinets are wood, paint is porous. Water plus porous paint plus wood = raised grain every single time. Even pressboard is wood, and the grain raises which is what creates the texture you got.

The ONLY time to use the wet method is when applying to laminated or glass surfaces.


Amen, brotha!
 
Shit happens... I think I will do the other side dry then call it a day...for now... I am sure I will revisit that side after I am done fuming about it. I just absolutely abhor sanding...and there's now a lot of that to do.

Here's a picture of it... it's sort of hard to see in the pic...but it's not hard to see when you stand in front of it..

SH_JACKED.jpg


I guess I should focus on the fact that it STILL looks better than it did with the beat down original art on there...
 
*NOW* you guys gonna listen to me about using the dry method?

Cabinets are wood, paint is porous. Water plus porous paint plus wood = raised grain every single time. Even pressboard is wood, and the grain raises which is what creates the texture you got.

The ONLY time to use the wet method is when applying to laminated or glass surfaces.

Honestly I've only done full side vinyl once so that was the only time I ever tried the wet method. Which I wasn't happy with. I don't recall you ever saying anything negative about the wet method in the past. I must not have been paying attention. If I had I never would have even tried it.
 
Yikes.. I nearly posted about this last night, sorry I didn't. I wasn't sure if the surface you were wetting would be plywood or what. With MDF or particle board, I don't care if it has a protective coat or sealant, I wouldn't risk the wet method. You're putting liquid on something that will absorb it like a sponge. Even with plywood, water will raise the grain. Sorry it turned out badly. I tape the art in place, lined up, then start one end, stick it, and basically do the dry method that others have detailed.

Joey
 
I just absolutely abhor sanding...and there's now a lot of that to do.

I don't know what type of sander you're using, but since I switched to an orbital Ryobi sander, it's pretty effortless with the right grit. I used to have one of those square hand-held sanders and hated it. With the Ryobi (I think it was like $40-50 at HD/Lowe's), you buy these pre-cut velcro backed sandpaper discs, stick them to the sander, and off you go.

I actually found myself enjoying sanding with it. I start with ~150 grit, then 220, then a final hand-sand with 300-400 before applying the art.
 
I don't know what type of sander you're using, but since I switched to an orbital Ryobi sander, it's pretty effortless with the right grit. I used to have one of those square hand-held sanders and hated it. With the Ryobi (I think it was like $40-50 at HD/Lowe's), you buy these pre-cut velcro backed sandpaper discs, stick them to the sander, and off you go.

I actually found myself enjoying sanding with it. I start with ~150 grit, then 220, then a final hand-sand with 300-400 before applying the art.


I have a Ryobi Orbital... but it's the small single hand model. I just hate sanding... I hate the dust... the mess... the smell.. everything about it. I've always hated sanding... always.
 
I have a Ryobi Orbital... but it's the small single hand model. I just hate sanding... I hate the dust... the mess... the smell.. everything about it. I've always hated sanding... always.

Cum on Frizz,man up and get out that sander.:D
 
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