Yet another decal thread

[stevek]

This is the best news I've heard in ages, my '90 Wicked frame has been lying in a bag in the garage for two months since it was repainted. All the gear is laid out ready for assembly but I cant assemble until the decals are on and the frame has been clear-coated!

Don't know what's happening on the Wendyll front, I'd been emailing weekly up until a fortnight ago but have finally given up on her and my money. Well, it has been three months!

Look forward to getting my hands on some decals at long last!

[yo' djblu]

doug i have 2 full sets of yo decals.. R u looking for any more scans???

[Doug Carter]

Yes! Everything that I have already for the Yo is a low resolution, and I don't believe it was scanned at 100% for some reason. I have art started, but I am not sure on the actual sizes. The downtube decal art is missing on this end, too.


I'm online all day; drop me a note and we can talk about this further... doug@apexspeed.com OR on AIM: upon3

[Spikes]

This is the best news ever! In a few weeks time a lot (hopefully) of Fat Chance bikes will see the light again....

[Doug Carter]

My only concerns are that there are SO many variations of decals for all of the years, I want to make sure we hit as many of them as accurately as possible. Durability is key, too. The factory ones are really fragile, even under a clear coat. I'm not sure what the best method will be for reproduction yet.


Time will tell. At least the ball is rolling.

[fat-d]

It would be great to give everyone access to the decal scans, or even the touched up final images (if the person doing the work wants to share). This site would be an ideal place to host a repository. What do y'all think? Has that been the plan all along?

[Doug Carter]

My guess is no, it won't be public domain artwork. Just a hunch.

If these decals will be produced (and I'm betting on YES), there will need to be a cash outlay for production, which means that the decals will be SOLD, and it's the actual art is what keeps people from making their own. Giving it away doesn't help the process get off the ground.

Anyone contributing to the source for making sure the reproductions are 100% accurate (artwork, original decals, photos, etc) will have immediate access to the decals once they are produced.

Supply and demand. To this point, Wendyll had the only supply, for the most part.


The goal is to fix that and do it the right way.

[Spikes]

Doug, what do you think. Will these decals need a layer of clear paint to protect them, or can they be applied on top? I'm asking so I can start building the bike for my gf.

[stevek]

I don't mind paying for them one bit, after all a little time and effort will be required to get them into production and there will be other costs involved for materials, postage etc. Summer's around the corner and I want to get this Wicked sorted! The sooner the better in my case.

[rody]

If the group decides to go with a updated die cut decal rather than the water slide, they can be used either on top or under clear coat.


I use this with my frames, under clear on wet paint and no clear with powder, and durability has not been an issue. These are also easier to apply for the consumer as they are less fragile and less tedious.

Doug, sending you a pm...

rody

[yo' djblu]

doug did ou get the files?? Haven't gotten word that u got them.

[Doug Carter]

Oh man, I wrote a big long reply to you, and it's sitting in my e-mail outbox SAVED because I didn't finish it. Duh. I'm a moron.

Sean-Michael, they are absolutely beautiful. Great work! I'm making progress with some of the other art on this end. I think we are on a good path so far.




So few have answered my original inquiry...

Would you rather have NOS-like, difficult to use and very fragile water slide decals OR self-adhesive decals that aren't original materials, but more durable and will handle clear coats well (powder coat-safe is a different subject)?


Might have to do a poll on this one.

[mainlyfats]

And it also sounds like you know a lot more about this than I do, so I'll bow to your wisdom. Whatever you think works best is what I want! That said, I like the "put them on over powdercoat or under clearcoat" thing you can do with the heavier ones.

[Spikes]

I would go for more durable, self adhesive decals, that could go on or under a clear coat. The water-slide NOS ones are a pain to use. As long as it looks NOS after they are applied! :-)

[stevek]

More durable for me Doug.

Ta

[NCAndy]

I'd also vote for the more durable and easier to use decals. I'd be in for a couple sets of Yo decals as I've got two that need repaints. No worries about cost either. I'd rather have a reliable source that costs more than the alternative.

A.

[Geekhouse]

Doug,
I've been on this site everyday, and I just saw this thread. Anyway I purchased a set of Wicked downtube stickers over Ebay a few weeks back. I own my own frame company, and am sending these stickers to my sticker guy for reproduction. Basically I'll have a set of vinyl stickers that are really durable. I'd love to collaborate with you guys, so I'm sending you an email right now...

-Marty

[scarrylarry]

If I can get a set of fat ti decals in white or red would be perfect for my build. If I cant get them here then its time for other options.

[mrjarbles]

Doug et al.

To avoid reinventing the wheel, I have a contact of a gentleman who is a graphic artist and also has a vintage bike decal shop on the side. His prices are VERY reasonable and he can work with just about anything. Serioulsy, he is very good. Expect about $25-$35 for decal sets, but let him price them out. His website is below. If we could get him scans of what we need, he can work with them. May even discount for a volume order; I don't know. He is doing this for little gain and is building a nice inventory of vintage decal scans. He had some supply/prinintg source issues recently, but it is now all worked out. He is very popular on the vintage bike forums. No relation to seller, only a very satisfied customer.

http://www.velographicdecals.com/

[Spikes]

Looks fab: I hope this works out just fine. I really can't wait to see the next project finished.

[Fat M]

Hey Doug,

still in need of Yo Eddy logos? I just noticed this thread, and I have a complete set @ home. Bought it some years ago @ ebay, but they turned out to be in the wrong color. So I never applied them.
I could send them to you, if this would help.

[maniac]

I'm looking for decals as well - mainly someone to make them for me. When I first bough my YO in 91 I scanned the art and made some vector graphics of the standard YO Eddy Logo and a couple of other pieces of FAT art.


I'm sure I can dig them up...

Has anyone actually talkedto the guy from NC? I work with a bike builder who may be able to faciliate the order process for me.

Very happy to have found this site anf fellow FAT COGS...

[77classic]

I'd like a set of YO decals, since I'll be re-painting mine this coming winter....

[stevek]

Doug, when do you think you'll be taking orders? When you do take 'em I'll be putting in an order for a set of Wicked and Yo decals.

[Doug Carter]

Right now, I am working ont he artwork when I have time. It's a slow process for the simple reason that I spend my entire work day in front of a computer, and it's tough to get motivated to sit in front of one at home. My goal is to have the Wicked/Wicked Lite versions ready for proofing in the next week or two.

I'll post as soon as there is any new progress.



d

[stevek]

That's cool Doug, I can't tell you enough how pleased I am to at last to be on the verge of getting the Wicked finished.
There's a lot of folk who'll be indebted to you, me included of course. I'm sure we all value the time and effort that you and indeed other FatCogs are putting in. I for one would like to be able to buy you a pint!

Cheers
Steve

[yo' djblu]

just an FYI i too work on a comouter all day... Nutty aint it. I have time this week to finish the Yo decal set I will email files to you doug so u can have them

[Fat M]

I think it's time for a hearty thanks to Doug for the effort he already spent and still will.
He gets at last a big one from me here and now.

But back to the topic: 2 days ago, I bought a Yo in great condition. It already has been repainted, but the color is so ugly that I heardly can stand it. So I will give it away for a repaint.
Today I discussed the decal issue with a friend who's a shop owner and mechanic. He mentioned that clear coating the original stickers will be a problem: Basically, a frame can be either powder or wet coated. In both cases, the coat will be put on at around 200

[Doug Carter]

The ball is rolling...

[Jack Lantern]

I'll get in line for FC decals as well. I have an 88 Wicked that has a rather dated, unusual paint scheme and have been contemplating getting it repainted the same way if I could ever get the proper decals. It's black with orange & yellow splatters all over it, the "butt-rock special" I guess. I actually don't mind the splatter paint schemes from the 80's, definitely reminds people of how old the bike is and takes a bit more guts to ride 'em these days. It's serial number is 00718W which I'm pretty sure makes it an 88 Wicked but it doesn't have the "Wicked" portion on the DT decal....dunno why. If I missed this in an earlier post I apologize but I have the little American flag decal towards the top of the seat tube, not the "Don't Tread on Me" decal, and just wanted to know if that was going to be available as well?

Thanks for fighting the good fight, Doug!

JL