transfer magic

Tim Herman · Feb 23, 2009

I am still having trouble with Tom Whites transfer magic. Tonight I tried 4-6 different times and didnt work hardly at all. Tom told me to top it off with more alcohol and I did but still wont work good at all.

Any ideas?

mbroder · Feb 23, 2009

I usually get 100% transfer using TransferMagic and Epson transparencies. What kind of transparency film are you using? You also need to make sure you use the solution very sparingly. An extremely thin coat gives a better transfer. Also, I have noticed that if you slightly heat the piece after applying the solution you will get a better transfer.

Mack · Feb 23, 2009

I can't believe you are asking that question. People make fun of anyone having problems with it. I'm not sure what we should ask about anymore.

Andrew Biggs · Feb 23, 2009

Hi Tim

The solution is effected by humidity and moisture in the air and cold. When it's winter down here I heat the plate a bit first very slightly, apply the solution and flash it off with the heat gun. You don't need a lot of heat......just enough to get rid of any moisture.

Mack........I wouldn't take that too seriously. There was no harm meant by any of it as it was just a bit of good natured sillyness. Sometimes we can get so intent and intense about a problem that it can do a bit of good to poke a bit of fun at it and laugh about it every now and then. I don't think any offence was being offered.

Cheers
Andrew

Sam · Feb 23, 2009

There are quite a few other factors that must be ruled out before assuming it's the solution itself. Such as the correct print cartridge, black ink only, right transparency material, and being sure you're printing on the correct side. I had trouble at first too, but it was one of those other little details that I had done incorrectly. Double check all of those, Tim. I'll bet it something in the settings.

Mack · Feb 23, 2009

Well laughing at the different things people have tried in desperation doesn't exactly encourage people to join in with their questions or ideas. Yes some of it was redundit but Sam told me when I first started here that there was no such thing as a dumb question. Now I see different. I have mine figured out finally, with the help of some of the people here but it is still a problem for others.

Sam · Feb 23, 2009

If you don't know the answer, then it's not a dumb question. Ask all the questions you want and hopefully we'll find an answer.

Tira · Feb 23, 2009

Tim, One other idea that goes along with Andrews temperature and humidity answer. Usually after I paint a thin layer of it on the clean metal with a paint brush I breathe onto the solution like I was going to shine my sunglasses. This usually leaves a thin film of "breath" for lack of a better term on the solution. It also makes part or all of it turn a white color. Then I fan the area until I don't see any more moisture. Once this occurs I transfer and it works every time. I have even done this in my studio which is more often than not 58 degrees in the morning without problems. I never really thought about the humidity aspect of it, but it does seem to work for me. Good luck.

Peter E · Feb 23, 2009

In covering the basics, the prepared surface has to be CLEAN. Either alcohol or acetone is what I generally use.

Petr

Idaho Flint · Feb 23, 2009

I to do what Tira does. I breath on the area, which will help dry it, and wait for the moisture to be all gone. It works very well that way. By the way I did find that if you sand / finish the piece to smooth, that it will not transfer. It seems that there needs to be something there to grab onto. I sand down to about 300 to 400 grit before transfer, but not any further. After the initial cuts are done, and before I do the finer shading cuts, I will do more finish work on the piece.

Mike

firefly · Feb 23, 2009

There can also be an issue with the object you use as a burnisher. WhenI first began to use it, I wasn't getting a good transfer when I used a hard plastic screwdriver handle for the burnishing stage. I changed to smooth polished bone and the problem disappeared. Sometimes I use a small stainless spoon, if i'm working in a tight spot. Evidently, hard plastic just isn't hard enough.

Greg Neely

Andy · Feb 24, 2009

Tim,
When I'm working on polished flutes I will sometimes get a few that resist all attempts to transfer. I think it is the rouge that is used to polish with. It's too slick for anything to adhere to. Because I can not "rough the surface up" I usually will scrub the heck out of it with a tissue wetted with acetone. It takes considerable effort but usually gets results. On knives I never put a polished finish on to begin with and never have a problem. Although I'm wondering if your problems have more to do with the combination of materials and settings. Anything less than pure black ink alone won't transfer. One other thing I stumbled upon was using a heat gun to rapidly dry the solution. I don't have time to wait for every part of the solution to dry. I am always sure it is positively dry when I start with this method. I do a lot of transfers. Also ....I have found that the Tom White solution seems to work a little better than my home brew Bullseye mixture on the really hard to stick surfaces.

Sam · Feb 24, 2009

Andy's post made me think of one transfer method I've used in the past when I had to repeat the same pattern many times. I was engraving a maker's name on a series of miniature Bowie knives, and what I did was engrave a 'master' in scrap steel and then take a clear tape & transfer wax transfer whenever I needed to engrave one. The master stayed tucked away safely in a drawer until I needed it.

This has nothing to do with computer & printer transfers, but I find it to be very fast with dead zero accuracy for certain projects. It costs me a bit of time making the master, but that's quickly recovered after I've done a couple jobs.

Kevin P. · Feb 27, 2009

Tim Herman said:
I am still having trouble with Tom Whites transfer magic. Tonight I tried 4-6 different times and didnt work hardly at all. Tom told me to top it off with more alcohol and I did but still wont work good at all. Any ideas?

Tim I had an awful time trying to get a decent transfer. I finally succeeded with some help from friends on this forum. When I did succeed I posted in great detail #44 on that six pg thread. Tira's remark about breathing on it is new to me; I thought it was blowing on it, rather than breathing and creating a fog. Check with your tongue to make sure you've got the right side. I have a jeweler's burnisher with an oval cross section that I use. It's very stiff and allows me to apply a lot of pressure. Read that #44 post. If you still don't succeed post your procedure, every tiny detail. If you just say it's not working, none of us have a clue as to what might be wrong because we don't know your process.
Patience furthers.
Kevin P.

Sandy · Feb 27, 2009

Tim,
The humidity here in Kansas can drive you nuts. I am like Andrew except I use the hot air gun all the time. I first clean the surface with acetone then the hot air then the solution then a light touch of the hot air. I use the micro hot air system and set the temp on what ever the Celsius is for about 190 to 200 F. I have had no problem with transfers since starting this.

Sandy

GERALD K. MAJORS · Feb 27, 2009

I don't use forums often enough to know how to negotiate thru them. Can someone tell me how to access post #44 as Kevin P suggested?

Thanks
Gerald

Keith · Feb 28, 2009

Gerald click below and look on the right the posts are numbered.(The top of this post is #17)
http://igraver.com/forum/showthread.php?t=4524&page=5

Keith

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