If you have been hunting for while like I have, then you have probably amassed many guns over the years. I have a few fairly new ones that are still in great condition, and I would proudly show them off. At the same time I have a few that are showing their age, and have collected many nicks and scratches over the years chasing game and being carried to and from camp. These guns have become worn, mainly because they are my “go to” guns. They are the ones I have used for years to take game and to plink with. There is nothing wrong with the guns other than they have lost some of the aesthetic appeal. I wouldn't trade these guns for anything, but I would love to give them a new look and restore them to an out of the box look. Now with the advent of Hydro Printing, giving a gun or other items a fresh new look is easily possible.

So what is Hydro Printing? It goes by many different names, such Water Transfer Printing, HydroGraphics, or Camo Dipping. The hydro printing process consists of transferring a pattern to a rigid object using water displacement. Any material that is rigid and nonporous such as glass, wood, metals, fiberglass, ceramics and all types of plastics can be printed if it can be submerged in water without harm. To find out more about the process behind hydro printing, I turned to Chris Hankins with TalkHunting.com sponsor Southern Draw Hydro Printing. I had the perfect gun to use in my search for knowledge about how companies like Southern Draw turn beat up old guns into show pieces. I recently purchased a Mossberg 835 Ultra Turkey gun, from a buddy. The gun was in good physical shape, but had a terrible factory camouflage paint job on it, along with a few small rusty areas. So what does it take to get a gun or other item dipped? What will happen to my parts once they are shipped off to the printer? These are some of the questions I wanted to answer.

The first step that I would recommend when you have something you want to get printed, is to contact a hydro printing dealer like Southern Draw Hydro Printing. Tell them what you would like to get printed. They can help you with pricing, as well as tell you how much of the item needs to be disassembled. They can also help you with shipping, and answer any of your outstanding questions.

The next step in getting something like a gun hydro printed is to disassemble the gun. This can be a little intimidating for some. If you don't feel comfortable taking your gun apart, or if you need more information about how to get the gun apart, contact a local gunsmith for help. The Internet is also a very good place to look. Places like youtube.com often have how-to videos on how to assemble and disassemble many different firearms. However, no resource is better than a qualified gunsmith or gun shop, so if there is any question please seek out professional help.

Once you have the item disassembled, then you need to ship it to the hydro printer. When getting a firearm printed, NEVER ship the action of the gun to the printer. This is a violation of federal law, and it can get you in serious trouble. Also, never ship the gun fully assembled. Again this is illegal, and the gun will most likely be return to you unopened, and you could get a visit from the boys in blue. Make sure that you pick a reputable shipping company. The printer may have a preferred shipping company as well, so be sure to check with the printer on tips regarding shipping of your items. If the items you are shipping is of great value, which most firearms are, make sure you get insurance, request a signature at delivery, and get a tracking number. This will give you piece of mind that your item will arrive at the printer safely, and you can track its progress while in route. It is also good to include an inventory list of each item that was shipped, and to clearly label what was in each box, and how many boxes were shipped. This will help the printer ensure he has all the pieces of the item that he will be printing.

Now that the printer has your item, what will he or she do with it? The first step for the printer, after unpacking and inventorying your items, is to clean up the items. Cleaning is done by using a glass bead blasting process. Glass bead blasting is like sand blasting, but instead of using sand, it uses tiny glass beads which are propelled at an item using compressed air. This process strips away old paint and finishes and cleans up rust and other debris, leaving the material clean and ready to take on a coat of primer.

Once the item has been bead blasted, it is ready for the primer coat. The primer is an important part of the process. It provides the foundation for which the hydro printing ink will adhere. The color of the primer is also important. Most of the hydro inks have a specified color of primary they recommend, and changing the primer color can change the final look once the item is dipped. Sometime this can create a unique color effect, making the final pattern appear lighter or darker depending on the color of the primer. Again this is another aspect of the printing process that you should discuss ahead of time with the hydro printer you choose. Once the item has its primer coat, and has dried for a period of time, then it is ready to be dipped into the printing tank.

The printing tank that Southern Draw uses is a 5' X 9' stainless dip tank, which allows them to print fairly large items. Southern Draw also offers over 125 different printing patterns to choose from, ranging from wood, metal, carbon fiber, camo, animal skin, marble and illusions. To start the printing process, the water in the tank first has to be heated to the correct temperature before printing can be done. Once the tank is heated, then the ink film is cut and placed on the surface of the water in the tank. A reactant spray is applied to the film to start the dissolving of the ink film sheet, so that just the ink pattern is left on the water surface. Once the reactant has had a few seconds to work, the item is then slowly dipped into the ink, so that the ink wraps around the item completely, providing an even coat on the item. Once completely dipped the item is then rinsed, and hung up to fully dry before being sprayed with a clear coat.

The last step of the hydro printing process is to clear coat the item. This  will give the item a strong, clear protective coat that will ensure that the item maintains its new look. The clear coat is very durable and will help to prevent scratches and nicks, and will preserve the finish for years to come. Southern Draw offers a clear coat that is available in a flat, matte, or gloss finish. Southern Draw also offers a "soft touch" option, which is what I elected to go with for my Mossberg. The "soft touch" option  is designed to give the gun a better grip and velvety feel. I would definitely recommend this option when getting a firearm done.

Once the clear coat dries the gun is ready to be shipped back to you for reassembly, and you're ready to enjoy your renewed gun. If you have any trouble reassembling your firearm, or don't feel comfortable reassembling your firearm, then by all means take it a gunsmith or see your local gun shop for help in properly reassembling your firearm. After seeing my Mossberg reassembled with it's new look, I can't wait for spring time to roll around so I can get her out in the woods after those elusive Alabama Easterns.

While this article has mainly concentrated on getting an older firearm printed, hydro printing is in no way limited to just old guns. If you have a new gun that you would like to camo or change the look of, by all mean hydro printing is great way to do that. Also, bows, car, truck, atv and boat parts, and European skull mounts are just a few of the items that are often printed on a regular basis. Let your imagination be your guide. As long as the item is rigid, can be submersed in water, and will fit in Southern Draw's 5' by 9' dipping tank, then you can transform that item in to a show piece. If hydro printing is something you are interested in please do not hesitate to contact Chris Hankins at Southern Draw Studios, and he will take care of all your hydro printing needs.

Southern Draw Hydro Printing
http://www.southerndrawhydroprinting.com
1204 Springhill Ave.
Mobile, AL 36604
(251) 583-1095

By Denny Chambers

TalkHunting Pro Staff Director, Denny "Bugfixer" Chambers, of Summerdale, Alabama, was introduced to hunting at age six by his father. He began hunting small game and gradually moved up to whitetail deer and turkeys.

Denny has many years of experience hunting whitetail in the thick woods of Alabama, Florida, and Georgia. He just recently started chasing the elusive Eastern Turkey that Alabama is known for, and he harvested his first gobbler during the 2009 spring season. Denny is currently working on becoming an accomplished turkey caller.

Denny is currently the camp leader for Scotland Ridge Hunting Club - East Camp, located in Tunnel Springs, Alabama. Denny along with other club members manage a 1340 acre hunting lease, maintaining 17 food plots for deer and 9 food plots for turkeys.

Outside of hunting, Denny is an Army veteran of Operation Desert Shield and Desert Storm. Denny also has a Computer Engineering degree from Auburn University, and currently works as a software engineer. Denny has been married to his wife Samantha for over 10 years, and is a father of 4 children, three girls and boy, who all share in his love of hunting, fishing and the outdoors.

Comments(2):

1. Awesome Ariticle

   Denny You have given me a ideal on what to do with some old Gun's. I will be send some off to Southern Draw Hydro Printing as soon as hunting season is over.

   Friday, November 05, 2010 Dennis

2. Thanks Denny

   Enjoyed the article. Hope to have my old Rem. Mosel 700 refurbished. Thanks for the walk-thru.

   Thursday, November 11, 2010 Scott