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Customizing Rims With Hydro Dipping

9zero7 in PC

Like a lot of our readers we love customizing our fat-bikes and unique rims are on the top of the list and can really make a statement.

Reader Tony B. saw our report a while back on rims customized with a vinyl graphic treatment and passed on this report about customizing rims using a process called hydrographic dipping. The included pictures are of his 9:zero:7 with snow camo rims using a pattern called Mothwing Winter Mimicry pattern applied to his Marge Lites in March, 2012. The unique pattern complements the black and white colorway of his 9:zero:7. Having powdercoted rims on previous fat-bikes Tony wanted a unique look but didn’t want to follow the cookie-cutter trend now that “dayglo” powered rims are ‘normal’.

Tony paid $50 per rim for the camo dip – local prices may vary, so it’s best to shop around to see who has street cred and performs quality work. Note that the base-coat, hydro film and two coats of automotive clear added approximately 20 grams to the weight of each rim.

General info on the hydrographic printing process can be found here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydrographics_(printing)

Here are some examples of the process, patterns and myriad industries that use hydro dipping:

http://www.hydro-dip.com

Pattern options range from mild to wild – woodgrain, camo, skulls… you name it, there’s a pattern that’s guaranteed to satisfy your sweet tooth. Kits are also available online for those that wish to try their hand at applying the graphic treatment in their home workshop. Although this coating process is common to many fabricators of commercial products, the most popular aftermarket use of this treatment is to camouflage hunting equipment or to pimp interior automobile trim and video game consoles/controllers. Now we can add fat-bike rims to that list!

Have you customized your rims? Whether you powder coated them, applied vinyl graphics, hydro-dipped them or used some other process to add panache to your ride we’d love to hear about it. Shoot about it to me at sven@fat-bike.com.

camo Marge Lite

7 Responses to Customizing Rims With Hydro Dipping

  1. Mike Mahoney February 14, 2013 at 4:37 pm #

    That is AWESOME!

  2. Kate February 14, 2013 at 8:17 pm #

    How expensive is to do the same on my bike please? I need both wheels done

    • Tony February 15, 2013 at 8:11 am #

      Hey – I have a set of brand new Rolling Darryl’s done up in the same pattern that I’d be willing to part with. PM me if you’re interested.

  3. Casey February 19, 2013 at 8:55 am #

    That is a bad dad.

  4. Matt February 20, 2013 at 7:18 am #

    Im going to do this to my Pugs, only in digital tiger stripe snow camp pattern!

  5. Bob or Margaret at LSH February 26, 2013 at 9:50 am #

    We own and operate a Hydrographics shop in Ontario Canada and if you go to our web-site can look at hundreds of patterns.
    Our facilities would also enable us to dip an entire bike frame.

    http://www.LakeSuperiorHydrographics.com

    Contact Bob or Margaret if you are interested or have any questions about the process.

  6. Oleg Vorinel December 17, 2021 at 2:36 pm #

    Hi my name is Oleg, I would like know how much cost that hydro dipping a bike frame? Please inform me and where place location and I am live here Irvine orange county.

    Thank you

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