How to Do Hydro Dipping Rims at Home

With the hydro dipping development, more and more people begin to do hydro dipping business, or someone do hydro dipping at home firstly, which can test the hydro dipping easy or not.

And one of the most popular hydro dipping items is car parts, especially for car rims.

For now, I will show you how to do hydro dipping for rims in two ways: big-budget and a small budget.

Preparation before rim hydrographic

Big-budget: If you have enough budget for rim hydro dipping, I suggest you prepare these following hydro dip kits.

1. Hydro dip tank: Generally speaking, a hydrographic tank has a heating system to heat the water, and keep it in a suitable temperature (28-35 degrees) for the hydro dip painting; washing system to clean the dirty of WTP film after dipping.

2. Oven: This oven machine is used for dry out the primer on the surface of the rim, if the rim with base-coat can be dried out in the oven, the primer will be fitted with the rim, so the hydrographic film can be dipped on the rim perfectly, with an excellent dipping effect then no oven.

3. Spray gun: Spray gun for activator spraying evenly, especially for big items and for a dipping starter.

I also see someone spray the activator on the film by a spray bottle for hair. In my opinion, if a small part or ABS, maybe you can do it by spray bottle, but I don't advise you to use the spray bottle all the time. 

The activator has a little corrosive, if big volume, I suggest you use the spray gun.

4. Water transfer printing film: 

To choose the pattern of WTP film you like, and cut the suitable size to do hydro dipping.  

I suggest you cut 3 sheets for rim hydro dipping if you are a starter, rim hydro dipping is easy to failure for a dipping starter.

5. Primer according to the rim material: Choose the suitable oil primer according to the rim material, ceramic material needs ceramic oil primer.

6. Water: 28-35 degrees.

Small-budget: If you don't have enough budget for rim hydro dipping, I suggest you prepare these following hydro dip kits.

1. Hydro dip tank or other containers with suitable temperature water.

2. Spray gun.

3.Water transfer printing film.

4. Texture oil primer: If no oven, you can use the texture oil primer, then dry out about 2 hours if hot weather.

5. Water.

Hydro dipping process:

1. Clean the item. If the rim is rough, then use the sandpaper to polish it as smooth.

2. Spray primer: Spray the suitable primer on the rim evenly.

3. Dry out the rim: If you have an oven, then dry it out by oven. If not, then do hydro dipping at a hot day, dry out naturally about some hours according to the weather.

4. Leave the WTP film on the water: Put the hydrographic film on the water, and see it gets transparent on the water. Then spray activator.

5. Spary activator: Please adjust the spray gun, until the activator sprays the activator as a fog status. And spray activator evenly on the hydro dip film.

6. Hydro dipping: Put the car rim through the water evenly with a 45-degree angle. 

7. Washing the hydro dipping rim: There are some hydro dip paint dirty after hydro dipping, you need to wash the hydro dip rim to clean the surface.

8. Spray the gloss paint: Spray the gloss paint or matte paint on the surface of the hydro dipping rim, to protect the hydro dipping pattern that can be kept in a long time.

PS: if you have experience with painting or coating, you can do the hydro dipping successfully in a short time. If not, please pay for more attention to hydro dipping, so that you can do it well.