I have had a Kodiak bow on restoration hold status for many months now because decal transfers appearently are no longer available. Is this the end of the restoration process or is something workable in process to remedy this?

Nope no new tranfsfers as yet.Its not that the transfers are diffecult to print its diffecult to find someone to print the transfers.Also finding a printer that prints in white transfers is near impossible and a printer who is willing to print only 4-5 transfers is really tough to find.To get replacment transfers printed is over 400.00 per set up to have a printer print only 5 transfers.Of course as a peson buys more of the transfers it would get cheaper with time.There are 4 different Bear transfers like we use today. = $400.00 X 4 set ups = $1,600.00..bd

I wonder if we could find a printer who would do a few along in the scrap of bigger jobs.. Shovelbuck,, Where you at.. You use to work with some of this stuff

One other thought is the transfer paper ? its actually not paper at all but a plastic-ie like paper.That allows you to remove the lettering and transfer it to the bow limb or whatever surface your working on.I checked with one company and asked the same thing about the scrap and he showed me several of their jobs and there just was no scrap material left over...I also recieved an email this morning from another printer I contacted about haveing silk screen boxes made.I myself because of the amount of transfers I use may use original type silk screening rather then the transfers.The silk screens again are a little spendy to get set up but the cost would go down from there.This has been just about a disaster since Al's untimely passing as he would print you 1-100 or how ever many you wanted of any type transfer any color any bow manufacture any time he used 3 day priority shipping and you were setting new transfers.We'll have to just keeping working at it until we get something working....bd

Guys,
I would try these guys- they do a TON of business with waterslides in the fishing rod business and there pricing is great.
You could have one printed up for under $10.00 if memory serves correctly.

http://decalconnection.com/index.html

It looks like I can get the colored transfers relatively cheaply... I still need to check how soluble the ink is in the various solvents used in finishes, but it looks promising.  The white transfers though... bd has it right.

Dave the problem with waterslide decals is they sometimes get small bubbles under them.Even smoothing them over with a wet Q-tip will still lieve a certin amount of bubbles under the decal.
As you add several layers of clear finish over the decals it tends to really hilight the bubbles too.
There is also no adheive on water decals but rather the vinyl ink ? that just kind of sticks.Even if set between 3-4 layers of finish water decals still will come unglued or peel and pop your new finish off.
I know someone who sells waterslide decals.There around 40.00 for both.But they are not up to the standards for my work.However they do work OK..bd

BD,
I can understand that- obviously the fly rods my company makes have a much smoother surface which helps mitigate bubbles from forming.
I would also look at this company-
http://pulsarprofx.com/DecalPRO/index.html
We utilized this system prior to moving forward with a decal system because of time it took to create and make a logo, etc.
This system allows you to create white graphics but does require the use of a laser printer.  It works awesome and may be just what you guys are looking for.

Does anyone have a good digital image of the slikscreens?  My photos aren't good enough (crappy camera) and scanning isn't an option for me.
I want to try the next test printing on an actual bow instead of just plexiglass.  These are dry transfers.

Jeremy what year bow do you need pics of ? bd

bd, a '57 Kodiak would be great, but anything would be helpful and if you need a set of decals for something send it along.  I'm not sure how the pale yellow is going to turn out over brown glass.  I can't get the exact shade printed (no white ink) and need to rely on the glass toning down the yellow.  The darker colors should look good.  I still need to see how the ink is affected by different finishes... should have a better idea by the weekend if this is worth going after.

Someone who's good with photoshop should be able to take a picture, isolate the silkscreen from it and be able to change the color at will.  I don't have the software to do that and I'm trying not to spend too much money on this.  
Anyone want to volunteer?

Okay guys I'm a little confused.  

The decals I got from Al were not a true white but were a cream color anyway.  They looked light yellow on the tranfer carrier but when applied they looked more white.

Trap

AIG, Has the masters?? and isn't selling/making them??
More to that than meets the eye,
I read he is starting to refinish some of the bows he list's.
Wonder if he's just keeping them for his projects or what.
Doesn't sound like a good idea to invest a bunch of money and time,when he can probably undercut whoever gets her done.I know somebody will do it,just wonder why he isn't

one reason no selling no printing is the selling price was 40.00 per set.I'll pass on that...bd

what you see is what I got...well sort of.One of those Super K transfers could be used as a master and reprinted by scaning and then in yellow(1958-1963) and or green(63ish-66)and would replace most early Kodiaks.bd      

How did aig get the masters,and are they the ones Bear archery used.

Terry

One of Al's decals would be the main one someone could use to copy today rather then to have an artist make a master to copy.
Here's a piece of the plastic-ie like paper some of Al's later transfers were printed on this type.But I don't got the sticky backed transfer paper to remove the lettering once printed on the sample...bd

a water-based finish didn't do anything to the transfer, but solvent-based finishes softened the adhesive some.  Not sure how that's going to affect the transfer in the long term.  How do Al's decals hold up?  Can you peel them up while the finish is wet?  May need to switch to a different PSA.

I sent 2 bows off to be refinished a while back, and I included a couple sets of Al's decals for  '59 Kodiaks to go on my bows. The person refinishing the bows emailed me a couple months ago and told me the first coat of Fullerplast destroyed the decals, something about using the wrong thinner in the mix... so be careful what you use. Guess I am getting some water transfer decals on my bows instead of the decals Al had sent me before he died. I just came across the last letter Al sent me yesterday, what a great guy to deal with, a real gentleman.

I found the last email AL sent me while going through the computer last night... glad I saved it.  He attached the images of the early 50's Grizz, Kodiak and Polar transfers that were used by the printer.  He also sent good pictures of his other transfers, but they're too small to use.

I'll play around with these a bit more before looking at a different adhesive.  I'm wondering if putting a thin coat of CA over to seal them might prevent the finishes from affecting the adhesive.