Anybody have an opinion on doing hydro-graphics on dash panels. I want to redo my dash this spring and have been kicking around ideas on how to finish the panels. I was thinking about powder-coating them or wrapping with carbon fiber but then a buddy tells me about this stuff, looks pretty cool. I'm just wondering how durable this stuff actually is, does anybody have any experience?
Thanks,
Aaron

Here is a link to a friend on mine in St Pete and does amazing work. He does paint work and the hydro/transfer process too.

http://tomarguedesign.com/hydro-illusions/

I did some panels in my boat last year, and they came out good. They look good, and have held up well. You need to be very clear on how you want them to look (direction of pattern etc).

Thanks guys, Anybody know of anybody in the FL Panhandle (PC to Pensacola) that is doing this stuff. I have done some reading it looks you can do this yourself and materials are readily available. Has anybody gone that route? YouTube videos make everything look so easy...

doing it yourself is an option. not a very good one but it is an option. it is pretty difficult process to get right. don't get me wrong once you figure out how to do it properly its realitivly easy. but there is a learning curve. if you want to save time and effort pay a pro to do it. jmo.

it is an option but i agree its probably best to leave it to one of the pros. I set myself up to do it a year ago and its pretty cool but its not as easy as it looks on the vids. The biggest thing is maintaining enough water temp and it also takes an experienced hand. I ruined a lot of pieces before i got one right. If you are only doing a few pieces it will cost you more to perfect the process then just shipping it off. At the moment i pretty much gave it up till i can construct a big enough tank with enough capacity for the heat needed.

Have a buddy that has a shop here that does it. If i was redoing panals that what I would do.

Dave, I have looked at commercial tubs that talk about water temp, what should the water temp be? All the DIY kits I see make no mention of this.

And your probably right that I should have someone else do it for me, if there was a shop around here that is route I would go. I guess shipping them out is an option.

What do you guys with first hand experience think about the wood grains? Do they look real? There was an option for wood grain when the boat was new so that was the route I thinking but if it looks "cheesy" I might go carbon fiber.

I had Ozarks Hydrographics do some parts for me (just south of Springfield Missouri) . This plenum off of my 383 Scorpion was done in a water droplet design to match the synergy green paint on the boat. It looks great. I have several guns that have been hydro'ed in camo, and they hold up very well.