PolyGloss is a 2-part, high-gloss, water-based, sublimation coating for hard surfaces
This 16-ounce bottle will coat approximately 65 square feet or 240 mugs
PolyGloss will provide a high-gloss (wet-look), sublimatable coating for the following surfaces:
- Metal - Stainless Steel Mugs, Aluminum Signs, License Plates, Zippo Lighters, Clipboards, Dog Tags, Key chains, Nameplates, Aluminim Water Bottles, Fridge Magnets, Christmas Ornaments
- Polished Marble & Stone
- FRP (fiberglass reinforced plastic)
- Hardboard (aka Masonite) Available at Home Depot in 4' X 8' sheets with "white-board" finish. Home Depot will cut down the large sheet into more manageble pieces free of charge. Smaller pieces can then be cut with a standard jigsaw.
- Ceramic Mugs & Tile
- Glass
- Wood
PolyGloss is a 2-part, polyester resin that can be applied with common household tools. It cleans up easy with soap & water and does not emit toxic fumes. The catalyst is added at a ratio of 1 ml for every ounce of PolyGloss. The PolyGloss mixture has a potlife of 18 hours. Unlike most 2-part resins, the mixture can be re-catalyzed after the potlife has expired by adding additional catalyst at the same 1 ml per ounce ratio.
Directions:
Step 1: Add 1 ml of catalyst per ounce of Poly. Stir thoroughly and let mixture settle for a few minutes. Mixture can also be thinned with up to 10% water. Mixture has an 18-hour pot-life, but can be re-catalyzed by adding 1 ml of catalyst to each ounce of remaining mixture.
Step 2: Clean surface with Dawn dish soap, rubbing alcohol or degreaser/solvent like Simple Green: Crystal, Valspar Aqua Clean, rubbing alcohol or Xylol to remove any oil, wax, or silicone left on substrate during the manufacturing process. Not all substrates will need to be cleaned, but if you are having a hard time getting the coating to cover the entire surface smoothly without “craters” or deep brush stokes, then cleaning is necessary.
Step 3: Apply thin, even coat of Poly mixture with foam brush, fine-bristled brush, LVLP (low volume, low pressure) or gravity-feed sprayer like the one pictured below.
Step 4: Once dry, cure substrate in oven for 15 minutes at 325F. If the sublimation paper sticks, increase the cure time by 1 minute intervals until the paper no longer sticks.
Step 5: Press with light to medium pressure at 400F. Since dwell times vary according to substrate and method, here are a few examples to get you started. When pressing ceramic tiles face-down over foam padding, press for 8 minutes at 400F. When pressing tiles face-up, press for 4 minutes at 400F. For thin metal, press for 60 seconds at 360F. Other than metal, most substrates can be pressed at 400F. You’ll know you need to turn the temperature down if the coating begins to bubble or the substrate begins to melt. You’ll know you’ve reached the optimal dwell time when nearly all the ink on your paper is “gone.”
Sticky paper is the most common challenge when coating substrates. Here are a few common reasons for sticky paper:
Not enough dwell time: The dye sub ink needs time to fully transfer from the paper to the Poly coating otherwise the “wet” ink will hang onto the paper. Increase your dwell time by 1 minute to see if you get better results. If not, move on to the other possible causes listed below.
Coating too thick: Coating needs to be paper-thin, add water if coating is too thick (2 to 3 ml of water per ounce of mixture).
Not enough cure time: coating should be dry before curing, otherwise the cure time is actually “drying” time. Increase the cure time by 5 minutes if necessary.
UV Protection: When creating outdoor art, spray on a UV-Resistant Clear Acrylic Coating over your sublimated image after you substrate has cooled. We use Krylon UV-Resistant aerosol spray available at craft and hardware stores.
Coated substrates have no expiration date. In other words, you can coat a mug today and wait 'til next year to sublimate the mug.
Sublimated substrates are microwave and dishwasher safe.
WARNING: Wear face mask & eye protection if using a sprayer
We sell our PolyGloss as a kit and you will receive the following items in your kit to help you get started coating your own products.
- 16 ounces of PolyGloss resin
- Catalyst
- Measuring Syringe
- Measuring cup
- Mist-sprayer for removing bubbles
If you are interested in ordering larger quantities, we offer the following discounted prices:
1 gallon = $140
5+ gallons = $135 per gallon
Trouble Shooting Guide
If you are having a hard time getting the PolyGloss to coat your surface evenly and you are having problems like "orange-peel" or "fish-eye," then your substrate needs to be "cleaned" with rubbing alcohol or a solvent like Xylol (aka Xylene) to remove the oil or wax residue left on the substrate during the manufacturing process. Xylol is readily available in the paint department at Menards and most hardware stores.
International Buyers:
All International orders are insured with ShipCover Insurance. If your package has not arrived in 10 days, please email rachel@dyepress.com and we will file a claim with ShipCover to reimburse you in full or send you a new package, whichever you prefer.
Please Note:
Import duties, taxes, and charges are not included in the item price or shipping cost. These charges are the buyer's responsibility.
Please check with your country's customs office to determine what these additional costs will be prior to bidding or buying.
Check out our new video demonstration on youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PLxiWi5Be-k
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