How to Capture Artwork - Sega Hang On Cycle

[digitalmonkeyman]

Hey!
I just got a Hang On Cycle, and the artwork is in pretty good shape, but the rest of the body isn't.  My plan is to strip down the body, repaint it, and re-appy new artwork.  If I can't get new artwork, I will work around the current artwork (what a pain)!
I want to capture the artwork, and submit it to the community, and hopefully someone with more photoshop skilz than I have can make nice, useable, graphics to share with the rest of the community. 
What is the best way for me to capture the artwork, since a lot of it is curved on the cycle? 
Hi-Res Digital Photos?
Dare I take a low heat heat gun to it and try to peel it off then scan it?



Thanks!

[SavannahLion]

Oh snap, I thought you were talking about the stand up. You're talking about the freaking bike.

You gotta remember that the artwork is about twenty something years old. The chances you're going to be able to peel that artwork off in one piece with any sort of non-destructive technique is about slim to none. You would have to have the patience of Job with nearly every technique I can think of.

heat gun, Tuolene, even a layer of Triple Thick/Sticky film + razor blade all have their problems.

Other than that, hi-res straight-on photography with measurements. (eg a ruler right there in the photo). That's all I can think of.

Now if you can find the OEM sheets for the decals. That would be ace. Scan those suckers in and you're done.

[digitalmonkeyman]

Yeah,
kinda what I figured that I would never be able to get that artwork off. 

I like the idea of hi res photos, and I can tape some graph paper right next to it.  But once I do that, and I hire someone to tweak it, is that a PhotoShop skill, or more of a CAD thing?

I've searched high and low for the OEM sheets, or even a decal, photo, anything that could help, and have only been able to find the stand up!

[SavannahLion]

Yeah it kind of sucks. Even the stand-up art is incomplete. IIRC the forward leg art is not scanned and none of the bezel stickers are scanned. Neither is any of the handlebar art scanned. Not that it matters, I haven't found anyone that can reproduce foil stickers for cheap.

It's been a few months since I last looked into it so my details might be off.

On a side note. It kind of bothers me there isn't a central source identifying stickers vs template vs dot print vs brushed art. I'm not 100% certain but the side art for the stand up looks like it's brushed on. I can clearly see the brush strokes.

Talking about this kind of makes me want to dust off my cab and work on it again. There's a motorcycle shop that just open a block away. Might be able to some handlebar parts from them.

[Encryptor]

You could try Goo-Gone. It's an adhesive remover and generally it's non destructive. Any way you try to do it is going to be a PIA.

Encryptor

[digitalmonkeyman]

Thanks,
Hopefully I will have some time over the holidays, and I will take a ton of pics, then try the goo gone.  I've used goo gone on other projects with mixed results.  IF the removal doesn't go too well, and once I get the pics, do I need to hire a photoshopper or a CAD person?

I'll have to start a thread once I have some meat into this project!

[SavannahLion]

Depends on how soon you want it. If you want it asap, then yeah, you'll have to hire. I guess you can try the BSaT section for that. If you have a little patience, just post the files here, we'll all download them and heehaw over them for.... a year maybe before someone gets bored enough to vectorize them.