!@#$% homemade decals!!

oldrk Jul 21, 2008

  1. oldrk

    oldrk TrainBoard Supporter

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    Tried my hand at homemade decals. White decal paper with the image printed on it. Let it dry for an hour. Then sprayed decal bonder. Probably been 6 hours now. Cant get the decal to slide off. HELP!!
     
  2. Locomotion

    Locomotion TrainBoard Member

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    Never seen a piece of decal paper in my life, but, have you printed on the correct side?
     
  3. thoroughbreed

    thoroughbreed TrainBoard Member

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    With home printing decals, the difference between these types and the microscale, is that the whole sheet is decal, and not just whats printed to it. You must cut the sheet real close to the decal, and not too close or it will bleed when wet.
    Usually I try to find multiple things to print out at once when doing them, to take up the rest of the sheet.
    Also, when sealing the decals, I'll spray it multiple times before cutting it out. I know with Testors brand paper, the decal itself is super thin compared to microscales, so be careful when appling, or else it will flip or curl. I also wouldn't use microsol with these decals either, but thats just me.
     
  4. eagle37

    eagle37 TrainBoard Member

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    Using Decals

    Could someone give me or point me toward simple instructions for using decals (for
    my first structure project several months ago I didn't even realize I was using decals--
    carefully cutting out the signs and gluing them in place :)! No matter how hard I try,
    I don't seem to be able to get the decal off the backing without it coming apart.

    eagle37
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Jul 21, 2008
  5. AB&CRRone

    AB&CRRone TrainBoard Supporter

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    What brand of decal paper are you using? Some water slide decal papers need to soak in water much longer than Microscale decals. A minute minimum soaking time for large decals.


    Ben
     
  6. AB&CRRone

    AB&CRRone TrainBoard Supporter

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    Decals that come apart like that need to be "refreshed" by brushing on a product like Microscale's Liquid Decal Film. Brush a liberal amount over the decal image and let it dry at least 15 minutes. Don't go back over what you have brushed on while it is wet or it will smear the decal image.


    Ben
     
  7. jeffrey-wimberly

    jeffrey-wimberly TrainBoard Member

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    If you're using Testor's decal paper (what I use) print your decal(s), let the ink dry (1 hour) then spray with sealer. After the sealer is dry carefully cut the decal from the sheet. Dip the decal into cold water for 20 seconds then let it sit (backing side down) on a non-porous surface for an additional 30 seconds. The decal should be getting loose by now. Carefully slide the decal from the paper onto the model. Gently move it into it's final position with a wet finger. Once positioned, dab the excess water from the decal with a paper towel.
     
  8. Fotheringill

    Fotheringill TrainBoard Member

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    I have spent 40 + hours playing with designing and making and affixing decals. (Still no white printing) I have tried different papers and different fixatives. What are you usning for each?
     
  9. MisterBeasley

    MisterBeasley TrainBoard Supporter

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    There's a bit of trial-and-error with homemade decals, but I've been able to get results I'm happy with. I use an HP inkjet printer, an old 722C.

    I use clear-backed decal paper by Experts' Choice, designed for inkjet printers. My LHS doesn't carry decal paper, but another hobby shop a bit further away has this stuff. I have no reason to believe it's anything more than generic, and it seems to work OK.

    I use MS Word to create my decals. Typically, I'm only printing a few at a time, so I push the margins all the way to the top and both sides to put the decals as close to the top and use as much width as possible. Once I've printed the decals, I use a paper cutter to slice off the printed strip. That way, I've got a clean edge and I can re-use the shorter sheet of paper next time. (Yes, there are bagpipes in my attic. Why do you ask?)

    I let my decals dry for several hours, longer if it's humid. I then lay the strip of decals out on a flat surface and weight down the corners. Then I paint on a layer of Microscale's Liquid Decal Film. After another similar drying period, I put on another layer. I found that it's important to keep the whole strip completely flat. It will tend to curl if left unweighted on its own. This introduces a slope to the paper, and greatly increases bleeding of the ink when the Decal Film is applied. So, keep it perfectly flat and your decals will come out much cleaner. I put the Decal Film on with a brush, by the way, and clean it in alcohol, followed by a rinse with water.

    For trains or cars, I'll use a satin coat sprayed on to the surface. It's important to have a smooth surface, and this step helps a lot. On structures, though, I like a rough surface to give a more weathered appearance.

    I find about 30-40 seconds works to loosen my decals. I wet the model's surface with Microset (the stuff in the Blue bottle) and then apply the decal. I push it around and smooth it with a paintbrush. If the surface is irregular, Microsol (Red bottle) will soften the decal and allow it to conform to the surface better.

    Once dry, I seal the decal with either satin spray or Dul-Cote, depending on how I want the finished product to come out.

    Since I always use clear decal paper, I can't print white, and light colors are a problem, too. So, when necessary, I paint a white background where I'm going to put the decal. This restores the color balance that the printer expected.

    This is a home-painted Bachmann Peter Witt trolley, with my own decals. Note that in this case I used dark lettering on a light background:

    [​IMG]

    This is the other extreme - a weathered ad on the side of a building. The painted white background was used here:

    [​IMG]
     
  10. AB&CRRone

    AB&CRRone TrainBoard Supporter

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    [​IMG] Mine too, but I balk at kilts.

    Good coverage of the procedures and nice decals.



    Ben
     
  11. MisterBeasley

    MisterBeasley TrainBoard Supporter

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    Aye, laddie, but 'ave ye got a pub on yer pike where a man can get a Haggis?

    [​IMG]

    I printed these decals, too, and applied them to the plastic window glazing.
     
  12. Steve Ervin

    Steve Ervin TrainBoard Member

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    Many thanks for such a useful post. I am saving it in my files for future use.


    Steve E.
     
  13. Fotheringill

    Fotheringill TrainBoard Member

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    Great idea on the black decals. It never lit the bulb in my head. I will follow your lead.
     

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