S
Stevekir
Guest
You can use this to make decals with any design you want. A discussion is at:
http://www.scale-models.co.uk/threads/decal-on-decal.27250/
Preparing inkjet Printable White Decal Sheet
I used White decal inkjet decal paper from John’s shop (not Transparent ).
Design your image on a computer and set the inkjet printer to Photo Glossy Paper, high quality. Print on the shapes. I made some squares, ovals etc. as a test, but my main aim at present is to produce a sheet of decal that looks like wood. Let it dry for about 40 minutes.
Apply 3 coats of Microscale Liquid Decal film, by brush is OK. Being solvent-based it dries in 20 minutes when another coat can be put on. The finish is semi-gloss. Clean the brush with two changes of a paper towel soaked in the thinner for polystyrene cement (an example is sold as Mr. Hobby Thin Mr. Cement S, others sell similar). Avoid letting hairs etc. settle on the wet coat. They will spoil the result just like hairs on a wet paint finish.
Applying the Decal on the Model
Accurately cut around the shape, making a small tab at one end for the tweezers to hold it in the water. I then followed the usual procedure for applying decals. In the water the decal film separated from the backing paper over most of the surface but not at the end nearest the tweezers. It was stuck there. Then the penny dropped. The use of printable decal paper involves an A4 sheet covered from corner to corner with decal film. No part of the decal sheet is free of it. Therefore, the tab was covered by film as well as the design and was obviously held down by the tweezers. Why doesn’t that happen with bought decals? Here is what seems to be the the answer:
View attachment 82164
This drawing shows a typical bought decal for a plane. The piece of decal that you cut from a bought decal sheet (shown in yellow) is not all covered with decal film: only the part on and inside the grey ring (shown only for clarity—the ring itself is never shown on a bought decal sheet). Therefore, holding the square of bought decal sheet with the tweezers on the yellow part does not trap the decal film. How to modify the decal produced by the printable decal system?
The answer is, as described above, but after cutting the decal and its tab, cut with a sharp knife around the image where the tab is but only lightly, to separate the tab decal film from the film of the image. Bend the paper back to confirm that the film has been separated. The rest is as for conventional decal application, as follows: The decal can be floated in water off its backing sheet, but I found that the film tended to wander off in the water bath more than with a bought decal. After dabbing carefully with the edge of a paper towel to remove excess water from the back, both the film and the backing sheet can be placed over the part (the part being previously wet with Microscale Microset) and the film coaxed off the sheet in the usual way with a brush. Again, use the edge of a paper towel to dab away surplus liquid. Then Microscale Micro Sol is brushed on as usual and allowed to dry, after which the decal film is firmly stuck and settles into grooves like bought decals do (I put it onto brick-embossed Slater’s Plasticard). The result is indistinguishable from a bought decal and when dry is difficult to remove by, for example, scraping with a finger nail.
The procedure for transparent decal paper would probably be the same The difference of course would be that you could include blank areas within your decal so that the underlying paint on the model would show through. With my wood decal that was not necessary.
However, I tried to apply a single piece of my burr walnut decal to the dashboard of my 1/16 Rolls Royce car (see below) and it was a complete failure. It didn’t stick at all due to the lumps and bumps on it (not too surprising). More work needed there.
View attachment 82165
LATEST: I have had success with the printable decal paper. See my build report at:
http://www.scale-models.co.uk/threads/revell-1-16-rolls-royce-phantom-ii-continental-1934.26589/page-3
The decal went on to the top unit (the thin strip) OK despite having a 90 degree change of surface across its width. Because the main part of the supplied dashboard was too knobbly, I scratch built it and because it was flat (before adding scratch knobbly bits) I just glued on the decal, backing paper and all.
http://www.scale-models.co.uk/threads/decal-on-decal.27250/
Preparing inkjet Printable White Decal Sheet
I used White decal inkjet decal paper from John’s shop (not Transparent ).
Design your image on a computer and set the inkjet printer to Photo Glossy Paper, high quality. Print on the shapes. I made some squares, ovals etc. as a test, but my main aim at present is to produce a sheet of decal that looks like wood. Let it dry for about 40 minutes.
Apply 3 coats of Microscale Liquid Decal film, by brush is OK. Being solvent-based it dries in 20 minutes when another coat can be put on. The finish is semi-gloss. Clean the brush with two changes of a paper towel soaked in the thinner for polystyrene cement (an example is sold as Mr. Hobby Thin Mr. Cement S, others sell similar). Avoid letting hairs etc. settle on the wet coat. They will spoil the result just like hairs on a wet paint finish.
Applying the Decal on the Model
Accurately cut around the shape, making a small tab at one end for the tweezers to hold it in the water. I then followed the usual procedure for applying decals. In the water the decal film separated from the backing paper over most of the surface but not at the end nearest the tweezers. It was stuck there. Then the penny dropped. The use of printable decal paper involves an A4 sheet covered from corner to corner with decal film. No part of the decal sheet is free of it. Therefore, the tab was covered by film as well as the design and was obviously held down by the tweezers. Why doesn’t that happen with bought decals? Here is what seems to be the the answer:
View attachment 82164
This drawing shows a typical bought decal for a plane. The piece of decal that you cut from a bought decal sheet (shown in yellow) is not all covered with decal film: only the part on and inside the grey ring (shown only for clarity—the ring itself is never shown on a bought decal sheet). Therefore, holding the square of bought decal sheet with the tweezers on the yellow part does not trap the decal film. How to modify the decal produced by the printable decal system?
The answer is, as described above, but after cutting the decal and its tab, cut with a sharp knife around the image where the tab is but only lightly, to separate the tab decal film from the film of the image. Bend the paper back to confirm that the film has been separated. The rest is as for conventional decal application, as follows: The decal can be floated in water off its backing sheet, but I found that the film tended to wander off in the water bath more than with a bought decal. After dabbing carefully with the edge of a paper towel to remove excess water from the back, both the film and the backing sheet can be placed over the part (the part being previously wet with Microscale Microset) and the film coaxed off the sheet in the usual way with a brush. Again, use the edge of a paper towel to dab away surplus liquid. Then Microscale Micro Sol is brushed on as usual and allowed to dry, after which the decal film is firmly stuck and settles into grooves like bought decals do (I put it onto brick-embossed Slater’s Plasticard). The result is indistinguishable from a bought decal and when dry is difficult to remove by, for example, scraping with a finger nail.
The procedure for transparent decal paper would probably be the same The difference of course would be that you could include blank areas within your decal so that the underlying paint on the model would show through. With my wood decal that was not necessary.
However, I tried to apply a single piece of my burr walnut decal to the dashboard of my 1/16 Rolls Royce car (see below) and it was a complete failure. It didn’t stick at all due to the lumps and bumps on it (not too surprising). More work needed there.
View attachment 82165
LATEST: I have had success with the printable decal paper. See my build report at:
http://www.scale-models.co.uk/threads/revell-1-16-rolls-royce-phantom-ii-continental-1934.26589/page-3
The decal went on to the top unit (the thin strip) OK despite having a 90 degree change of surface across its width. Because the main part of the supplied dashboard was too knobbly, I scratch built it and because it was flat (before adding scratch knobbly bits) I just glued on the decal, backing paper and all.
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