Decals

LAST EDITED ON Feb-13-02 AT 03:44 PM (CST)

Gentlemen,
It's been suggested that the answer to my question can be found here at the SSW. I've recently received a bmp file of the nose art the Air Force has approved for one aircraft in each combat squadron to honor the heroes that fought back on 9-11. it is really cool and I want to make a decal of it for the plane I fly this summer. It's called "Let's Roll" and I'll send the bmp to anybody who wants it.

Who can tell me the best way to make a decal using a laser printer? I need the names and contact info for the companies that sell services or materials to do-it-yourself.
thanks in advance guys.

Check out www.classicairmodels.tripod.com they will have all the info you will need.
Good luck
Dwayne

OOPS! the address is www.classicairmodels.homestead.com
Sorry bout that
Dwayne

Cat,
My brother who works at Boeing sent me what I think is the same "Eagle on a mission" file you speak of, awesome bit of art work. I plan on making these in small sizes for my own airforce. What I'll be doing is printing them onto Avery white lable making stock using my Inkjet printer. The full sheets are coded #8165 in the product line up. The clear film is coded #8665 for full sheets, 8 1/2 x 11 inches each. This is a peel and stick medium. Print quality is very good in the extreme with the treated stock. The clear, which I've used to date, is frosted in the package, but once clear coated is almost invisable on a white background surface. A color background should produce similar results. Only draw back that I can see at this point is the thickness of the material, ..it's not as thin as water slide decal materials. I'll still use it anyway liking the "do it myself" freedom it gives me. May be worth a try for your applications too. You will need the white stock if you go this way, ..remember that Inkjet printers don't print in white, they use the paper color for that. Regards.
Tony

p.s. I can send a pic of the results I've got with the use of the Avery stock if you'd like.

LAST EDITED ON Feb-13-02 AT 11:38 PM (CST)

Tony,
check your email

Dwayne
thanks for the link. I'd never seen that one before and looks like I'll add it to my favorites.

regards,
catdaddy

I have a printer made by the Alps company. This printer uses ink ribbons that contain some sort of waxy looking ink. The cool features are that the decals are water proof unlike an ink jet and it will print white areas with white ink if set up properly instead of using the paper color for white. This machine wasn't much more expensive than a regular printer and it prints water slide decals beautifully. There are even gold and silver foil ink cartridges as well as metallic inks available. The printer prints in multiple passes, drawing the sheet back in for each successive color. It's a slow process, but turns out great. If anyone has questions about this machine, e-mail me.

Howard

I recently tried a brand of decal called "Vita-cal" made by Vitachrome. They are available through most places that sell model trains, in clear and white. I believe there is a model train mail-order company called "Guenther" or something like that from which you can buy. They are for use only with INK JET printers like most of us have at home. After making quite a few decals, I have found that you do not need the clear overcoat that they sell - it makes the decal too thick. When the decal comes out of the printer, let is air dry for a few hours then spray on three light coats of clear dope. Let it dry overnight, then cut and apply like any water-transfer decal. The results will really please you.
Bob

There was an article in Model Railroader several years ago
about the Alps printer, and printing decals with it.
As far as I know, it is the only printer available which will
print white, silver, and gold.

Guys,
I've followed the "do it myself" decal thing on many different forums, both r/c, c/l, model R.R, and plastic airplane sites (another passion of mine, see www.hyperscale.com for a great scale model site out of Oz.) Anyway, the ALPS printer which was originally produced in Michigan is no longer in production in the U.S.of A. A like technology , I think they call it "thermal transfer" is being sold under the Oki (or something like that? I'll check the brand and edit this later) brand in the U.K.. ALPS consumables are still available from different venders in the U.S. but the printers are not. I priced one here in Canada about three years ago, and just could not bring myself to part with the cash, ...how's $600.oo canadian dollars before taxes? Ouch! Still the results are unlike anything else one can do on the home front for decal production. I've got information garnered from an article in Fine Scale Modeler if any one should wish to school them selves up on the ALPS process,..contact me via e-mail.

I've also tried the available do-it-yourself waterslide decal kits, ..one anyway, ..Super-Cal. Results with this product were less then satisfactory. The Avery label stock as proven to be the best readily available material I've found. Regards.

My mistake - the model train distributor is "WALTHER", not Guenther.
Bob

WALTHERS

http://www.walthers.com

I used to do model railroading.

LAST EDITED ON Feb-14-02 AT 07:39 PM (CST)

I have no idea what this artwork looks like, and no real desire to make decals, but was wondering if somebody would be interested in making this decal for sale, perhaps with a bit of donation to the NYPD/NYFD charities? Just a thought. Steve

You can get a nice starter kit with instructions, a sheet of white backed paper, and a sheet of clear backed paper, and the fixative from micro-mark. The kit is available for either laser or ink jet printers.

And you thought they only had the coolest tools in the universe!

Ed

LAST EDITED ON Feb-15-02 AT 00:20 AM (CST)

Steve,
My intent was to have some made and pass them on for free in hopes that they would appear on as many models as possible for this spring, summer, and fall events
regards,
catdaddy
p.s. check your email I sent you a copy of the art work in question.

Ed,
Do you have a link for micro mark's starter kit?
catdaddy

>Ed,
>Do you have a link for
>micro mark's starter kit?
>catdaddy

You bet and it is way too hard to remember:
www.micromark.com

glad to help