Thread: Decals

Have you thought of trying casting resin? You can get a small tub and the catalyst from bunnings. You will have to build a small castin resin box though and then drill it out again but ive come across people doing that after sticking the decal to the tube

Originally Posted by delbs

Have you thought of trying casting resin? You can get a small tub and the catalyst from bunnings. You will have to build a small castin resin box though and then drill it out again but ive come across people doing that after sticking the decal to the tube

Hi Delbs,

Have thought about casting but not much experience with it, it is on my to-do list however.

Good stuff. Me neither but have watched videos of turners doing it that way haha. Give it a shot on some spare brass tubing see how it turns out

Spray the Top Coat acrylic onto the paper after it is dry and has cooled. Only a fine spray is necessary. Cut out the decals. If the barrel of the pen it is going on is not round but larger at the bottom or top, then you might need to put small V shaped cuts into the decal edge (not the picture) to help it sit better. Soak the decal in warm water for 1 minute and then slip it onto the barrel. You can move it around gently with your fingers. If it begins to stick to the timber, wet some paper towel and dab a bit of water onto the decal and it will loosen again for further movement. Gently push out the bubbles with your finger by rolling it over the decal.

Put the barrel aside and let it dry overnight. Then spray 2 more coats of Top coat on it and let that dry before you start the CA, otherwise the CA will burn into the colours and make them run. The first 3 coats of CA should be put on gently (little pressure) then spray with an accelerant to harden it. After that - Bob's your uncle applying the rest of the CA.

Thanks Plant, do you only apply one coat of acrylic spray onto the decal and how long do you wait before cutting out the decal and sticking it onto the pen barrel?

one light coat to the decal originally. Check the can for the drying times and work by that. I normally give it 24 hours but I do things in batches and have a bit of time on my hands. It should not take long to dry. Just make sure you give the second spray on the barrel a bit of time to dry cause the CA comes next. Good luck with it.