Thread: Need help applying decals

You need to seal your decal with acrylic spray again, after applying to blank and drying, before coating with CA

G'day Greg, I use thin CA and a very light touch with the paper towel. But I think that the thin CA is the answer, sorry if I'm not much help.

undies

Thanks Neil. What type of acrylic spray do you use and where do I get it?

Greg

Not quite sure of brand, I have a few various ones from various suppliers. Juts ask for a clear acrylic spray.

You should have sealed the label before you stuck it on the blanks with the same spray

Originally Posted by plantagenon

Thanks Neil. What type of acrylic spray do you use and where do I get it?

Greg

Greg I use "Septone" clear acrylic spray from Super Cheap autos. You should spray a few light coats on the decal as soon as its printed out, this is to seal the color from washing out when you soak it off the backing paper , normally allow to dry once applied to the tube, then spray again ,normally I cast these sorts of things in clear acrylic, not sure what effect CA has directly applied , should be ok just might need a lot to get a buildup if required , cheers ~ John

Thanks Neil and John.

I will visit Super Cheap tomorrow and get some of the spray. It's all an experimentation and learning process at the moment. From what I am doing to date with the decals I can only use light coloured timber otherwise the colours in the transparent decal won't show up properly. When I get it right I expect a few orders on the pens - Sierras and Slimlines from my old workplace.

Greg

Hey Greg the big green shed has bamboo broom handles (I used a piece on the sierra I put in a the thread other day) they are the perfect colour to apply decals to and only a few bucks for a 1.5 m length.

Cheers Rumnut

Thanks for the tip Trev. I must admit it took me a while to work out what the big green shed is - not thinking today. When I pulled up at Bunnings to get some other gear I looked up and realised I was at the BGS. I got one of the bamboo broom handles and will give it a go. I also picked up a piece of Tasmanian Oak that I can cut into 20 or more blanks.

Thanks

Greg

Hey Greg, go to the garden section and look at the garden stakes..........I've had some unbelievable spalted pieces that I stole from management.

Originally Posted by minus459

Hey Greg, go to the garden section and look at the garden stakes..........I've had some unbelievable spalted pieces that I stole from management.

Yep really nice blanks come from all sorts of places. I pulled up a couple of small survey pegs, about 150 mm long, that had been used back when our blocks were being changed from lease to freehold, had been in the ground for many years. The resulting pens were quickly snaffled by family and friends.

You might want to check out one of the larger plastic model shops - in Sydney Hobbyco is but a shadow of its former self, but there are plenty on line, and I beleive some good ones survive in Melbourne. They have all sorts of special chemicals that make decals more flexible, sink down over detailed surfaces, remove bubbles & seal the surfaces - mostly with names like 'Mr Gunze Decal Set' and interesting instructions on the bottle........

OK, I have followed the advice and sprayed the decal after it was printed out. I got them onto the blanks without problems and then after they dried I sprayed them again with the acrylic. It has made them a little cloudy. Will that come off when the CA is applied or do they need a light sanding with MM before the CA is applied?

Originally Posted by plantagenon

OK, I have followed the advice and sprayed the decal after it was printed out. I got them onto the blanks without problems and then after they dried I sprayed them again with the acrylic. It has made them a little cloudy. Will that come off when the CA is applied or do they need a light sanding with MM before the CA is applied?

The cloudy is from moisture in the air. It comes off usually when cast, not sure about CA, hopefully so.