Do vinyl decals settle over rivets and other stuff on the side of diesels?
Any other tips from some one who has used vinyl?
have not done diesels but rivets generally can be conformed to. use something like a soft eraser to use to form over rivets. another option is to use a heat gun-sparingly to soften the vinyl.
I can see it possibly trapping air with the rivet helping to form a bubble. If that were to happen I know that a small pin prick of a hole and a shot from a heat gun helps shrink the vinyl down. I would think applied heat would suck it down onto rivets and other decals (with or without the need of a hole). Unlike water slide decals vinyl shirks with minimal effort with heat. Might be worth a shot.
All of my house road cars and locomotives are lettered with vinyl.
I’'ll second what has been said above, a small amount of heat to warm the vinyl, but not warp the plastic, then use something soft to work the vinyl around the rivets. A pencil eraser might be a bit too stiff, but give it a try, I use a felt squeegee from Oshee.
I was looking for a good picture that shows how the border around my lettering on #8 is right on a rivet line. After about 20 minutes of searching for a better shot of #8, I settled on this one…
I also used matte black vinyl to block out the Rio Grande lettering on my second #345 to make it #4. I will eventually put CVSRy letters over it. You can see how well it conforms to the rivets in this shot…
The type of vinyl will also make a difference, High Performance of vinyl made specifically for wraps will conform with less work. Very thick 7 year lettering vinyl would be difficult.
EDIT: Click the pics and you can zoom way in.
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All good advice.
I have been a water decal user all my life, but I’m thinking about vinyl on those two diesels I’m reworking.
Can you top coat the vinyl decal after weathering with dull coat?
Probably, but I would test a sample first to be sure it doesn’t lift the adhesive. We use a solvent based clear at work on print shapes that are too intricate to laminate with clear vinyl.
9 hours and the Rooster has not reported Devon the administration for saying prick
Hmm John. Not sure about top coating never tried. I only have a couple vinyl decals. I use vinyl as a mask so any thing I offer is speculation.
I cut vinyl for the C&T and others… SO… Jon R’s advice is right on the mark…
if you can get some scraps from a sign shop that does auto wraps, thats the stuff you want… The stuff sold for crafting and such will give you more nightmares than you want… The guys that do auto wraps have tons of scrap, cut outs from windows irregular shapes, wheel wells and etc. Just be nice and ask them…
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Quote from G scale Graphics
"Spray with acrylic sealer (Optional)
Use a clear matte acrylic sealer to help seal the edges of the lettering.
Note: There are no known problems of our lettering ever peeling up, with or without this step. It is just extra protection."
Has anyone have reviews from G scale graphics.?
John,
I have used Del’s vinyl lettering off and on for years. Good product and great service. He will work with you to make sure that size and style are what you want.
This lettering on the 3 truck was applied in 2013
This was applied last year, the lettering holds up well.
As you see the vinyl is easy to weather over and stays put with no problems. I always over spray with Krylon #1311 Matte clear.
A little bit of a learning curve for application but nothing you can’t handle. Oh, if you run your fingers over the finished lettering you can feel the edges but at a foot away you really can’t see the edges.
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This what I have to cover. Hatches, and other raised details. The white Pass will be cleaned up and painted over.
I can see that vinyl works great over a smooth surface on those tenders.
John - Those ribs will be a problem to stretch the vinyl over. I could make the White Pass (or your new lettering) in one piece as usual and then you could slice it at the rib intervals and apply it in pieces. Or if you can specify precisely where the cuts need to be, I could do that here.
I wonder if a heat gun or a hair dryer can stretch it enough to fit around the ribs of the car, like they do with vinyl car wraps, which I guess is thicker than the decal
Pete & et al…
Actually the car wrap vinyl is much thinner than common vinyl, and made to shrink up, stretch and mold around features…
Which is why I commented that the “Craft Store” variety will give you issues…
Also much more expensive…$$
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Yep - From another who works with this stuff for a living, I concur.
I use a heat gun as well as decal set on my water slides.
On wooden (plastic) sides I also slit the decal with an Xacto blade
down the wood joints.
On real wood I do the same.
With vinyl on “wood” you could probably do the same thing.
(Look at Ricks #5 on his loco. If that was a decal, I would slit it.)
I don’t know what decal set would do to a vinyl decal.
Anyone try that?
I doubt that it would have any softening effect on the vinyl… It’s a solvent type stuff… I would be concerned that it would dissolve or attack the adhesive on the cut vinyl…
Never tried it though…
Dave,
I am really glad you posted about the car wrap vinyl. I would have never even thought to try it but it makes perfect sense. It is designed to do exactly what we are talking about. I am going to see if I can get some and play with it. I would think being thinner that it would work even better on the Cricut or other such hobby cutters. Either as a decal or as a paint mask. Again thanks for the tip.
Decal/Signage vinyl like Oracal 651 (2.5mil) and Oracal 751 (2mil) is thinner than auto wrap vinyl and generally cheaper.