Reply to Frank Henriquez

Thread view:

Enable EMail Alerts

Start New Thread

Thread rating:

Stewart Schooley - 18 Dec 2006 23:31 GMT

Frank,

I can't think of any time when I would buy a laminator. If I really
wanted to make a white decal I would silkscreen on water slide decal
paper. Silkscreening is something I've had experience with.

The fun for me is to see if I can figure new and cheaper ways to solve
problems that come up in my main hobby of old radio restoration and
model making as well. I think of these activities of mine as another hobby.

Right now I have 6 pieces of aluminum foil with different recipes of
white acrylic paint, water, and talcum powder painted on them. In the
DecalPro process using their white foil, excess white has to be lifted
off using low-tack masking tape. Can I duplicate their white foil with
what I am doing? I don't know, but if I have to make 6 more tests, I'll
do it.

Frank, it's all about having fun. I'm 75, retired, and doing things I
enjoy doing. The main reason I have posted here about my decal tests is
that I wanted to see if there was someone here that wanted to get
involved in this.

Check out this site about my work in restoring the photo prints that
were on many of the cheaper radios in the 1930s. My scanner doesn't do
justice to the color of the prints. Everyone who has seen them a were
amazed at how much the prints look like real wood. Old radio restorers
are using this method with great success.

http://pages.cthome.net/ptf/photofin/photofinish.html

Wish me luck with the decals, I may need it.

Best regards,

Stewart

Reply to this Message

Frank Henriquez - 19 Dec 2006 21:16 GMT

> Frank,
>
> I can't think of any time when I would buy a laminator. If I really
> wanted to make a white decal I would silkscreen on water slide decal
> paper. Silkscreening is something I've had experience with.

Stewart,
Most people making decals for hobby applications lack the experience,
time or funds to either make their own silkscreens or hire a printer to
do make the decals for them.

> The fun for me is to see if I can figure new and cheaper ways to solve
> problems that come up in my main hobby of old radio restoration and
> model making as well. I think of these activities of mine as another hobby.

I agree that the process should be fun; that's why I mentioned a
laminator. While experimentation is great and I wholeheartedly recommend
it, some times the process gets in the way of the results. In my
experience, ironing the transfer materials did not produce consistently
good results and it took time. The laminator took that variable out of
the equation and making printed circuit boards or photoetched parts is
now a lot easier and a LOT more fun.

I haven't used the DecalPro system to make decals yet, but it looks far
more promising and less annoying than using my ALPS printer.

Frank

Signature

Frank Henriquez Programmer/Analyst Jules Stein Eye Institute, UCLA
frank@ucla.edu http://frank.bol.ucla.edu/index.htm

Reply to this Message

Model Forum / General / Models / December 2006

Reply to Frank Henriquez