Cub Man

My Feedback: (50)

Looking for a way to do some custom letters on a scale project. I’m looking for some of the stenciled looking letters in 1/4 inch and 1/8 tall.

BobH

My Feedback: (2)

If you aren't in too big a hurry give Gary at Getstencils.com a try. I say not in to big a hurry because he had a computer crash and is rebuilding his system etc. currently.
http://www.getstencils.com

LesUyeda

Make your own water transfer decals.

Les

TomCrump

I'm with Bob. Gary can make you exactly what you need. Here's some lettering that he did for my Ziroli Stuka. Note that I have weathered the markings, so some portions are missing.

Laird SS

Is any of this usable? This font is free and readily available on the Internet. It is called USAAF_STENCIL. You would have to find a way to create the periods and dashes.

fliir

Inkjet decals are easy if you (or a friend) have an inkjet printer. You jus print it and then spray a clear acrylic over the top to protect it. The USAF Stencil font would be perfect!

Here is a waterslide decal that I printed on my inkjet printer:

SDCrashmaster

I use Fliir's method to do all the decals on my Jet gear detail and other projects. If you need white letters on a painted surface, rubdown transfers ar your only option.
Paul

YAT-28E

Cubman

I needed small black and white lettering for my 1/8 th scale project and I did them on my inkjet for the black and found a guy to do the white for me. He did them and sent them the next day!

i downloaded the font and ldid the layout in WORD and sent the file. Here are a few shots

Mike

abufletcher

Paul, I've said this before and I'll probably say it again, but I'm just blown away with the detailing on that gear! Do you have a tutorial on how you've done this somewhere?

smchale

My Feedback: (67)

You mean it's not pics from the real plane!?!? WOW, amazing attention to detail, Paul!!

Cub Man

My Feedback: (50)

Well I had getstencils cutting me some pinked strips already, so i sent them a email and they will be making me some rub on. so the small letters are take care of. I would have done the ink jet thing but most of the lettering i needed was yellow,

SDCrashmaster

Thanks for the props on the gear detail guys.

Abu,
It's a combination of building up a stock set of gear using styrene, PVC, epoxy, etc., to build up the strut and create all the bosses and standoffs, etc., then creating masters for all the other parts and pieces, then making individual molds and resincasting parts from them.
If you followed Tom Pierce's Dauntless thread, then you'll have an idea of the similar techniques I use make the master parts.

Then, once you have all your parts mastered, use molding rubber to make 1, 2 and even 3-part molds, then create castings from them. I use Alumilite products...although there are others.
Molds cure in 12-24 hrs., and the Resin cures in minutes.

The tricky part is knowing how to create the molds properly so that they don't trap air, etc., and don't contain undercuts that trap the part. On parts that have bolt holes, cast them with various wire and brass rods inserted into the cavity so that when removed from the mold, it leaves holes in the finished part that simply need to be tapped, for attaching with bolts and screws.
This allows for the consistent fit of parts from set to set. It also allows replacement parts to be interchanged. and it keeps from having to figure out where to drill holes, every time you fabricate a new set.
After all the parts have been cast, it's like American Chopper. Fabricate the entire build, disassemble, paint and detail, then final assembly.

It's all definitely a learning process, like everything else. But, as with anything, it's the initial effort that sets the tone for the final work.
The molds pick up very fine detail, so the quality of the parts is only as good as the masters they're replicated from.

Getting the first set completed requires a three step process of Fabricating Masters, Molding/Casting and Assembly Paint Detail. They each take about the same amount of time, which on a project as intense a the F/A-18 landing gear (lots of parts and detail) required upwards of 350 hours of work. It takes me about 150 hrs. to do a set from the molds.

It is a fun process, and the possibilities really open up once you get the hang of it. It becomes tedious after the first few sets because of the exhorbitant amount of work invlvolved in the hand-fabricating environment.

All this means that these suckers aren't cheap, and are not for the faint of heart.

I would suggest everyone give resin-casting a try on any project that requires two or more of something. Think of how many times you need to create sevral of the same thing and kinda made them all just "OK" to get through 'em. (Wheels, Exhaust Stacks, GPS Antennae, Fuel Caps, Control Yokes, etc.)
Well I suggest spending twice the time making one just perfect, with the finest detail, them make as many copies as you wish.

It's fun...try it.

Sorry for the lengthy rambling post.

Paul

JET FX

Can anyone shed some light on how to reproduce the small white and lite coloured lettering? Iam well experienced with using the clear/white water slide decal papers and inkjet process, but obviously we cant print 'white' onto clear carrier deacl paper. Alps printers where the suggested method but they are no longer made or sold here for the Australian market! Iam really keen to find away of producing the white based and lighter colours onto clear if there is any other way of doing this Iam all ears!!

Paul, again awesome work.... and now with added weathering! just need to add the miniture smashed bug guts to the landing light now

abufletcher

I knew there was a trick to it. All we have to do is spend a bazillion hours on it!

SDCrashmaster

That's just about it Abu...a bazillion hours

Marty, your's are almost ready to ship. Prepping for canopy kit and LEX Fences now.

Paul

YAT-28E

Try
http://gold.mylargescale.com/StanCed...omDecalsx.html

for white letter printing on clear!
He turned them around for me overnight!!

JET FX

Paul, Iam getting excitied just thinking about em.....cant wait to see my bug sitting up on those legs for the very first time[8D]

Re- White lettering, the Alps printer process seems to be the only option that Iam aware of for making any white lettering on a clear carrier film? I really would like to make my own decals at will, its one of the only areas that eludes me at present.... so frustrating[:@]

Cheers- Marty

BobH

My Feedback: (2)

My only issue with lettering on clear is that.. its lettering on clear. It's near impossible to hide the clear material.. Just my 02.

JET FX

Actually if you use a water slide decal fixative when appling decal and then apply a clear coat over the decal when dry the carrier film sheen generally becomes almost if not completely invisible. The same process can be scaled up for use on larger R/C scale models very sucessfully. I have used the inkjet water slide decal paper process many times to reproduce fine art work detailing on a few models now, alas any decals printed onto the white water slide decal paper have to be carefully cut out prior to final application. Its really just the finer small white lettering ie NO WALK, etc or the smaller light coloured detailed artwork that remains elusive as we still cannot print white onto clear