Pressfix transfers

[Dad-1]

I've used waterslide decals, or transfers if you prefer, for around 40 years

I'm now trying out my first attempt with HMRS pressfix and I'm not happy, perhaps someone can explain where I'm getting it wrong.

 

Easy to cut lengths and lay roughly in place - but corners need to be exact, so how can you see where the transfer matter is ? it's on one side of a gummed backing paper that's too thick to see through and although you can get within say 0.25 of a mm that's not good enough !! Here is my loco with the saddle tank over bands in place and trying to see where the lower band needs to be attached.

 

 

The result has been awful corners ...... how DO you work these with the accuracy I can obtain with waterslide products ??

 

 

Perhaps I should have asked Fox which sheet has the W-B-W lining !!

 

Geoff T.

[TheSignalEngineer]

When using Pressfix transfers I score round the one I want to use from the sticky side of the sheet with a craft knife, then lift the transfer with a thin layer of the backing paper. That way you can see where the transfer is, put it into what you think is the correct position and then before you finally press down, put a small dab of water on the back. This will make the layer of backing transparent so you can make any minor adjustments before the transfer is firmly fixed and the remaining backing removed.

It takes a bit of doing so it's best to try a few small bits before you do it in anger.

[DerekEm8]

Geoff,

 

Pressfix transfers are made up of 3 layers - cover sheet,transfer/tissue and backing paper.

Have you separated the transfer from the backing sheet as per the instructions.

If so the transfer are then very thin and can be seen through to press down carefully in position , after wetting any remaining tissue should slide away and you can still adjust the transfer until you are satisfied, press down and blot dry. When the transfers have dried fully excess adhesive can be removed with a moistened paint brush.

[Mikkel]

Geoff, like Derek I am also wondering if you have removed the thick backing paper? When I use pressfix for lining it looks like on the third photo down on this page:

http://www.gwr.org.uk/prolining.html

[Flood]

Once the transfers are in approximately the right place then just moisten your finger and give the transfer a quick dab so some of the backing starts to become slightly transluscent. You should be able to move the transfer to a more accurate position, then give it a good hard press and then properly wet the backing to remove it.

[GC Jack]

I recognise this problem well.

 

The glue that fixes the transfer is unforgiving and if you misplace it you have to peel the whole thing off - which can damage the paintwork. It is difficult also to see through the paper so the whole thing is a real problem,

 

My solution is Carrs Transfix (Not Humbrol, with these transfers I have found it leaves stains).

 

Put a layer of Transfix on first then lay the transfer on top and then add a little more Transfix. As long as you move the transfer around a little the fluid disolves the glue and turns the transfer into a normal waterslide, You can see it easily and move it into the correct position.

 

Hope this helps,

 

Jack

 

 

[Dad-1]

Thanks to Mikkel's photo tutorial I'm now learning how to work these. One picture gave me the information I needed !!

Yes I had cut out the full backing paper as I couldn't see there was another film over it - blame old eyes and less than perfect lighting !!

None of the instructions give a full detail that the decal carrier is a 4 level membrane which would probably have me peering a little closer at the sheet.

In fact probably a 5 level membrane ..... 1) a tacky adhesive; 2) reverse printed transfer; 3) waterslide adhesive; 4) carrier film; 5) backing paper;

I say reverse printed as what you see is the underside and not the finished surface.

 

I'm still not half as happy as I would have been with waterslide transfers, but I've worked them with Microsol, Microset, Johnsons Clear, IPA, all sorts for so many years and understand them well.

As you can see my joins are not as good as I'd like - waterslide alignment is much easier

 

 

Here is side 2 where I still have to finish the cab lining. What I need to know now is how to remove yesterdays bad workmanship. A quick wipe with Acetone didn't strip back, but was removing paint - not enough to damage it, but enough to stop me. Any non paint damaging ideas ?

 

Geoff T.

[Flood]

I normally just use a finger nail, that's assuming you've not varnished them yet.

[Mike G]

Attached is a link to a site that gives details of a talk that Steffan Lewis gave - Maindee East - on using pressfix transfers. Hope this is of some help.

 

 

http://www.freewebs....agnag/howto.htm

 

regards

 

Mike

[Oldddudders]

I too have struggled with Pressfix, having had fair success with waterslide transfers. Intrigued to note that the tutorial warns against using water to lift the tissue once the item is in situ. The HMRS instructions actually specify water for this task. I have Microsol, Microset and Champ Decal-Set on hand and will now give them a try. At least the lining offers something tangible to measure accuracy. I found renumbering Hornby Maunsells a real pain - justifying the numbers was very hit and miss due to the opacity of the tissue.

 

Ideas in this thread may prompt me to be a bit more adventurous, at least! Thanks to all who have contributed.

[Dad-1]

I would agree with oldddudders that lining up long number with pressfix would be somewhat more difficult if not impossible although I'm certainly getting the hang of lining.

I do intend to experiment and see if there is a technique I'm happy with - I also noted the don't use water in that web instructional, yet that is what HMRS say to use !!??

 

Here is an 'easy' job with waterslide, but you try justifying the nose codes and even more fiddly the 7 digit tail fin codes with pressfix ?

These were specific Aerobatic Display team machines and had to have the correct codes that were made up from generic alpha-numeral decal sheets.

(Turks & Greeks are not good bed fellows so I'm getting them to 'make friends')

 

 

I suppose every job is easy when you know how.

 

Geoff T.

[66C]

Here is side 2 where I still have to finish the cab lining. What I need to know now is how to remove yesterdays bad workmanship. A quick wipe with Acetone didn't strip back, but was removing paint - not enough to damage it, but enough to stop me. Any non paint damaging ideas ?

 

Geoff T.

 

Hi Geoff

 

I have found that methylated spirits (as used for Methsfix transfers) will soften Pressfix transfers and allow their removal. This has worked for me on Humbrol enamels, Railmatch enamels, Halfords aerosols and artists acrylic varnish.

 

Regards

[Graham_Muz]

I've almost exclusively used pressfix for the majority of my models, with respect to numbering I generally align along carefully positioned masking tape and also start with the middle number and work away from it in both directions.

[Jon020]

I would agree with oldddudders that lining up long number with pressfix would be somewhat more difficult if not impossible although I'm certainly getting the hang of lining.

I do intend to experiment and see if there is a technique I'm happy with - I also noted the don't use water in that web instructional, yet that is what HMRS say to use !!??

 

Here is an 'easy' job with waterslide, but you try justifying the nose codes and even more fiddly the 7 digit tail fin codes with pressfix ?

These were specific Aerobatic Display team machines and had to have the correct codes that were made up from generic alpha-numeral decal sheets.

(Turks & Greeks are not good bed fellows so I'm getting them to 'make friends')

 

 

I suppose every job is easy when you know how.

 

Geoff T.

 

Geoff, nice Thunderjets!

[ozzyo]

I found renumbering Hornby Maunsells a real pain - justifying the numbers was very hit and miss due to the opacity of the tissue.

Ideas in this thread may prompt me to be a bit more adventurous, at least! Thanks to all who have contributed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Olddudders and all,

 

when putting numbers on to a loco one thing that I found to help with lining the numbers up was to draw a pencil line under the numbers on the tissue paper (the paper layer that has the numbers on it). Then working from the middle number out line up all the numbers, use a good steel rule for this and Bobs your uncle and Fanny's your aunt. Then just apply water and remove the tissue paper and clean up.

 

OzzyO.

[meil]

Methfix transfersare much easier to work with than Prestix. I only use Presfix when Methfix re not available.

 

With Methfix you have time to position everything before fixing with the Meths.

[Adrian Wintle]

Methfix transfersare much easier to work with than Prestix. I only use Presfix when Methfix re not available.

 

As a slight divergence from the topic, is there anything you can use in place of meths to make Methfix transfers work? Methylated spirits are effectively unavailable over here, but I can easily get things like isopropyl alcohol in concentrations up to 99%.

 

Adrian

[JZ]

I too struggled with pressfix in the past, but these days I wouldn't use anything else for lining. I find it so much easier for long straight runs like on coaches. I still stick to waterslide for numbers etc.

[Sylvian Tennant]

I am a re comer to pressfix and after being used to waterslides found it highly frustrating when all of the "BRITISH RAILWAYS" lettering started to go their own seperate ways!!!

[70021 Morning Star]

Hello Folks,

I've just started using 'pressfix' transfers, and found a few things others might find helpful. Also, I'm looking for a bit of help.

 

Someone suggested drawing a pencil line to help align the lettering. But then you've got to remove the pencil line afterwards. That's why I prefer to use masking tape and a 'straight edge' length of clear acetate.

 

When aligning lettering, be aware that not all letters should sit on the line. That's important, otherwise you'll have a 'mechanically straight' line of lettering, but your lettering won't look right visually. You need to look at the overall 'weight' of each letter. For example, the capital letter A is thinner at the top than an M or H. As a result, when a professional signwriter paints an A, he'll make it is smidgen taller than the other letters, so that the overall visual appearance is correct, although the letter is of a different size.

 

When it comes to the letter O, or any letter that has a rounded bottom, 0, 3, 5, 6, 8, 9, and some versions of C, G, as well as the letters V and W, for a correct visual appearance, the bottom curve or 'v' of the letter must sit a smidgen lower. In the case of 5, V, and W, you can align along the top, so they're the same height as the other letters, but with the rest of the rounded letters and numbers, you need to balance the overlap at top and bottom. Of course, this presupposes that the lettering is correctly drawn, where rounded letters + V and W) are drawn slightly larger than the rest of the alphabet.

 

I find it's useful to use a strip of clear acetate for checking that final lettering alignment. And here's an interesting thing about 'pressfix': after you've rubbed them down, it's still possible to give them a slight tweak, up or down, by pressing down across the entire surface (as opposed to your earlier use of a tweezers), because the transfer is now fixed, it won't move more than the very tiniest fraction, so you can give it a final tweak with confidence.

 

Ok, hope that helps. Now onto the help I need. These pressfix transfers leave a horrible glue residue on my models. The instructions say it just washes off. Hmm, not in my experience. And this gunky glue isn't just around the transfer, it's across the top of the transfer too. I've found that metal polish will remove this gunk without damaging the transfer - it just adds a bit of 'weathering' - but I've got to be awfully careful. Can someone please advise of a better method?    

 

Thanks,

Rick

[cobach47]

i make waterslide transfers from presfix, press the transfer onto clear decal film coat with johnsons kleer or micro liquid decal film, trim and apply as normal.

[Metr0Land]

 

Ok, hope that helps. Now onto the help I need. These pressfix transfers leave a horrible glue residue on my models. The instructions say it just washes off. Hmm, not in my experience. And this gunky glue isn't just around the transfer, it's across the top of the transfer too. I've found that metal polish will remove this gunk without damaging the transfer - it just adds a bit of 'weathering' - but I've got to be awfully careful. Can someone please advise of a better method?    

 

Thanks,

Rick

 

After I've pressed them down I use Micro Set/Micro Sol to soak and remove the paper, this seems to remove the 'unwanted glue' as well.

[70021 Morning Star]

Cobach and Metro,

Very clever ideas ! Thank you.

 

Nice neat job on that model.

 

BTW, the HMRS transfers don't appear to have correctly drawn letters. All too common a fault since the growth of computer-based typography. People think that all letters are the same, and that you only need to scale up/down to get different sizes, whereas, in true typography, the character shapes change - to retain emphasis of their characteristic features - as we look at bigger or smaller versions of the same typeface.

 

Thanks,

- Rick

[jwealleans]

A spot of White Spirit will also take the residue off.

[Prometheus]

A spot of White Spirit will also take the residue off.

 

I'll try that - thanks. The gluey reside is really my only problem with Pressfix, I like them otherwise [although if not stored carefully they can attract an awful lot of fluff].

 

On another note, I had an astonishing lack of success [initially] when re-lining a Wrenn Castle with Methfix-type transfers. They simply would not cure. In the end, I attached them successfully [and without mess] by using a dilute PVA mix applied with a fine paint brush. When dry, I wiped them carefully to remove any residue and applied a coat of satin varnish. They look fine.

 

Tony