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Emily laid bare: A Stirling effort


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Mike I found using a laser printer stops the colour bleed. Only issue is you'd need a test print of the colours as they are different to inkjet ones usually!looking very good :)

Which is why I tried them out. Unfortunately I only have a B+W printer, ideal for the lining but not much else.

 

In hindsight I would probably go about this differently in future which I will cover towards the end under lessons learnt.

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Not to 'teach grandma how to suck eggs', but are you using the right decal paper for your printer?  I've had a go at printing my own transfers in the past and found out that there are different decal papers for inkjet and laser printers- I don't know what the difference is however it might be something to do with how the paper takes the ink?   

 

I read that you varnished the decals before wetting them but still had a bit of inkbleed- my own limited experience of this was to apply varnish using a brush rather than spraying it on, and to apply two coats to make sure I got at all of the transfer- this seemed to work as the transfers didn't bleed.  How long are you leaving the ink to dry before you varnish it?- the pack of decal paper I use recommends half an hour at least to let the ink dry out and sink in, and when I lined out my GCR 11B I printed the decals on one night and varnished them a day later- so the ink had fully 24 hours or so to dry and settle.   

 

You've done a great job so far and I'd say to perservere with the homemade decals- it's a bit of a steep learning curve but they look great! 

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Yes, I have both types of transfer paper and did use the inkjet type for the inkjet printer only obtaining laser type later for use with my Laserjet. Unless you also have a Canon printer, it could be that your printer's ink behaves differently. I could cut the transfers and then give them another coat of varnish which would seal the edges, however as this problem does not occur with the laser ones I am having more success with them.

 

Just as inks vary so no doubt do makes of transfer papers so possibly a bit hit and miss.

Edited by MikeTrice
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Yes, I have both types of transfer paper and did use the inkjet type for the inkjet printer only obtaining laser type later for use with my Laserjet. Unless you also have a Canon printer, it could be that your printer's ink behaves differently. I could cut the transfers and then give them another coat of varnish which would seal the edges, however as this problem does not occur with the laser ones I am having more success with them.

 

Just as inks vary so no doubt do makes of transfer papers so possibly a bit hit and miss.

 

Mike

 

Different printer manufacturers use different methods of sealing the ink to the paper. I can't remember which way round, but Epson use either a cold or hot application ink while HP use the alternative, so the papers they produce are quite different as are the inks.

 

I don't know about Canon printers, but I do have a friend who works for Canon and would be happy to find out what type of ink they use, if you wish. If the decal paper is designed for something like a cold application ink and Canon use a hot application ink, you may find changing the decal paper will make a cast difference.

 

Phil

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Some minor progress whilst decorating (waiting for plaster to dry - well that is my excuse).

 

The tender frame has been sprayed with Marabu Satin Matt Varnish, the buffer heads inserted with springs (after removing the blutack) and the screw on collars fitted. Also tidied up the Vermillion around the buffer bases and (finally) removed the tension lock coupling mounting points:

post-3717-0-92722800-1425141495_thumb.jpg

 

From this lightened view you can see how the retaining nuts for the buffer heads were accessible and after assembly duly painted Red Black to blend in more:

post-3717-0-23559100-1425141499_thumb.jpg

 

T'other side:

post-3717-0-88743100-1425141496_thumb.jpg

 

And front view. There really should be lining on the front of the tender and given the progress being made with the laser printed transfers I might just do them, but not for the moment:

post-3717-0-67266400-1425141497_thumb.jpg

 

The missing lining on the splasher has been added and I have started lining the cab (oh boy did the GNR have a LOT of lining). To produce the tight radius corner I used the old trick of painting the curve by hand in white:

post-3717-0-71002300-1425141500_thumb.jpg

 

Then going over with black:

post-3717-0-86010300-1425141501_thumb.jpg

 

A lot of the lining is a single band of black with a thin white line to one side of it. I would be curious how many commercial transfer sheets include this.

 

One item I have not seen included in commercial transfer sheets is the black/white circles for the cab windows. Relatively easy to do when you have complete control of the shapes you produce yourself. Here the first one has been added:

post-3717-0-99311500-1425141502_thumb.jpg

 

So lots more lining to do that even plastering is starting to look attractive as a diversion!

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Mike as mentioned yesterday the HMRS sheet has the Black and White one side only. You can get most shapes of it with some cutting, sadly no wheel lining or cab circles included. Fox also do a sheet however the white is oversize compared to HMRS sheet.

 

Loco coming on well.

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Harking back to the problem of obtaining and maintaining colour matching between the light green of the transfers and the true painted areas, it occurs to me that with the transfers providing the "almost right" green colour and the neat panel ling, you could (with care) paint over the green areas of the transfers ALMOST up to the edges of the lining and lettering. That should secure an exact colour match without any stippling effects and similar behaviour of the various light green areas as the finish ages.

Edited by gr.king
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Harking back to the problem of obtaining and maintaining colour matching between the light green of the transfers and the true painted areas, it occurs to me that with the transfers providing the "almost right" green colour and the neat panel ling, you could (with care) paint over the green areas of the transfers ALMOST up to the edges of the lining and lettering. That should secure an exact colour match without any stippling effects and similar behaviour of the various light green areas as the finish ages.

If I was doing this again from scratch I would either use Jason's technique of spray painting some transfer paper with the mid green, then float that over the base transfer with the base transfer this time produced on laser paper or apply the mid green as a transfer panel onto the dark green then use normal commercial lining transfers to cover the join. As stated before I felt I had to try the method I used to get it out of my system and let others learn by my mistakes.
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Not sure if it's been suggested, discussed etc., but couldn't you just print the lining on transparent transfer sheet? To me, that alleviates the problem of matching printer and paint colours.

 

Phil

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Wow what a conversion! I must admit having just read through the entire thing that by page three I was wondering how this would ever work but what you have created is a true master piece and better than Hornby or Bachmann could have done!! :O :D I will await the finished product with excitement - as will many people i suspect.

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Not sure if it's been suggested, discussed etc., but couldn't you just print the lining on transparent transfer sheet? To me, that alleviates the problem of matching printer and paint colours.

 

Phil

My printer cannot print white. I can print the black on transparent but that is only one element of the lining.
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My printer cannot print white. I can print the black on transparent but that is only one element of the lining.

 

Sorry, senile moment on my part, I forgot about the white! :-(

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  • RMweb Gold

Would this work as an alternative?

  1. Sellotape some post-it notes sticky side up onto something expendable (easy to remove transfers later but has a bit of grip)
  2. Print on inkjet as normal
  3. Cut out the transfers
  4. Put onto post-it notes
  5. Varnish
  6. Apply

That way the cut edges will be varnished and hopefully sealed.

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Once upon a time we used to make our own decals/transfers using licky-sticky white gummed labels and rub-off lettering - spray the sticky side with a fairly thin coat of varnish and let dry, then give it a second spraying and allow to dry - rub lettering onto licky-sticky side and spray with letraset or similar aerosol varnish - cut round the lettered area and use as a transfer - I seem to remember it will work with a printer too, but where you will find gummed labels nowadays.......

Edited by shortliner
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  • RMweb Gold

hmm, letraset - I hung around with graphic designer types at college who used to dream in Letraset and spray mount - those were the days.

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Which stupid idiot wanted to do the full GNR livery?????

 

Not a lot to show for quite a bit of work. Have added the various transfers to line the left hand splasher. The home made transfers do not like going round curves so I have had to use Micro Sol to soften them, then prod them into place with a cocktail stick. Note that some elements of white show at the corners:

post-3717-0-66104300-1425240583_thumb.jpg

 

Here the errant white has been painted black using a cocktail stick dipped in the paint:

post-3717-0-26534300-1425240584_thumb.jpg

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