ironed
Super Freak
looks nice i will keep a eye on this, then get a set.
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WAR MACHINE DECALS: The Sequel
- Thread starter Anthrapoid
- Start date
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- Status
Crimsonbob
Super Freak
Anthrapoid
Super Freak
UPDATE:
Fedex tracking reports the decals will be delivered tomorrow, January 7th.
I will apply the decals to my War Machine and post pictures, and start sending out orders as soon as I have them in my hands.
Thanks for your patience everyone.
Fedex tracking reports the decals will be delivered tomorrow, January 7th.
I will apply the decals to my War Machine and post pictures, and start sending out orders as soon as I have them in my hands.
Thanks for your patience everyone.
usswanker
Super Freak
My War Machine is on the way so I'm lookinh forward to seeing how this turns out. Keep us posted.
Cloud Warrior
Super Freak
Cant wait to see what they are like. I would love a set. I am curious to see if they match the decals already on WM in tone and size.
To confirm - to deliver to the UK it would be be a $6.18/£4 as a paypal gift ?.
Thanks
usswanker
Super Freak
War Machine showed up today so really looking forward to this now.
Crimsonbob
Super Freak
Anthrapoid
Super Freak
DECAL APPLICATION TUTORIAL
Here's a tutorial for those who don't have much experience applying water-slide decals. This is sort of the 'long version', the way I will be doing it. However, you can skip some of these steps and simplify the process if you wish, though I don't advise it. You want these decals to be durable and lasting.
Keep checking back here, because I will continue to add to this tutorial
over the next few days.
Last update: Monday January 10, 11:57 pm Pacific time.
Pictures of the final results are on the next page of this thread.
In order to prevent this tutorial from getting scrambled into several different posts,
I'll post all the steps in order here:
1) Get all the supplies together.
Debonder liquid, cotton swabs, a small square paint brush,
paint thinner (to clean the brush) fine scissors, decal set / decal fixer,
gloss coat, dull coat, napkins, sharp hobby knife,
and a BLACK bowl or cup with a couple inches of water.
I can't stress enough how important this is- the decals are transparent with very fine print.
If you use a light colored bowl, the decal will be virtually invisible.
Prepare a stable working surface that you don't mind marking on with the hobby knife,
and a bright light above the bowl.
2) Mask the light silver armor below the ED445 decal with masking tape,
and use the debonder liquid to scrub off the ED445 decal.
DO NOT mask the areas above the ED445. The third picture below will explain why.
3) Brush on an even layer of gloss coat onto the decal areas, and LET DRY.
(Clean the brush with paint thinner.)
This step is optional, but advised. A gloss under-coat will create a very smooth surface
on which the wet decal can more easily slide around, for correct positioning.
It will also prevent the decal from yellowing over time, being sandwiched between
this brushed-on layer and the later sprayed-on top coat of gloss.
4) Spray a light coat of gloss lacquer directly onto the top face of the UNCUT decal sheets,
and LET DRY.
This will protect the fragile white ink during the cutting/handling process,
and it will be a convenient pre-applied first coat of protection already in place
when the decals are first set in position.
LET DRY BEFORE CUTTING. Clear lacquer is pretty fast drying, but give it about 1 hour between coats.
5) Cut apart the decals with fine scissors,
then remove excess transparency edges with the hobby knife.
6) With the square brush, apply a thin layer of 'decal set' or 'decal fixer'
to one target area, where a decal will soon be placed.
(You will need to do this before each separate decal is applied.)
'Decal set' is basically distilled vinegar, with some other non-edible ingredients.
It will make the decal adhere better to the surface after it's dry.
(You will also be gently painting it onto the surface of each newly applied decal,
after correct positioning in the next step.)
7) Soak ONE decal at a time, FACE UP, at the bottom of the bowl,
for about 2 minutes.
Using the small square brush, push the decal around a bit,
to see if it is ready to release from the paper backing.
When the decal moves to the side a little, STOP.
Now, poke the tip of the hobby knife into the paper backing that was uncovered
when you moved the decal a bit to the side. Don't poke through the decal itself!
With the hobby knife poked into the paper, slowly bring the decal to the surface
of the water, keeping it flat- not tilted. Raise the paper backing and decal together.
When the decal is at the surface, use the square brush in your other hand to
lift the decal out of the bowl, lifting with the brush from underneath the decal.
un-stick the hobby knife from the paper, and set it aside.
Carry the decal on top of the brush, over to the application area on the figure.
Lay the whole thing on, paper and all.
Now, use the wet brush to slide the decal onto the figure, with gentle strokes.
NOTE: Use the brush to PULL the decal from one end,
but don't try to move the decal from the middle, or 'push' it.
Pulling from one end will prevent the decal from getting crumpled or folded, which would be BAD.
If this does happen, you'll need to put the decal back in the water and move it around
to unfold it, then lift it out on the brush again.
After setting down the decal, pull the paper backing out from under the decal with tweezers or your fingernails, while holding down the decal at the opposite end with the brush, to anchor it..
Now, use the wet brush to move (pull) the decal into the correct position.
When the decal is in its correct place, use a drinking straw to blow directly onto it.
Start blowing gently, then increase the air pressure a bit, blowing at close range.
This will gently press the decal against the figure, forcing out the water from under it.
You can dab a little water on the decal if you need to move it again,
but be sure to PULL with the wet brush from the edge, don't push.
LET DRY.
8) GENTLY dab on a bit more 'decal set' over the surface of the decal.
You don't need to worry about the smoothness of the layer like you would with paint or gloss coat, because the decal-set will evaporate like alcohol.
When all five decals are in place and painted over with decal-set,
LET DRY FOR 24 HOURS.
24 hours later, the decals can still be easily peeled or torn.
DO NOT TOUCH THE DECALS until the next steps are complete.
9) SPRAY ON another coat of GLOSS LACQUER over all five decals.
The decals are still not fully protected, and extremely fragile when touched in any way.
I strongly urge you to apply the top coat of gloss in the form of a spray.
Brushing it on in liquid form could easily DESTROY the decals.
Gloss coat (and dull coat too) contain solvents that melt paint and ink.
The white decal print is INK.
If you absolutely MUST brush the lacquer gloss coat on, do it with a VERY soft brush,
and brush across the decal quickly, and only ONCE. If you keep brushing more,
the white ink will melt.
So- spraying it on from a can is a GOOD idea. To mask the areas not to be sprayed on,
it's best to pop the arms off. Don't worry, I did this myself. The arm sockets and knobs are VERY strong, and easy to get back on.
When the arms are off, tape them up with broad masking tape as shown on page 8 of this thread.
When you're ready to spray gloss and dull onto the two body decals,
remove the minigun and ammo belt. Bag the body and mask with tape in the same way, as shown on page 8.
Hint: It's better to leave exposed the whole panel that the decal is on, and spray the whole panel. For example, the 'circle-star with bars at left and right' decal on the left forearm sits in a six-sided region, so leave that whole hexagon exposed to the spray.
Another example: The V-shaped 'wings' decal
sits mostly on one panel, and the top two points sit just a bit on two more panels above,
so leave all three panels exposed to the spray.
Now, use regular masking tape to frame the the panels,
taping directly onto the arms and the body.
Now only the areas to be sprayed are exposed.
Shake the can well, and spray a light coat onto the decals.
Wait about 30 minutes, and spray on another light coat. The entire surface should appear wet, but NOT dripping or running.
Remember- these are very small areas, don't overdo it. Two or three very light coats
is better than one heavy coat.
The gloss coats will seal the decal with a hard shell, prevent it from yellowing over time,
and make the decal much stronger so you can touch it without damaging it.
For those who don't want to do this: Consider all the steps you will have to go through
to apply fresh decals all over again...
Another coat of gloss lacquer sounds pretty good now, doesn't it?
I posted pictures of how I masked my figure, on page 8 of this thread.
10) Apply a final lacquer DULL coat, for a matte finish.
Before you can apply the dull coat, the gloss coats MUST be completely DRY, maybe 24 hours or more.
With the arms still in the bags, spray on a single layer of dull coat, let dry, and spray on another.
11) LET DRY FOR AT LEAST 24 HOURS BEFORE HANDLING.
I waited even longer than that myself. In fact, it would be wise to avoid touching the decals at all, ever. They'll last longer that way. Don't misunderstand- they ARE sealed in, but if you touch them, the top layer of dull coat will rub off eventually, revealing the shiny gloss below. If this happens, spray the decal again with dull coat. The top layer of matte will act as a sort of 'early warning alarm' that you're handling the decal too often, when the shiny gloss shows through. If you just train yourself NOT to handle them at all, you can still pose the figure and handle it normally.
D O N E.
IMPORTANT NOTE: The Air Force Materiel Command decal on the right upper arm
is the only decal among the five that is in danger of being scraped and damaged
simply by posing the figure. If you raise the arm up to the side, the decal scrapes against the
lower edge of the shoulder guard.
I have devised a solution to this:
Get a piece of very soft sheer fabric, with a fine weave. Something sexy, but tasteful.
Not course with loose threads/fibers; thin FELT is perfect.
Felt is the stuff you find (often green) glued onto the under side of lamps and other objects
to prevent scraping the tabletop. You can find it at a craft supply shop, in many colors.
Cut a very small strip from it, 1/2 inch long and 1/8th inch wide.
Attach it to the under edge of the shoulder guard, out of sight,
along the edge where it would rub against the decal when the arm is raised up.
Regular 'super glue' would only soak through the fabric, ruining the softness.
Instead, use Superglue Gel, applying a VERY small smear of it on the fabric,
and glue it to the underside of the shoulder armor.
Better yet, get some peel-and-stick felt, also available at craft stores. No super glue gel needed that way.
Now when the arm is raised up, the shoulder guard has a soft underside
which will easily slide over the decal without scraping it.
Here's a tutorial for those who don't have much experience applying water-slide decals. This is sort of the 'long version', the way I will be doing it. However, you can skip some of these steps and simplify the process if you wish, though I don't advise it. You want these decals to be durable and lasting.
Keep checking back here, because I will continue to add to this tutorial
over the next few days.
Last update: Monday January 10, 11:57 pm Pacific time.
Pictures of the final results are on the next page of this thread.
In order to prevent this tutorial from getting scrambled into several different posts,
I'll post all the steps in order here:
1) Get all the supplies together.
Debonder liquid, cotton swabs, a small square paint brush,
paint thinner (to clean the brush) fine scissors, decal set / decal fixer,
gloss coat, dull coat, napkins, sharp hobby knife,
and a BLACK bowl or cup with a couple inches of water.
I can't stress enough how important this is- the decals are transparent with very fine print.
If you use a light colored bowl, the decal will be virtually invisible.
Prepare a stable working surface that you don't mind marking on with the hobby knife,
and a bright light above the bowl.
2) Mask the light silver armor below the ED445 decal with masking tape,
and use the debonder liquid to scrub off the ED445 decal.
DO NOT mask the areas above the ED445. The third picture below will explain why.
3) Brush on an even layer of gloss coat onto the decal areas, and LET DRY.
(Clean the brush with paint thinner.)
This step is optional, but advised. A gloss under-coat will create a very smooth surface
on which the wet decal can more easily slide around, for correct positioning.
It will also prevent the decal from yellowing over time, being sandwiched between
this brushed-on layer and the later sprayed-on top coat of gloss.
4) Spray a light coat of gloss lacquer directly onto the top face of the UNCUT decal sheets,
and LET DRY.
This will protect the fragile white ink during the cutting/handling process,
and it will be a convenient pre-applied first coat of protection already in place
when the decals are first set in position.
LET DRY BEFORE CUTTING. Clear lacquer is pretty fast drying, but give it about 1 hour between coats.
5) Cut apart the decals with fine scissors,
then remove excess transparency edges with the hobby knife.
6) With the square brush, apply a thin layer of 'decal set' or 'decal fixer'
to one target area, where a decal will soon be placed.
(You will need to do this before each separate decal is applied.)
'Decal set' is basically distilled vinegar, with some other non-edible ingredients.
It will make the decal adhere better to the surface after it's dry.
(You will also be gently painting it onto the surface of each newly applied decal,
after correct positioning in the next step.)
7) Soak ONE decal at a time, FACE UP, at the bottom of the bowl,
for about 2 minutes.
Using the small square brush, push the decal around a bit,
to see if it is ready to release from the paper backing.
When the decal moves to the side a little, STOP.
Now, poke the tip of the hobby knife into the paper backing that was uncovered
when you moved the decal a bit to the side. Don't poke through the decal itself!
With the hobby knife poked into the paper, slowly bring the decal to the surface
of the water, keeping it flat- not tilted. Raise the paper backing and decal together.
When the decal is at the surface, use the square brush in your other hand to
lift the decal out of the bowl, lifting with the brush from underneath the decal.
un-stick the hobby knife from the paper, and set it aside.
Carry the decal on top of the brush, over to the application area on the figure.
Lay the whole thing on, paper and all.
Now, use the wet brush to slide the decal onto the figure, with gentle strokes.
NOTE: Use the brush to PULL the decal from one end,
but don't try to move the decal from the middle, or 'push' it.
Pulling from one end will prevent the decal from getting crumpled or folded, which would be BAD.
If this does happen, you'll need to put the decal back in the water and move it around
to unfold it, then lift it out on the brush again.
After setting down the decal, pull the paper backing out from under the decal with tweezers or your fingernails, while holding down the decal at the opposite end with the brush, to anchor it..
Now, use the wet brush to move (pull) the decal into the correct position.
When the decal is in its correct place, use a drinking straw to blow directly onto it.
Start blowing gently, then increase the air pressure a bit, blowing at close range.
This will gently press the decal against the figure, forcing out the water from under it.
You can dab a little water on the decal if you need to move it again,
but be sure to PULL with the wet brush from the edge, don't push.
LET DRY.
8) GENTLY dab on a bit more 'decal set' over the surface of the decal.
You don't need to worry about the smoothness of the layer like you would with paint or gloss coat, because the decal-set will evaporate like alcohol.
When all five decals are in place and painted over with decal-set,
LET DRY FOR 24 HOURS.
24 hours later, the decals can still be easily peeled or torn.
DO NOT TOUCH THE DECALS until the next steps are complete.
9) SPRAY ON another coat of GLOSS LACQUER over all five decals.
The decals are still not fully protected, and extremely fragile when touched in any way.
I strongly urge you to apply the top coat of gloss in the form of a spray.
Brushing it on in liquid form could easily DESTROY the decals.
Gloss coat (and dull coat too) contain solvents that melt paint and ink.
The white decal print is INK.
If you absolutely MUST brush the lacquer gloss coat on, do it with a VERY soft brush,
and brush across the decal quickly, and only ONCE. If you keep brushing more,
the white ink will melt.
So- spraying it on from a can is a GOOD idea. To mask the areas not to be sprayed on,
it's best to pop the arms off. Don't worry, I did this myself. The arm sockets and knobs are VERY strong, and easy to get back on.
When the arms are off, tape them up with broad masking tape as shown on page 8 of this thread.
When you're ready to spray gloss and dull onto the two body decals,
remove the minigun and ammo belt. Bag the body and mask with tape in the same way, as shown on page 8.
Hint: It's better to leave exposed the whole panel that the decal is on, and spray the whole panel. For example, the 'circle-star with bars at left and right' decal on the left forearm sits in a six-sided region, so leave that whole hexagon exposed to the spray.
Another example: The V-shaped 'wings' decal
sits mostly on one panel, and the top two points sit just a bit on two more panels above,
so leave all three panels exposed to the spray.
Now, use regular masking tape to frame the the panels,
taping directly onto the arms and the body.
Now only the areas to be sprayed are exposed.
Shake the can well, and spray a light coat onto the decals.
Wait about 30 minutes, and spray on another light coat. The entire surface should appear wet, but NOT dripping or running.
Remember- these are very small areas, don't overdo it. Two or three very light coats
is better than one heavy coat.
The gloss coats will seal the decal with a hard shell, prevent it from yellowing over time,
and make the decal much stronger so you can touch it without damaging it.
For those who don't want to do this: Consider all the steps you will have to go through
to apply fresh decals all over again...
Another coat of gloss lacquer sounds pretty good now, doesn't it?
I posted pictures of how I masked my figure, on page 8 of this thread.
10) Apply a final lacquer DULL coat, for a matte finish.
Before you can apply the dull coat, the gloss coats MUST be completely DRY, maybe 24 hours or more.
With the arms still in the bags, spray on a single layer of dull coat, let dry, and spray on another.
11) LET DRY FOR AT LEAST 24 HOURS BEFORE HANDLING.
I waited even longer than that myself. In fact, it would be wise to avoid touching the decals at all, ever. They'll last longer that way. Don't misunderstand- they ARE sealed in, but if you touch them, the top layer of dull coat will rub off eventually, revealing the shiny gloss below. If this happens, spray the decal again with dull coat. The top layer of matte will act as a sort of 'early warning alarm' that you're handling the decal too often, when the shiny gloss shows through. If you just train yourself NOT to handle them at all, you can still pose the figure and handle it normally.
D O N E.
IMPORTANT NOTE: The Air Force Materiel Command decal on the right upper arm
is the only decal among the five that is in danger of being scraped and damaged
simply by posing the figure. If you raise the arm up to the side, the decal scrapes against the
lower edge of the shoulder guard.
I have devised a solution to this:
Get a piece of very soft sheer fabric, with a fine weave. Something sexy, but tasteful.
Not course with loose threads/fibers; thin FELT is perfect.
Felt is the stuff you find (often green) glued onto the under side of lamps and other objects
to prevent scraping the tabletop. You can find it at a craft supply shop, in many colors.
Cut a very small strip from it, 1/2 inch long and 1/8th inch wide.
Attach it to the under edge of the shoulder guard, out of sight,
along the edge where it would rub against the decal when the arm is raised up.
Regular 'super glue' would only soak through the fabric, ruining the softness.
Instead, use Superglue Gel, applying a VERY small smear of it on the fabric,
and glue it to the underside of the shoulder armor.
Better yet, get some peel-and-stick felt, also available at craft stores. No super glue gel needed that way.
Now when the arm is raised up, the shoulder guard has a soft underside
which will easily slide over the decal without scraping it.
Last edited:
Anthrapoid
Super Freak
(Tutorial continued)
NOTE: To see all the correct positions where decals should be placed,
refer to the photos on the next page.
NOTE: To see all the correct positions where decals should be placed,
refer to the photos on the next page.
Last edited:
cant wait to see this finally done!
Anthrapoid
Super Freak
Good news everyone!
WAR MACHINE DECALS ARE HERE!
I am posting pictures of them now, on my own War Machine.
The printing came out really nice, as you can see!
I used the process in my tutorial to apply them, and I'm satisfied.
I hope all of you will be too.
Now that I have experience with this specific job, I'll be updating the tutorial
with some helpful (I hope) hints on how to make it easier, and avoid complications.
The tutorial is on the previous page- page 3, post #29.
Keep checking back, because I will continue to build on it.
Let's hear it guys- what do you think???
WAR MACHINE DECALS ARE HERE!
I am posting pictures of them now, on my own War Machine.
The printing came out really nice, as you can see!
I used the process in my tutorial to apply them, and I'm satisfied.
I hope all of you will be too.
Now that I have experience with this specific job, I'll be updating the tutorial
with some helpful (I hope) hints on how to make it easier, and avoid complications.
The tutorial is on the previous page- page 3, post #29.
Keep checking back, because I will continue to build on it.
Let's hear it guys- what do you think???
Last edited:
Anthrapoid
Super Freak
(more photos)
Spartan Rex
Super Freak
- Joined
- May 26, 2006
- Messages
- 8,130
- Reaction score
- 380
Turned out pretty damn awesome!
Glad I ordered a set.........on ebay, for $5 more!!
Oh well, still worth it Im sure.
Glad I ordered a set.........on ebay, for $5 more!!
Oh well, still worth it Im sure.
tcollector
Super Freak
Looks good, i'll be sending you payment & info. later today. Can't wait to see the final tutorial. Makes me nervous to see the arms off.
Anthrapoid
Super Freak
Hey tcollector, thanks very much!
You don't really need to take them off.
However, it's really easy to do, and they're easy to get back on too.
For some people it might make the application easier, so here's how:
Raise the arm so it's pointing forward and out to the side a little;
Now raise it further, but at a 45 degree angle up and away from the chest,
until the arm pops right off.
The knobs are extremely solid so they won't wear down.
Last edited:
Anthrapoid
Super Freak
UPDATE: As of this moment, I have ZERO decals left.
Not to worry, it's a simple matter for me to call the printer and order another full page.
However, I can't go out of my own pocket to do this.
If you want to order, please pay in advance so I can order more decals from the funds generated.
One full page costs $35.00 for me to order, so I need to sell 7 two-piece orders in advance, then I can order the (1 full page minimum) of decals.
This time we won't be waiting 3 weeks for the printer, it will just depend on how long it takes for me to sell 7 sets, then the printer will mail them to me in a couple days.
Therefor, the situation is a 'back order'.
Thanks all, come and get 'em!
Not to worry, it's a simple matter for me to call the printer and order another full page.
However, I can't go out of my own pocket to do this.
If you want to order, please pay in advance so I can order more decals from the funds generated.
One full page costs $35.00 for me to order, so I need to sell 7 two-piece orders in advance, then I can order the (1 full page minimum) of decals.
This time we won't be waiting 3 weeks for the printer, it will just depend on how long it takes for me to sell 7 sets, then the printer will mail them to me in a couple days.
Therefor, the situation is a 'back order'.
Thanks all, come and get 'em!
Last edited:
lobox42
Super Freak
- Joined
- Dec 11, 2008
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- 1,941
- Reaction score
- 0
- Status
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