DECAL sources for you do-it-yourselfers, including a nice source for 0 scale

[FJ and G]

Don't forget

1. stencils for the larger letters

2. paint pens

[mpzpw3]

Thanks for the links! It should be noted that Champ is not out of business, and is by no means out of decals. I ordered a couple sets just a few weeks ago, and am putting together another order. Their website is completely up to date, and they ship fast.

Lately, I have been doing a lot of repainting and relettering. I found a site on the internet that sells full page blank decal sheets in white and transparent. I think the companies name is Bel Inc. Using the white decal sheets, white can be transfered very well. I doubt it would work for just lettering, but for heralds with a white background, it works very well.

[brianel027]

Hey gang, most of you know I'm a big repainter of stuff to have modern roads on small traditional 027 kinds of items.

With the loss of Hearld King and now Champ, decal sources are becomming harder to find. I've always liked, recommended and still recommend Mircroscale Decals, but have noticed in the last year that more and more decal sets are being discontinued. I did a K-Line Alco FA and S-2 in New Haven some years ago, and now see that set is being dropped.

I've been looking for some EL freight decals to repaint one of my western road K-Line box cars and found a couple a sites for consideration:

http://www.mgdecals.com/frtlistbystk.htm

http://www.primemoverdecals.com/dcaltemp.html?code=1&field=EL

http://www.railgraphicsdecals.com/Rail_Graphics_Decals_Generic_Data_Sets.htm

Now the first listed site has many O scale decals sets and should be of great interest to the do-it-yourselfer. Looks good.... a good selection of current NE roads plus some neat milk car/refrigerator sets. I like the BAR box car set and there's an 0 scale EL box car set. There's a miinimalist D&H box car set too that I like. And the $10 price isn't far off from Microscale these days. What's nice about the MG Decal site is that there are pictures of the decal sets and an illustration of how to place them. Just click on the set number. The O scale sets are towards the very bottom of the page after the HO and N scale sets.

The second site has many EL sets but mostly in HO. What I have done in the past, since I am repainting smaller cars, is to use the largest HO hearld/logo sets and then use either O or S scale dimensional data to complete the car.

The last site I have done business with, and I recommend them. They make a very nice selection of generic data sets covering many periods of freight cars. For the modern minimalist, these data sets could come in handly along with an alphabet set from Microscale.

Of course, it isn't too hard to make black decals using your computer and a good printer or copier along with Microscale blank decal stock. But WHITE decals are very tough to do yourself. For one thing, printers that print white aren't common. And getting the white to be nice and thick is really only attainable with screen printing.

Railgraphics will take your order for generic data sets and then they print them as orders come in, so it takes a couple weeks. But they are nice sets, go on well and they'll be getting some more future business from me. It's nice too, to be able to get these in S scale for the smaller 027 cars, or cars like the Lionel typical 11 inch flat that has the small spaces for decals due to the molded side bracing.