Swedish Custom painter and model maker. My Website:
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bigpianoguyIt's a shame that this thread got so far afield from the original topic. I guess that someone just felt that their story was more important than mine.....
I don't see that it wandered all that far from the original topic at all: pretty-well everybody answered your question, the majority with "overlap", yet you opted for "butt up".Two of us suggested an alternative: "painting", and went into procedures in some detail. That you prefer to not paint the stripes is your choice, but that doesn't invalidate our suggestions to others reading this thread who may wish to explore such an alternative. After all, your question and the subsequent replies are seen by more than just the participants in the discussion (499 views as I write). This forum is a place to exchange ideas, and hopefully, some of it is useful to you and/or to many other viewers as suits their skills and requirements.
bigpianoguy....Anyway, I found my answer, to both problems - butt up.
Both problems?
Wayne
It's a shame that this thread got so far afield from the original topic. I guess that someone just felt that their story was more important than mine.
Anyway, I found my answer, to both problems - butt up.
Painting is probably the best solution for most striping, but if I'm using decals, I butt them rather than overlap, as any colour other than black usually shows a difference in opacity at the overlap. On most locomotives and freight cars, there are places where a butt joint can be disguised if you're experiencing gaps after the decal has dried: panel separations on freight cars (rivet lines or exterior posts) and the gaps at door and access panels on diesels. You can also use a fine-tipped brush for touch-up. Before I had an airbrush, I did all of my striping with decals, like this brush-painted set of Alcos. The lettering was done with Champ alphabet sets, and lettering 50-or-so locos in that manner made me question the wisdom of choosing that name for my freelanced road :
When I eventually decided to model prototype locos, I chose a local favourite for which there was no correct commercially available lettering or any pre-mixed paint available:
I mixed the proper colours using Floquil's old Polly S paints, as painting plastic with Floquil using a brush would have damaged the plastic. The sides of the loco were painted with the cream colour - about 5 coats applied continuously on two locomotives - it didn't cover well, but levelled readily, then dried quickly. After letting the paint cure for a few days, I applied the dry transfer lettering and striping - I recall most of it being red, as not too many modellers used it, and the hobbyshop had lots. This was applied as per the instructions, but I omitted the final step, burnishing, as these were intended only as temporary masking. This was a tip, if I remember correctly, from the late Art Curren in one of his kit-mingling articles. I then applied a very narrow strip of masking tape along the lower edge where the maroon was to end. This was applied very lightly and not burnished onto the body shell, as I was unsure of how strong the paint would be when removing it...it was, after all, simply a guide to keep my brush from straying, not an actual mask. I then applied 3 coats of maroon (it looks more like boxcar red of some sort, which is one of the reasons why the colours had never been available: on the real ones, one day it looks maroon, another day brown, and another day almost purple - ask any TH&B fan). (When I mixed the colours, I applied them to one of the photos which I was using as a reference - it's indistinguishable from the photo unless tilted to reveal the matte finish of the paint swatch on the semi-gloss photo.)As soon as the paint was dry to the touch, I used masking tape, dabbing with the sticky side, to remove the dry transfer stripes and letters, revealing the cream colour beneath:
The pilot stripes and number board numerals were done with decals, while the herald on the cab sides was sketched lightly in pencil, then over-painted with a fine brush:
I eventually painted about six dozen TH&B locos for my LHS, many by brush, then airbrush, and was relieved when LifeLike Canada came out with very nicely done r-t-r versions.
The success with those two locos inspired me to pursue the painted stripes further, resulting in four of these:
Except for the numberboard and headlight numerals, all lettering and striping is painted-on using dry transfers and tape as masking devices. Likewise for this (plus a B-unit and 11 passenger cars):
...and a bunch of these:
...and both ends of three of these:
...along with this:
For doing visibility stripes like those in the last two photos, paint is easier to apply (and keep straight) than decals.I use regular masking tape (not the green or blue or whatever the latest might be) because it sticks best. Select a tape wide enough to cover the entire area to be striped (e.g. the full height of the stripes on the CN loco). Place a suitable length of tape on a clean, hard surface (I use a sheet of glass) and use a sharp blade to trim both edges from it, leaving it the needed height. This removes accumulated fuzz and dust, any nicks it might acquire while stored, and the exposed edges on which the adhesive, over time, has dried out, making it less sticky. Determine the angle at which the stripes should slope, and pencil it onto the tape near one end. Use a set of dividers to "walk-off" the stripe spacing (the contrasting colour bands may or may not be of equal widths), then mark the ones which will be of the lighter colour with an "X". Use the sharp blade to make all of the cuts, including the vertical ones at the ends of the striped area.Paint the entire body shell in the lighter of the colours to be used and once it has fully cured, apply the tape - all of it, in-turn. It's crucial to get the first piece right, with its top or bottom aligned horizontally with a horizontal feature on the body shell - walkway on a diesel, door tops, etc. The first piece of tape applied may be, depending on the layout of the stripes, over a light or dark portion of the pattern. Once the first piece is in place, add all of the others, aligning the mating edges as they were on the glass - this keeps them perfectly parallel. When all are in place, burnish the "X"-marked ones over any raised details and remove the non-marked ones as you proceed. Apply the darker colour, and when the paint has dried to the touch, remove the tape by lifting a corner with a #11 blade in your X-Acto, then gently peel it back over itself at as sharp an angle as possible - this will help to prevent it from lifting the paint beneath.
bigpianoguy I'm using Black Cat decals. I've used them before, quite successfully. Unlike airbrushing, which I've never been able to master, and which wasn't what I had asked about. But the suggestions about the decals all seem good.
I'm using Black Cat decals. I've used them before, quite successfully. Unlike airbrushing, which I've never been able to master, and which wasn't what I had asked about.
But the suggestions about the decals all seem good.
hon30critter Mel: Great work with the airbrush! Can I ask what type of masking tape you are using? Thanks Dave
Mel:
Great work with the airbrush!
Can I ask what type of masking tape you are using?
Thanks
Dave
I think a slight overlap is best; when you use decal setting solution there could be some shrinkage leaving a gap that would have to be patched with another piece of decal stripe.
George In Midcoast Maine, 'bout halfway up the Rockland branch
I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!
I think it depends on the quality of the decal stripes. If they are truly opaque then the overlap won't show, but if they are slightly translucent then the colour will be brighter (or stronger - however you want to describe it) where the decals overlap. I think it is easy to decide when you are applying the decals. If you overlap the decals and you can see the overlap then butt them up to each other instead. If you can't see a difference at the joint then the question is answered. I use Microscale decals and I have never had a problem with overlapping joints showing.
One suggestion - let the first decal dry before applying the second one.
The title pretty much describes my question; when applying a decal stripe that is shorter than the model, should the next piece butt up against the end of the first piece or overlap it slightly?
(I tried finding it in the archives but to no avail.)
Thanks.