Decals

[Anonymous]

Tried this on another forum with no response so will try here. What is the best way to remove a factory decal from an engine or car without having to redo the whole thing, and doe's anyone know where I can get C,M.St.P&P Decals in HO ? DAN [:)]

[AggroJones]

It depends on who manufatured it and how old it is. I use 91% rubbing alcohol on q-tips to remove lettering from 1980s made Athearn freight cars.

As for the decals check www.microscale.com

[Fergmiester]

I've use a spoon to scrape off decals on my Bachmann engines. you want something with an edge but won't scatched the paint. You may also want to try decal setting solution. Though manufactured engines/cars have silk screen markings you may have some luck with this. However it may damage some types of paint.

Fergie

[cwclark]

I use poly S paint and decal remover applying it with a q-tip..it does remove the paint a bit but a good LHS should have a color to match the paint where the decal was removed...If i have a small spot to repaint, i'll take some floquil paint, dilute it with some paint thinner and apply it with an artist's paint brush without having to break out the airbrush and redo the whole thing before applying the decal..if it's just a spot where the decal goes after you paint it with a brush you can't tell it's a brush job as long as you dilute the paint and apply it in a couple of coats......Chuck

[orsonroy]

The first thing I try when stripping paint is immersing the shell in 91% alcohol. Let it soak for 30-60 minutes, then attack it with an old toothbrush. It might require a couple of soakings, but the alcohol usually does the trick. If it doesn't, I'll switch to the big guns and use Polly S ELO.

As for early Milwaukee Road decals, go to www.greatdecals.com, and check the listings for Microscale (for diesels), Champ (for freight cars), and Westerfield (again, for freight cars). There might be a few smaller decal makers that offer MILW sets too.

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by AggroJones

It depends on who manufatured it and how old it is. I use 91% rubbing alcohol on q-tips to remove lettering from 1980s made Athearn freight cars.

As for the decals check www.microscale.com

The Athearn product from that era did not use decals. The road names, hearlds, etc were printed onto the body shells. You are correct in that the rubbing alcohol on a q tip takes it off, but it's taking off printing, not a decal.

Cheers,

Ed

[Anonymous]

Are you sure that it is a decal?

Most factories pad print, often with petroleum based inks over plastic paint. MEK will take the ink off very quickly, but give it a bit more time and it will take the paint off, too, and eat a hole in the plastic...

Try rubbing alohol, first. If that doesn't work, try a single wipe with paint thinners. Check the wiper tissue for color before the second pass: if the color is of the ink (not the paint), give it another go. Most of the ink should be off by then.

Allan Lees