I recently bought a Bachmann Spectrum USRA light 2-10-2 locomotive with DCC and sound. IT TOTALLY rules. Very, very cool. However, I was disappointed to find that it had no lettering or numbers on it, leaving me with the delima of adding them.
From what I've read, dry transfer would be the best method that is available. However, there are two issues with that for me.
1. I can only find individual letters and number sheets, so I would have to apply the letters and numbers one at a time and I'm afraid I won't get them all strait. If I could find 5200 in dry transfer form, I could apply the entire sequence at once and then I would know that it was in a strait line, but I don't know how to ensure a strait line if I apply them individually.
2. Most sites that encourage the use of dry transfer decals state that you have to clear coat them to preserve them. But there is NO WAY I am going to try and take this thing appart so that I am working with just the shell. It has a LOT of tiny pieces. I assume that, if I only clear coat the part where the letters or numbers are, you'd be able to see the coat and where it stops.
Are there any other methods that might work...stick on stensles and paint?
Regular water based decals leave that little clear rim around the edges and are elivated quite a bit off of the model, so I'm not sure they would look good. Would they look decent?
Please tell me what method you all find to be the best method. Thanks in advance.
Either dry transfers or wet decals can work. If you mess up a letter with dry transfer lettering, it can be removed with a piece of masking tape. Decal letters can be moved around a bit to ensure they are straight.
Either kind of lettering should be protected with a clear flat or satin overspray. Best to do the whole side, mask off the rest of the model so the spray doesn't cover it all.
Here's a kitbashed rotary plow I lettered with dry transfers:
Bob Boudreau
CANADA
Visit my model railroad photography website: http://sites.google.com/site/railphotog/
Hi Kevin,
I personally prefer to use dry transfer lettering myself. Especially on a flat or matte finished surface.
http://www.cloverhouse.com/ Try Clover House... quite a selection.
http://www.canadasouthern.com/tmr/CDS.htm CDS is good also.
You can buy sets made up for particular railroads and these will usually include a series of random numbers that may make it easier to make up your 5200. Sometimes it helps to apply a piece of scotch tape as a reference line to help align the numbers (say to the edge of an adjacent row of numbers/letters).
If handled with reasonable care you don't have to worry about chipping off the lettering. If it is rubbed down briskly it will adhere quite well. I use a slightly dull pencil (shows where I have rubbed) some prefer a plastic stylus. Just don't use too sharp of a tool.
Practise with a few other pieces of rolling stock before you tackle your prized engine.If the lettering has chips or gaps you can align another figure and rub it right over the messed up one.
Have Fun, Ed
To keep lettering straight during application, use masking tape. First, apply the tape to a sheet of glass (align it with the edge of the glass), and use a sharp blade and straightedge to trim the opposite factory edge from the tape. Next, using calipers or dividers, measure from this cut edge the distance you wish either the top or bottom of the lettering to be from an adjacent edge on the tender - make the mark with your knife blade, then use it and the straightedge to make the second cut. You now have a strip of tape that you can apply with one of its edges aligned with a known straight edge on the tender - I usually align with the bottom edge of the tender's body, which positions the top edge of the tape immediately below what will become the bottom of your lettering. For dry transfers, I usually trim the tape slightly narrower than the true base-line of the lettering, then do the final alignment "by eye". This prevents the dry transfer from touching the tape's edge, and possibly damaging the image. For decals, trim narrow enough to accommodate the amount of clear film left when you trim the decal from its sheet. I trim right to the image, so trim the tape only minutely narrower.
To further aid in positioning the lettering (for instance, to position it centred between the front and rear corners of the tender, or to properly space words and letters), use your scale rule to make pencil marks on the tape denoting the start and end of words, or spacing between words or numerals.
Dry transfers give you one chance to get it right, while decals allow almost infinite re-positioning until you add the setting solution. While burnishing the letters makes dry transfers very durable, a clear coat is usually recommended, as it is for decals. By the way, decal setting solutions such as Solvaset also work well on dry transfers, especially where the surface is not totally flat.
Individually-applied alphabet decals:
Individually-applied dry transfers from alphabet sets:
Individually-applied dry transfers from alphabet sets, used as masking devices on pre-painted backgrounds (this results in painted lettering, numbers, and stripes):
Wayne
Wayne,
This is amazing work. Wow. Have they fetured you in Model Railroad yet, because they should! Wow.
Thanks for the kind words, Kevin. The one represented in this thread who's been featured in MR many times (and very deservedly so), is Railphotog. His skillful kitbashing and scratchbuilding, along with great photography, has long been an inspiration to me and many others.
My TH&B geeps, one of which is posted above, made it into Paint Shop many years ago, but that's about it.
For me it's always a real "treat" to see any pics from "doctorwayne's" layout or any of his efforts really. He does top notch work and it is certainly magazine quality. Maybe "RMC" will jump on his work on these days and give us a nice feature while the boys in Milwaukee are snoozing.
Mark
WGAS