Decals in cockpits

[Jasonb13]

Hi there...

Just a quick newbie question! Some kits have decals for the cockpits, but from what I've seen, the plastic they go on also has raised details ( like dials etc. ). Do you just put the decal on top of the raised details and use some Micro-Sol, or should you sand down the plastic first to make it flat for the decal?

Thanks!

J.

[speedy]

Personally I do exactly that. It will then give the fine detail a 3D dimension, just make sure you get them lined up. Others will paint the instrument panel the drybrush or scalpel away the raised detail revealing the under coat.

Steve.

[Jasonb13]

Thanks for the reply! I presume when you say 'I do exactly that', you mean the first option - putting the decal onto the raised panel and using micro-sol? I'd be worried that it just wouldn't sit right, but I suppose if it all goes south I can then just removed the decal and paint it all instead!

Thanks!

J.

[SaintsPhil]

One thing I've tried, when the decals don't line up, is to cut the individual instruments out of the decal and apply to the raised detail. Another option is to drill out the instrument detail, leaving a raised lip, then apply the decals to rear of the panel, so it shows through. Of course this is probably only practical in larger scales! For 1/72 I just apply the decal to the panel and use a decal medium.

Phil

[spitfire]

I just put a blob of Johnsons klear on (in) the plastic instrument dial, with a cocktail stick, I then carefully place the decal on top, using a clean and dry cotton bud I press the decal down, but beware sometimes this will lift the decal, if it does just put more Klear on the plastic part and do it again.

Once dry I put more Klear over the top of the decal to simulate glass.

If you have not got any Klear you can use decal solution (I use Micro Sol) to bed the decal down and clear varnish to simulate the glass.

Cheers

Den

Edited February 23, 2011 by spitfire

[Jasonb13]

Cool, thanks for all the tips and advice! I'm getting a 1:48 A-10 ( I couldn't resist, I just love that aircraft ) and from what I can see it's got a raised instrument panel and decals and I was wondering how well they'd work together. It looks like Klear / Micro-Sol should do the job, thanks!

J.

[spitfire]

Just a thought I use individual instrument dials not a full Instrument Panel decal, if I had the later I would cut out the individual dials or look for decals of 1/48 scale instrument dials.

Here's a source of AM decals

http://www.mikegrantdecals.com/Instruments.html

And a thread on applying them

http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=13307

Den

[Giorgio N]

One thing I've tried, when the decals don't line up, is to cut the individual instruments out of the decal and apply to the raised detail. Another option is to drill out the instrument detail, leaving a raised lip, then apply the decals to rear of the panel, so it shows through. Of course this is probably only practical in larger scales! For 1/72 I just apply the decal to the panel and use a decal medium.

Phil

I do the same ! Cutting individual instruments, or small blocks of instruments, from the kit panel decal is not that difficult even in 1/72. It just needs the right cutting tool, that is a new blade

The reason why I prefer to cut small parts is that sometimes the decal and the plastic panel don't line up perfectly. By separating the bits of the decal it's possible to achieve a perfect alignment of every instrument,

If the kit is in1/48 it's then even easier.

[Jasonb13]

Possibly a stupid question ( nothing new there! ) but if you get the set of individual instrument decals, how do you know which go where? Is it a case of using pictures online, or comparing to the full panel decal that comes with the kit?

And if you're cutting a full panel decal into smaller sections using a new blade, I'm guessing that's done while it's still dry and on the backing paper?

J.

Edited February 23, 2011 by Jasonb13

[Giorgio N]

And if you're cutting a full panel decal into smaller sections using a new blade, I'm guessing that's done while it's still dry and on the backing paper?

J.

Yes, must be done while dry on the backing paper. This means it takes some time to get the job done, but the final result is worth the trouble.

If you use individual instrument sheets, you have to check on some reference what is supposed to go where. Mind, you don't need to be 100% accurate, especially as the kind of gauges found on a plane instrument panel can probablly divided in 3-4 types at best and within a type they all look pretty much the same.

As a reference, a picture on the web is perfect ! Of course the plastic panel might not be 100% accurate and differ from the picture you see, but at least you'll have an idea of what it must look like.

[pigsty]

I try never to use decals where possible. Somehow they always look a little too shiny and I've never been able to get them to bed down properly. I much prefer to paint the panel, using the decal as a colour / layout reference, backed up by other sources if I'm doubtful. Given that most instruments are black dials with white details, this works remarkably well, although it's true that decals will give you individual numbers and other fine details that would be impossible to paint.

Of course, if it's just a flat bit of plastic, you have to use decals if they're provided. This works OK in 1/72 but I find it unconvincing in larger scales. That was one reason why I shied away from Italeri's 1/48 A-10. These days, I don't think there's an excuse for it.