Old Yankee decals (printing questions)

[blackshire]

Hello All,

I just bought a couple of BNC-20Y nose cones from Semroc to convert two current-version Estes Yankee kits back into the original version. I see that the online plans for the original Yankee (see: http://plans.rocketshoppe.com/estes/est1381/est1381.htm ) include a scan of the (all white) decal sheet. I have four questions regarding printing the decal:

[1] What computer printer decal film sheets are the best for printing water-transfer decals?

[2] Can such decals be printed using an HP PSC 1210xi printer/scanner/copier?

[3] Will the pale greenish backing paper of the decal sheet also be reproduced when the decal is printed (making it necessary to cut around the edges of the white decals)?

[4] If so, how can the greenish backing sheet color be rendered colorless and transparent when printing the decals?

The decal print size should be 100% if the PDF is printed using the "No Scaling" option.

Many thanks in advance to anyone who can help.

[GregGleason]

I have used BEL for decal paper, maybe somewhere else but I am not sure. I use both the clear and white paper with no problems.

I use an HP 7400 series multifuntion printer for decals, and it is fine provided that the inks are not close to the end of the bottom.

BTW, if those decals are white (my assumption) you will need to use white decal paper. Typically the printing is WYSIWIG, so you would have to cut around the faint border. You may have an option for quality, set it to the highest setting.

Do a test with plain paper first. One to check the feed so that it is printed on the correct side. Two to check that the proportion is right, that is, one inch is really one inch. Which is typically why I have a set of inch marks on the copy so that I can measure it after it comes out to verify the print size.

For thin decals, 3 coats of Krylon Crystal Clear acrylic spray paint. For thick, 4 coats (bigger decals, like body wraps). I wait 30 minutes between coats. First coat, horizontal spray direction, next coat vertical, etc. Let dry for at least 24 hours, or until the smell subsides. Use distilled water with less than a drop of dishwashing liquid (Dawn type stuff) to apply.

Greg

[kurtschachner]

Here, you can try this. It's a redraw of te decal in both solid black and as an outline. If you have an Alps printer you would use the solid black one to print in white.

As for the outline one, you could try to print this on white decal paper and cut it out although I have never done that. Worth a try perhaps.

[tbzep]

I've used Bel and MicroMark decal papers. I had good luck with Bel for a while, but later started having some issues. I've had great results with MicroMark paper. I've had good results with Krylon Crystal Clear. I now use their UV resistant clear, but I can't recall the official name for it.

I use an HP 6940 with good results. If your printer uses similar ink, you should get good results too.

In order for your decals to be clear, your scans must have a white background. Kurt has really nice redrawn decals, but if you scan your own, you will need to replace the green background with white before printing. Since your decal is white, you will have to use white decal paper with Kurt's outline drawing and cut it out perfectly because inkjets can't print white. That's going to be a real pain with the little stars. If you don't have an Alps printer that can print white, I suggest contacting Gordon and buying a decal set. I normally print my own decals, but I occasionally have to bite the bullet and order decals that have metallic colors or have white that I can't recreate with white decal paper or creative masking.

[DaveR]

I can solve your problem, PM sent.

[blackshire]

Wow--what a wealth of information! I thank you all very much for your replies and advice, and for an original decal sheet from DaveR! I also discovered that I have parts for a third Yankee, and the two decal sets that rokitflite offered to print from Kurt's file will enable me to build all three to the original decor scheme.

I was hoping that Gordon (Excelsior Rocketry) would produce these decals, and perhaps he will some day, but I can well understand that he has many competing decal projects and only a finite amount of time each day to attend to them all (in addition to his Roachwerks rocket parts and kits). Having done drafting myself, I know that it can be done either fast or well, but doing it both fast *and* well is not easy.

My HP PSC 1210xi does have an option for printing white (for text, in Microsoft Word), but this may not work for images, and it may simply refrain from printing white areas rather than actually putting down white ink. For other colors, it should print decals well using either the BEL or Micromark decal paper or decal film as long as the decal background is white.

[rokitflite]

Ooooops!

Found the problem... Forget this post :D

[sandman]

I now have the YANKEE decals on the Excelsior web site.

In "Classic waterslide decals", "Estes clasic decals" all the way to the bottom just above the Zinger".

Just click "Add to Cart". ;)

[Green Dragon]

I now have the YANKEE decals on the Excelsior web site.

In "Classic waterslide decals", "Estes clasic decals" all the way to the bottom just above the Zinger".

Just click "Add to Cart". ;)


wow, Gordy must have an improved version of Carls time machine .. wow.

if you;re taking requests, lol.... one I'd liek to see, which is pretty straighforward, I think, is the Airborne Surveilance Missile. have a restored original with cut from vinyl 'decals' I made ( my first attempt. also a clone one in the owrks, but no decals.

Keep em coming :)

~ AL

ps: any word from Phred, or did her get lost in europe someplace, he;s not posted her in ages :(

[sandman]

wow, Gordy must have an improved version of Carls time machine .. wow.

if you;re taking requests, lol.... one I'd liek to see, which is pretty straighforward, I think, is the Airborne Surveilance Missile. have a restored original with cut from vinyl 'decals' I made ( my first attempt. also a clone one in the owrks, but no decals.

Keep em coming :)

~ AL

ps: any word from Phred, or did her get lost in europe someplace, he;s not posted her in ages :(

Does anybody have a scan or even the kit number. It's so hard to find kits by name in Ye Olde or JimZs with just the name since they are listed by kit numbers. :o

Phred is back .

[DaveR]

Does anybody have a scan or even the kit number. It's so hard to find kits by name in Ye Olde or JimZs with just the name since they are listed by kit numbers. :o

Phred is back .
Kit #0867

http://www.spacemodeling.org/JimZ/est0867.htm

[rokitflite]

Went to the post office today ;)

[sandman]

Kit #0867

http://www.spacemodeling.org/JimZ/est0867.htm

Thanks, Dave. I thought it was a higher number. :confused:

[blackshire]

What a cornucopia! Even though I have original-style Yankee decal sheets coming from DaveR and rokitflite, I will order a couple of additional sets from Sandman at Excelsior Rocketry. I'm putting together a care package for a British ex-pat friend of mine who lives in Varennes-sur-Loire, France, and I will include a couple of Yankee kits (not for jingoistic reasons, but because it can fly on an unusually wide variety of motors, the selection of which is rather limited where he is). Besides, its colors would also fit perfectly on Bastille Day (fusee le Yankee?). :-)