Estes Der Red Max Decal
 

Just recieved this today from Estes

David,
We are in the process of printing new decals for the Der Red Max. We are estimating that they will be available in approximately 6 weeks. Please check back with us around that time so we can get a replacement set to you.



Thank You,

Customer Service Dept.

Estes Industries

I sent in a comment on the missing decals fairly early in the game and I haven't received any emails of that nature. Did you specifically ask for them to replace yours? I didn't specifically ask for anything, but I sure would like to get them for my son's first DRM.

Six weeks huh...

Fred at Excelcior has been back for a week and has the missing white decals available already!

Were the decals missing from the kit, or did you write about the decal set and complain ahem.... I mean, 'provide feedback' concerning the missing X882 and white hand/foot?

Inquiring decal doodlers want to know..... :D

Ph

There were decals, just no white hands and feet nor the X882. I praised them for bringing back the kit, then I "provided feedback" about them not including the complete decal set. :)

The problem with the decal were that the white "couldn't" be seen because of the white background, so, they just copied the sheet without checking.

I provided a sheet of decals to them to use as a template, and, whoever was in charge of the project should have known it included white decals as well.

This was part of what I did, check the prototypes for "mistakes", but, since I no longerinvolved as a marketing consultant, who knows ????

Send your concerns to their marketing manager.......

My son started his DRM decal application this afternoon. I put a couple of layers of Microscale decal film on them first and then let him have at it. I was even more disappointed than before after seeing them on the rocket. The white decals are not any more opaque than the ALPS printed decals, giving them a tinge of pink. On the positive side, they are more opaque than the white Bel decal paper that I used on a clone and had to double (and they still looked a little pink). They are really thin, but he hasn't had any trouble applying them so far. The roll pattern will go on tomorrow and that will be the biggest test.

My DRM decals were horrible. Way too thin and a bear to work with. Taking my DRM experience, I coated my Interceptor decals with Future, and the results were much better.

The only problem with coating these decals is you need to cut them close when cutting them off the sheet. It's hard to explain, but the whole sheet is not a decal, but rather a sheet with a bunch of smaller decals on it.

So the Future coat can literally 'seal' the decal right on to the backing paper. Cutting it close to break the seal is the trick to getting it off clean. It's too bad that the decals are not better quality, because it would make such measures unneccessary.

I guess I got a fluke set of decals in my DRM..I don't see any opaqueness in the white areas that appear pink..They are white, on a candy apple red backdrop..The only one I had a bit of a struggle with was the big band(roll pattern?) at the top of the body tube..But a little bit of water brushed on the tube solved that problem..Was able to position it fairly well, and only has a tiny wrinkle near the joint..

I coated my son's decals with Microscale, so he didn't have any problems with breakage. He had a heck of a time with the roll pattern, so I ended up bailing him out on it and getting it down nice and smooth. It's now finished and ready for some Future clear coat. He wants me to order Phred's X882/hands/feet decal set, but I don't need any other decals right now so he will have to wait.