Drake69

I've seen many threads on here asking how do people print their own decals and felt that I should offer mine.I JUST NOW printed a set of pics to go on my next model and am letting them dry before application, so I'll put up some pics of the results once they're on the car. Step 1: What you need to get started Here is a list of what I used to make my decals... 1: Decal paper - at least a pack of clear and a pack of white in 5.5" x 8.5". 2: A GOOD inkjet printer with plenty of color ink. 3: OpenOffice.Org Writer. 4: Mozilla Firefox. 5: ScreenGrab! (add-on for Firefox) 6: GIMP! and Microsoft Paint. 7: DMV Plate fonts. 8: Liquid Decal Film. 9: Tweezers and other hobby tools (dental picks) to guide decals in place. 10: Micro Set. 11: A CLEAN SHARP hobby knife. 12: Sharp scissors. Step 2: Sourcing your pics Due to copyright issues, I can only point you in the right direction. I take NO RESPONSIBILITY for what you put on your own car! Be that as it may, excellent source materials abound for decent pics on the net, so the skies the limit. It is important to get non-watermarked pictures (watermarks are faded areas of text across a picture that denotes ownership rights of that picture to a particular individual...) so that what you see is what you get (PRINT), or WYSIWYG. Some great websites... 1: Google Image Search. 2: eBay (many people are selling 1:1 decals and badges for muscle car builders, and usually the seller posts a pic of their item. 3: Deviantart or other artwork websites. 4: Wikipedia (another good source for accurate logos). 5: State Local DMV webpage (more on this later...) Step 3: Obtaining your pics Now it's time for a little software trickery here. Mozilla Firefox has an add-on available called ScreenGrab! that is a highly versatile picture nabber, and it's free! It has Right-Click settings to allow you to grab a pic by an entire frame, window, or a user-defined section of the window and save it to your computer instantly. Read more about this app in the Firefox add-on webpage. Local state governments will often have license plate websites devoted to setting up your own plates based on background, text, handicapped status, etc. Set up the plate according to your needs and have the site display the plate with the new text. Then use ScreenGrab! to copy the pic and save it to your computer. If your state does not have this option, source out a picture of the plate and edit out the pixels that make up the writing, THEN open up a texting window in the editor, set the font to the DMV font, and type in your text to the plate. Remember that the max number of characters on a plate is seven. Easy! Step 4: Editing and placing your pics First, make a backup folder and place copies of all your pics in case you lose something or mess up a setting in the editor, since it's easier to pull up the pic again from storage rather than resurfing the net for another copy. Open up a new text document in OpenOffice and note the slide ruler to the top and left side of the document. With the screen percentage at 100%, slide the edges of the ruler until you have 5.5" top x 8.5" side. This is your work area for your pics, and it's absolutely necessary to see where your page boundaries are. (You CAN set it to 8.5" x 5.5" in a landscape configuration, but it's a matter of choice here.) Minimize the application for now. Pull up your first pic in either GIMP! (still learning this app!) or Paint and select Resize. Size the pic based on where it will end up on the model and then Save it to your backup folder. Bring up your Writer window with the rulers showing and drag the pic you just edited into the Doc window. Now you can see how big the picture will be if you print it off at this point, because with the Writer page display set at 100%, you can actually hold up your car body to the screen for a size and positioning comparison. Cool stuff! Now, I'm not going any further on editing pictures due to the amount of pictures editing tools out there for our use. But some important items to consider... 1: If a logo or emblem shows the body paint of the car behind it, you will need to edit your logo so that no other colors will show up in the white area. You may need to do things like pull out a section of the logo and make a separate border (like with a Super Bee decal) around the logo for the look you want. 2: Clean print heads are MANDATORY for your inkjet printer. Likewise, LOTS OF INK is also necessary. Run health check tests on the heads to make sure they are clean and operational before subjecting your expensive decal paper to them. 3: Test picture size and placement by printing them on regular paper. You can set the printer to "grayscale" in most cases to avoid using up all your color cartridges. 4: Use a Resize selection in a picture editor that allows for both percentages AND pixel dimensions. You can then write down the pixel dimensions for future sizing of similar decals like plates, logos, artwork, etc. Step 5: Printing and Handling your new decals Once you have placed all your pictures onto your "canvas", it's time to print. By test fitting everything to the Writer Doc and printing them out, you will know how they should come out, but you may need to play with your printer settings more to get an accurate fit or coloration. Once you have a nice sheet of new decals on your decal paper, you need to let the ink dry on the paper at least 2+ hours (they will probably be dry sooner but not dry enough for handling) before messing with them. Once they have dried completely then it's time to seal them up. I have a can of Decal Bonder but am more familiar with Liquid Decal Film (LDF), so we will use that. With a brush (NO Q-TIPS! THE COTTON FIBERS WILL LEAVE THEMSELVES ALL ACROSS YOUR DECALS. ALSO, DO NOT USE ANYTHING SHARP LIKE TOOTHPICKS TO SPREAD LDF, AS IT CAN TEAR THE DECAL APART DUE TO THICKNESS.), paint a smooth sheet of fluid over each decal until you get a glaze or sheen where the decal is when held up to a light source at an angle and viewed. Do each decal in this fashion and them set them under a light source like a desklamp (NOT TOO CLOSE or the decal might scorch!) and left to dry another 2+ hours (again, for proper results. They may dry sooner...). Consider doing another layer of LDF for stronger decals. Step 6: Applying your decals This step should be similar to any other in regards to applying normal decals with these exceptions... 1: Trim the decal as close to the border as possible. Even better, allow for a thicker border when editing the picture and before printing them out. 2: Include a test decal picture with the sheet. Clip that one decal and place it on a test body to see if you have any slide issues like fracturing, tearing, etc. If the decal self-destructs then add another layer of LDF to the rest of the sheet followed by more drying time and try again. 3: Apply Micro Set after laying down a decal for proper positioning, and use distilled water for lifting the decal from the paper. Moisten the area to be applied with water so that the decal can be positioned easily. DO NOT USE MICRO SOL due to its reputation for burning through thin decals. 4: Pledge with Future Shine should be applied after the decals have had time to set to seal them in completely. Other clearcoats that are non-harmful to thin decals can be used as well. Step 7: Differences in Decal Paper There is a BIG DIFFERENCE in what decal paper you use. Clear Decal Paper does not hold colors as well as White Decal Paper, so if the car is black or really dark colored it will not show the decal properly AT ALL.

I just printed off my decals on Testors Clear Decal Paper (Inkjet Printers) for my next project and not sure which item to use next. I have Testors Decal Bonder and Microscale Liquid Decal Film and know that one of them will be needed to seal up the decals. I don't think I want to use the spray due to having to worry about repeat coatings, and I've used LDF on Keith Marks and Round 2 decals but not sure how they'll do with the Testors paper. Which would be best?

Next set of pics for now... A few touchup spots and she'll be ready for a Future dip.

Just picked up a few John Gunnell car guides and catalogs from Amazon. Two of those I paid less than $6.00 total for (slightly older books, still they're great reference guides...), AND I picked up the uber-expensive Standard Catalog American Cars 1946-1975 off eBay for $9.00 including shipping! Amazon wants $160.00 NEW for this book, $70.00 used!

PM'ed you on the BMF stuff. Just shot two more pics... Wood-grain interior, yellow-black scheme.

I'm dipping mine in Future and turning it upside-down to level-off. It will be nice and even that way.

And a BIG THANKS for that! It really does look much better with that cover.

PM'ed you.

Finally have a few pics... Interior... Lemon Yellow with Black... Body - Black with Citron Yellow stripes... Magnum 440-6 barrel engine with chrome headers... I did not have Citron Yellow available as a spray, so I did a color comparison between that color and Daytona Yellow I had on hand. The Daytona Y. needed to be lightened up a touch (according to my wife anyway... I have trouble with color tints...), so I used Alumna Yellow Pearl by Boyd to bring it up some. Not too shabby, just need to clean up the stripes some more. EDIT: Ok, I'm on the fence on this. I have the front and rear bumpers soaking in Purple Power to de-chrome them, now I'm not sure if I want to do them Citron Yellow or Gloss Black. If I did Yellow, it would look pretty bright and be "factory correct" so-to-speak as it would match the color-coded bumper specs. HOWEVER, if I did them in Black it would not be factory correct (as if it was now, anyway!!!), BUT look a lot meaner, like a yellow jacket. What do you guys think?

I wish they actually put this one in production....

Last set of pictures.... Fully completed!

I'll buy the Brat for $5,000 if he buys all my kits for $10,000. Gotta help a brother out, ya' know....

Yup... just found it (didn't go deep enough...). Thanks!

So this is my next kit I'm working on. I did some good research and found pics of the Six Pack engine and will be modding the model to accommodate it. Interesting thing though. In researching the car I noticed that most of them have the "Air Grabber" hoods rather than the ribbed one the kit comes with. I have spare parts from a '71 Plymouth GTX that has the Air Grabber, but it would take some serious cutting to get it mounted in. Anyone know if there is a resin hood out there for that? I searched and really didn't find anything.

As always, Thanks!

Ok, I have received the correct air filter and am in the process of gluing it on. Once that's done I'll snap a few pix of how everything looks. She looks niiiicceee...

That's why it's a "sleeper". If it started life from the factory as a 340, 383, or 440, it would most likely have a power bulge hood as the "shakers" were exclusive to the Hemis (found this out later). Then why does the Revell kit come with a Hemi engine AND that hood? Just by speculation, someone bought a 426 and squeezed it in there. Hence, "sleeper". Thanks for all the comments!

Understood, will sit tight then. Thanks!

So do I, and the recent onset of Challenger, Charger, and Nova kits BEGS for a few "Death Proof" cars to be made... Still waiting to hear from Auslowe as to cost and such.

Ok. I've been doing some research on cars and see that I'm going to want to keep Dodge steelies and dog dish caps "in stock" somehow. Does anyone on here get these regularly and if so what is the average cost per set? What is included in the set (caps, wheels, backs, retainers, etc...)? Anyone offering added discounts for buying them "in bulk", like 5 sets or more? What kind of quality would I expect to see in them? My last set came from raiding a Dodge 330 kit which gets costly REAL quick.

It's a sweltering summer night of '73 and you're sitting at a red light in your pony car, jammin' on to Jim Croce as he preaches his sermon to the faithful about "Leroy Brown". It's not even midnight yet and already you've shut down two rodders in the quarter mile back alleys, one of them with a long nosed Charger. You got a little worried about that one only 'cuz it COULD'VE had a Hemi in it. You've never raced a Hemi before... and they are legendary for beating most everything on the open highway. If ONLY you could find one... and defeat it... You are rudely awaken from your revelry when an old Plymouth saddles up to your light. Body lines look familiar, probably a Cuda, nothing fancy on the fenders.... But that engine..... I dunno.... it sounds tough..... Lights going green soon... better get ready..... Here's my sleeper 'Cuda, ready for action! Second set... Last set... Engine waiting on an air filter coming in the mail, and wheels are a shade brighter then the body due to the differences in Guard Red and Revving Red. I'm going to try The Detailer Black hoping to tone it down some since I can't take it apart at this late stage.

I think you misunderstand me. This is NOT about comparing negative qualities of two similar kits here. This is an accurate parts manifest as to what parts can be found in what kit. As far as using either of these as a planned basis for a particular Cuda? Not many of us can afford to buy a vintage Johan or other type Cuda kit, so these have been a recent staple of that car for some time now. When you have two kits that look nearly identical on the box, it's always a good thing to get a feel for what "sftermarket items" may be available for it. If you want a power bulge hood and a ducktail spoiler for your build, you get the "Street Machine". Shaker hood, wing, and louvers, get the "Dr. Hemi"... Lift blocks, shaker hood, AND ducktail? Buy both, or buy one and scrounge for the rest.

You can sand and polish Future. After about 3 dips or so with time inbetween for evening out, it'll sand and polish beautifully.

After building each of these kits now, I have compiled a list of differences of the two in case anyone is interested. Aside from these differences the kits are identical in every way that I can see. Street Machine --- Dr. Hemi 1: Power bulge hood --- Shaker Hood 2: Different front/rear wheels --- All 4 same wheels 3: Ducktail spoiler --- Wing 4: Pan air filter --- Shaker 5: No hood pins --- Hood pins 6: Wood grain dash decal --- No dash decals 7: Bigger "HEMI" billboard --- Smaller "HEMI" billboard 8: Side marker decals --- No marker decals 9: Racing stripes --- "Plymouth" under-hood decal 10: Trunk badging - " 'cuda by Plymouth" --- None 11: Riser lift blocks --- None 12: Traction bars --- None 13: Roll bar with extinguisher --- None 14: Engine bay decals --- None 15: 2 sets of license plates --- "Dr. HEMI" plates 16: No rear window louvers --- Rear window louvers This should give people an idea of what kit to buy when they are considering a certain type of Cuda build, like a non-Shaker '70, or a Phantasm movie build. Because the detailing decals are light in both kits, photoetch and Keith Marks decals are a MUST for proper looks. NOTE: I have not built the Cuda Convertible yet, nor have I even seen the AAR Cuda kit, the Johan kit, or the Snapfast kits, so if anyone wants to add info about these kits it would really help out. Also, this kit is supposedly the same as the newer "Street Machine" issue, just different box art....

Talk about a throwback from the '70s... Good thing I know JUST WHAT TO DO WITH IT...... Let me check to see if the "Doctor" is in....