Lace Decals

[Snake45]

Is anyone offering lace decals for '60s-type paint jobs? I know Lucas did for a while but they seem to be out of business.

I've looked in craft and fabric stores and online for real lace for airbrushing (including dollhouse curtains), but I have yet to find anything nearly small enough. It's all WAY too big for scale.

[BigTallDad]

Can you post an image so we can see what you're seeking?

[Snake45]

Can you post an image so we can see what you're seeking?

Well, here's a lace paint job on the Harrell Camaro, for example:

https://www.hemmings.com/blog/2012/05/22/very-first-zl1-camaro-sells-for-400000/

[Casey]

I think the recently discontinued Revell/Monogram '41 Willys pickup kit is as close as you'll find. I don't recall any other aftermarket sources, and this is the only kit I can recall conatingin lace type decals.

 

[Snake45]

Several of the AMT '69 annuals came with lace panels. Pretty sure the Riviera did, I think perhaps the Mustang too.

I'm looking for whole sheets of the lace I can cut up and use generically. As I said, Lucas had these on their website for a brief period (in a number of colors), but they seem to have gone bye-bye.

[vintagedragcrazy]

Hey snake whoopsie cat decals has some on their website and he's on this board also!

vince

[espo]

Is anyone offering lace decals for '60s-type paint jobs? I know Lucas did for a while but they seem to be out of business.

I've looked in craft and fabric stores and online for real lace for airbrushing (including dollhouse curtains), but I have yet to find anything nearly small enough. It's all WAY too big for scale.

If you're unable to find the decals you are after you might check out JoAnns Fabrics. They sell a lot of lace that is used for the edge of dresses and such. I got some 2mm wide rolls that worked well. Since they are for an edge on clothing they have very tight patterns.  

[Snake45]

If you're unable to find the decals you are after you might check out JoAnns Fabrics. They sell a lot of lace that is used for the edge of dresses and such. I got some 2mm wide rolls that worked well. Since they are for an edge on clothing they have very tight patterns.  

I looked at a lot of that stuff and didn't see anything small and fine enough. But that's been a year or two ago, maybe they have some new stuff in.

[Snake45]

Hey snake whoopsie cat decals has some on their website and he's on this board also!

vince

Very cool, just the kind of information I'm looking for. I'll go check 'em out!

[Jon Haigwood]

I think the recently discontinued Revell/Monogram '41 Willys pickup kit is as close as you'll find. I don't recall any other aftermarket sources, and this is the only kit I can recall conatingin lace type decals.

 

To me this looks out of scale, too large. But true to scale the detailing may get lost in the reduction ?

Edited February 13, 2017 by Jon Haigwood

[Snake45]

To me this looks out of scale, too large. But true to scale the detailing may get lost in the reduction ?

You're exactly right, it's way too big. And also not typical of the sort of lace patterns that were actually used back in the day.

[RichCostello]

Check out a restaurant/bakery supply store for the little paper doilies that they use under cakes, and fancy deserts. They are very thin, and make great lace stencils. 

[Snake45]

Check out a restaurant/bakery supply store for the little paper doilies that they use under cakes, and fancy deserts. They are very thin, and make great lace stencils.

Great idea! I'll take a look for them.

[Jon Haigwood]

Not sure about the "Saran Wrap" effect. I believe it came out in the same era .

[Snake45]

Not sure about the "Saran Wrap" effect. I believe it came out in the same era .

Yeah, along with fish scales, "freak drops," cobwebs, acetylene burns, endless lines, and so forth....

[Mike Chernecki]

Perhaps we can suggest this to one of the photo-etchers like Model Car Garage. A reasonable sized maybe 3x4 piece of photo-etched lace in correct scale that we can use as a paint template. Thick enough to withstand being washed off and reused repeatedly. I have wanted to build a replica of my uncle's Thames Panel Gasser that had lace painted panels, finding the correct lace pattern is all that is holding me back, it was a notable feature of the car.

[gtx6970]

Ive done the saran wrap thing on a 1/1 scale motorcycle gas tank many many many years ago. Your only limitation is your imagination with the pattern you draw in with your fingers.

And Ive never thought about trying it on a model . Might have to think about that one.

[Casey]

Perhaps we can suggest this to one of the photo-etchers like Model Car Garage. A reasonable sized maybe 3x4 piece of photo-etched lace in correct scale that we can use as a paint template. Thick enough to withstand being washed off and reused repeatedly.

Think about how thin the remaining metal would need to be to accurately replicate 1/25 scale (or whichever scale is chosen) lace pattern. Real lace has tiny, tiny spaces, which would be fractions of a millimeter when reduced 25 times I have seen some incredibly thin sections of p/e parts, but I don't think it's structurally possible over a 4"x3" sized piece.

Reduce this down 25 times and we're talking thinner than a human hair for each solid squiggle/strip:

[Chuck Most]

^The other problem I see with that is paint building up in the smaller crevices. The paint itself would be a limiting factor.

[426-Hemi]

-I don't even think a laser could cut that fine unless its a jeweler's type laser, and even that that might be pushing it! -Thats awful small, and on a fine very thin surface, not sure it be strong enough to be used as a paint template.....

[Can-Con]

You wouldn't need to reduce it down to 1/25. Just need it smaller than what's available right now. 1/6 or 1/12 or maybe even 1/3  would be fine .

I did this one back in the late '90s. I guess you could get smaller stuff back then.

But, you could always do a google image search, find a pattern you like and print it on clear decal sheet like I did with these seat inserts. You could easily peice sections together to make longer runs like down the full side of a car.

 

Don't know what color you need Snake but here's a quick example of what I found with a simple search,,