Dr. Cranky Posted May 10, 2012 Posted May 10, 2012 Has anyone used these tattoo transfers for model car graphics? My understanding is that they don't work like decals, but do require water. If you've used them, could you please chime in with your experience using them. Thank you.
moparmagiclives Posted May 10, 2012 Posted May 10, 2012 I have doc, the ones I've Tryed didn't like to stick to real smooth finishes, so a little light ssnding (like you would to color sand) was needed. That got them to fully transfer, but once cleared. It still had a little rough texture in the graffic it's self. I cant tell you what brand any were, or even what brand of clear I had at the time. Some worked ok, some broke up and crazed with the first shot of top coat. I will tell you, now that I have three little ones in school, the tattoos they have now are WAYYY stronger then before. My daughter got a disney one from the clinic check up, that stupid thing was on her arm for almost 4 weeks. With me scrubbing it for the last two.
paul alflen Posted May 10, 2012 Posted May 10, 2012 HEY DR. CRANKY, I THOUGHT ABOUT THAT TOO! THE GRAPHICS ARE WAY KOOL AND SOMEWHAT RAT-RODISH( IS THAT A WORD?) I THINK YOU CAN COPY THEM FROM YOUR PRINTER TO DECAL PAPER AND THEN USE THEM LIKE A REGULAR DECALS AFTER CLEAR COATING?? I'LL HAVE TO TRY IT! ANOTHER KOOL IDEA FROM THE DOCTOR!
Dr. Cranky Posted May 10, 2012 Author Posted May 10, 2012 Thanks, Shane and Paul. The reason why I ask is that my daughter brought home a couple of sheets of these very cool AVENGER tattoos, and they look to be about the right size for 1/24th models. You know how the Doctor's brain is wired, so I started thinking that I could use them . . . as they are but wanted to know if anyone else has had experience with them. I also ran across a couple of books on Tats at Books a Million and a couple of them bring a plethora (yes, I used the word. LOL) of examples that would also fit our scale.
shucky Posted May 10, 2012 Posted May 10, 2012 Doc, are they actual dry transfers? As in you need to rub or burnish their frontsides to release the image? If so, I've just begun experimenting with transfers and they are pretty wonderful. You can actually burnish transfers onto unprinted decal paper and transfer the image like a standard decal. Also, Archer has decal backing paper (not actually decal paper) that you can burnish the transfers to. Using this method you treat them just like decals, however when you slide them off the backing paper your sliding just the transfer w/out any blank decal film. This allows you to use transfers as easily as decals but w/out adding any extra thickness.
mopar01lee Posted May 10, 2012 Posted May 10, 2012 Hey doc .. I've done it on a 62 Catalina lowrider. They turned out ok. But they are thin an real fragile an can rip easier than a decals. Ill post a pic in a few ... Later days ... davin
Dr. Cranky Posted May 10, 2012 Author Posted May 10, 2012 Mike, thanks for the great idea, but these are those water transfer tats, you know . . . AND THEY look very delicate indeed.
crazyjim Posted May 10, 2012 Posted May 10, 2012 I've never attempted making decals and have no idea how the process works, but maybe it would be possible to scan these tattoo things, import the jpeg into a graphics package make a decal from it.
Dr. Cranky Posted May 10, 2012 Author Posted May 10, 2012 Jim, although I agree that it's possible, I'm just trying to figure out a less complicated way.
crazyjim Posted May 10, 2012 Posted May 10, 2012 I guess the easiest way would be to lick 'em and stick 'em.
mopar01lee Posted May 10, 2012 Posted May 10, 2012 heres ashot of the ones i did ..... not the best . but it was my first attempt....
Dr. Cranky Posted May 10, 2012 Author Posted May 10, 2012 Thanks, David, that looks pretty good. I just have to do some experiments with smooth surfaces and then with clear.
Longbox55 Posted May 10, 2012 Posted May 10, 2012 I've been experimenting with some myself, so far, they seem to be workng ok. I did a test peice using a "voodoo skull" design I got out of the vending machine at the grocery store. The sheet styrene was prepped and painted as normal, Duplicolor primer polished out to 12000 grit, then Tamiya Pearl white for the base. It went on just fine, no problems with tearing or the design not sticking. I did let it sit for a few days to make sure all the water was dried out of it before I cleared it. I used Tamiya clear. I will admit, there isn't much gloss over the design itself, and it does look a bit "rough" in spots as Shane mentions in his post. I didn't have any issues with crazing though. I'm still working on testing them, I'm possibly going to try one on a textured surface, like a semi trailer side, to see if it will work, as I have a Celtic Cross design that would look killer as a trucking company logo. Mike, most of the ones I have seen are not truly a dry transfer. The first step is very similar to applying a dry tansfer, a backer is removed, then the design is burnished down, but the second step is more like a tradional water slide decal. The card that has the design on it needs to wetted down to release the design. That's something that has ket me from trying to apply them to tradional decal paper.
Dr. Cranky Posted May 10, 2012 Author Posted May 10, 2012 Thanks for the information, Bill . . . I think over time these will offer us lots of possibilities for new graphics.
Mercman Posted May 10, 2012 Posted May 10, 2012 (edited) Not Tattoo transfers but I used these skins for pine car derby cars. I used it in the interior, and on the cover for this one. Edited May 10, 2012 by Mercman
Mercman Posted May 10, 2012 Posted May 10, 2012 how do those work i see some sick designs at HL Basically you peal off the protective backing paper, place where you want it, and apply a damp sponge, or rag to the front side. Rubbing, and pressing gently. Then after 30-60 secs, carefully remove the paper front, and I burnish it with a tissue softly.
Dr. Cranky Posted May 10, 2012 Author Posted May 10, 2012 Again, very interesting possibilities, Junior. Thanks for sharing.
Longbox55 Posted May 10, 2012 Posted May 10, 2012 Basically you peal off the protective backing paper, place where you want it, and apply a damp sponge, or rag to the front side. Rubbing, and pressing gently. Then after 30-60 secs, carefully remove the paper front, and I burnish it with a tissue softly. That's pretty much how the tattoos work.
shucky Posted May 10, 2012 Posted May 10, 2012 (edited) This is very interesting. Thanks Doc for starting the thread. Thinking about the tattoos, I'm curious if you couldn't transfer the image to decal paper since they are so delicate and apply it as a decal? Edited May 10, 2012 by shucky
hotrod59f100 Posted May 11, 2012 Posted May 11, 2012 Theirs a guy on YouTube that used tep tattoos with good results. I tried and half stayed and half didn't . I haven't tried any more.
Dr. Cranky Posted May 11, 2012 Author Posted May 11, 2012 Shane, do you have a link to that video or a Channel name? Thanks.
Cornpatch Posted May 11, 2012 Posted May 11, 2012 My son has used these tattoo transfers several times on models for his daughter. he has never had a problem doing so. heres how he goes about it. First : he takes the transfer and puts it through the copy machine, putting it on regular copy paper. This also lets him resize the transfer if he needs to. Second : he takes the copy and puts it in the lazer printer and copies it to decal paper. Cuts around the design and uses it just like a decal. He's never had a problem doing it this way, and they look really good once applied to the model. Jeff
hotrod59f100 Posted May 11, 2012 Posted May 11, 2012 (edited) Shane, do you have a link to that video or a Channel name? Thanks. The first showes the car he put it on The second tells How he did it. Edited May 11, 2012 by hotrod59f100
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