Revell 49 Merc Decal Question?

[slusher]

I am working on a Revell 49 Merc Dash. How do you get the small gauges to fit? it is almost impossible to cut something so small round and I have a bad right hand. I could use all the input anyone has.. Thanks in advance friends..

[my80malibu]

Micro mark has a hole punch device that might help you its a little pricey .However a very precise tool. You could also take small cuts with an Exacto, start off with cutting it square, then attacking the corners to make it octagon, finally slicing the little bit leftover until its rounded. On the one I did. I put them in the water, slid them in place, blotted them dry, then add a small amount of Epoxy to glass them over.

[AC Norton]

carl, if you like, put the completed dash and decals in a small, padded envelope, and send them to me. I will do this for you,...and send it back at no expense to you. I enjoy decal and trim work, and am not bad at it . let me know if you want my address and details. if you have other similar work that is on hold as well, send all of it up, and I'd be glad to do this for you,,,,,best, the ace.....................

[HOLMES55]

Another method you might think about is drilling a hole thru the dash and mounting the decals on the back and then

fill the front with canopy glue. the glue dries clear and holds the decal in place.

[slusher]

carl, if you like, put the completed dash and decals in a small, padded envelope, and send them to me. I will do this for you,...and send it back at no expense to you. I enjoy decal and trim work, and am not bad at it . let me know if you want my address and details. if you have other similar work that is on hold as well, send all of it up, and I'd be glad to do this for you,,,,,best, the ace.....................

Sent you a pm Ace...

[slusher]

Another method you might think about is drilling a hole thru the dash and mounting the decals on the back and then

fill the front with canopy glue. the glue dries clear and holds the decal in place.

That is a great idea Brad. I can try that....

[Art Anderson]

Micro mark has a hole punch device that might help you its a little pricey .However a very precise tool. You could also take small cuts with an Exacto, start off with cutting it square, then attacking the corners to make it octagon, finally slicing the little bit leftover until its rounded. On the one I did. I put them in the water, slid them in place, blotted them dry, then add a small amount of Epoxy to glass them over.

I've made my own hole punches for cutting small decals by using a matching diameter of K&S brass tubing cut to perhaps 2" long. I simply use an Xacto knife with a #11 blade, and turn the tubing against that blade with the tip of the knife inside the end of the tubing. It takes perhaps 5 minutes to get a pretty sharp edge (I finish by rotating the tubing against some 400-grit sandpaper to get an even sharper edge. I can simply place the decal sheet face up on a block of hard wood, then align the sharpened end of that piece of tubing to the decal I want, and tap with a small hobby hammer. This punches out the decal, on its paper. It goes without saying, I think, that such homemade brass punches are pretty much a one trip thing, but they are quick and easy to make, and not particularly expensive either.

Of course, I'm not likely to apply the decal in the normal manner after this, especially a really small one, but I've had good success simply gluing such small dial decals into their respective bezels on the model dash, then putting a drop of Devcon epoxy on top of it to create the lens.

Art

[slusher]

Thanks Art, very good tip...

[William S.]

This might help. Michaels sales whole punch kits. The small diameter kit should work. Check the leather section, $10.00.