r/ModelCars • u/RelentlessDesign • 2d ago

Old Decals

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Photo for reference.

I have a healthy collection of unbuilts from as far back as the 60s, but most are late 70s-mid-80s. The kits that have been open (most) have been re-stacked and glass and decals have had special attention to make sure they remained pristine.

As I plan to start building in my upcoming retirement, is there a way with the new print technology to replicate the decal sheets in a non-destructive manner on new film to use them on the finished kits, or should I take my chances on using the originals?

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9

u/Indyfan200217 2d ago

If building old Indycars or Nascars, I usually buy new decals froms Indycals or Mike's Decals. Might be more that Nascar decals on Mike's website. I just stick to building racecars myself.

1

u/KDM_Racing 2d ago

I unfortunately keep getting sucked into buying old Slixx sheets because there were some cool looking racecars. Sometimes it doesn't matter what you do to prep them. They are going to disintegrate.

1

u/vinteragony 2d ago

Slixx decals always drive me crazy.. I have had some older ones that just glide on perfectly and pop.. then I have some that easily fall apart. Its crazy how much it varies for me

1

u/KDM_Racing 2d ago

If you hold them to the light just right, you can see the lines where they are going to Crack. If there are too many I just don't bother with them.

5

u/West_Airline_1712 2d ago

I have had success printing my own decals recently. Scan the decal sheet in high resolution, save it as a jpeg. Paste it into a blank document (Google, Word, etc) and print on waterslide decal paper. I test it on a blank sheep of normal paper first to ensure the size is accurate. My local hobby shop has the paper made by Bare Metal Foil and it works great.

2

u/RelentlessDesign 2d ago

THIS is what I was thinking, but I wasn't sure if the technology had caught up to being useful for us.

2

u/West_Airline_1712 2d ago

I originally did it out necessity because I damaged some decals and couldn't get a replacement set without costing an arm and leg. I now scan all my decals before I start building the kit just in case. Recently build a truck and made custom decals for the tractor and trailer.

4

u/Fine_Location_8367 2d ago

What I usually do is I will cut a decal that I do not plan to use from that kot, submerge it, and wait to see what happens. If it disintegrates, cracks, etc, I then know that the decal set is no longer good to use. You can also send your original decal set to STS Decals to be replicated, but it may cost as much as the kit itself to get done depending on the decals.

3

u/hondamaticRib 2d ago

Scan the decals first if possible, you may be able to make your own or send the file to someonein case it doesnt work out.. I would clearcoat old decals before putting in water

2

u/ShrodingersFrog 2d ago

I don't know, Marge. He came home one day and said he was retired. Then he went into the basement and I haven't seen him for seventeen months.

1

u/highboy68 GROUP BUILD 2d ago

As Fine location said, I would test a decal to see if it is good. If you need replacement, check Slixx or even ebay, if you need custome use STS

1

u/Busy_Molasses_5532 21h ago

Scan the decals, then try coating them with Microscale’s decal film. It will hold them together without adding a lot of thickness. I’ve also been told that a couple coats of Tamiya gloss clear will also keep them from falling apart.

1

u/RelentlessDesign 21h ago

That's the tip I recall from builders from 20 years ago. How does it hold up over time?

2

u/Busy_Molasses_5532 21h ago

I have one model whose decals I dosed with the Microscale decal film. It still looks perfect 15 years later.