Custom Corner
BY JOHN REID
Decals and Simple Add-ons
T;is month, we are going to look at a simple but effective way to add some custom- ization to your aircraft using a plain and simple decal. Now, the dictionary defines “decal” as “the art or process of transferring pictures or designs from specially prepared paper to wool, metal, glass, etc.” In 1937, this word was formed by the shortening of decalcomania (French) meaning transferring of a tracing from specially prepared
paper to glass, porcelain, etc.
One of the best reasons for using decals
for customizing your aircraft is that you
can just about find any type of design or
symbol you need for your plane. There
are many different kinds available at your
local hobby store or online. The best part
is, if you can’t find what you need, you can
have custom decals created at places like
cal-grafx.com, kirbysgraphics.com, or your
local sign maker. So, let’s take a look at the
different kinds of decals available and how
to apply them.
Water-mount decals
Now I am sure that there are many model-
ers out there who remember the old water-
mount decals. For those of you who don’t,
the decals sheet that came with the old kits
had all of the designs or symbols you need-
ed to place on your aircraft. To get those
designs on the plane, we had to cut around
them and then drop them into some wa-
ter. After about 30 seconds to a minute, the
decals and some clear film around it would
slide off the paper backing. This thin decal
could now be affixed to the plane in the lo-
cation needed. Because the decal was wet,
it was easy to slide around until you got it
in just the right spot. Then, you dabbed it
dry with a towel, pressing down until all
the air bubbles were pressed out from un-
derneath it. The problem with these types
of decals is that they are very thin and very
easy to rip or tear, and sometimes they
would not lay down flat. These decals are
still available but you mainly see them on
smaller plastic models and not so much on
our RC aircraft.
Pressure-sensitive decals
These are by far the most common decals to have in an airplane kit. Some will
need to be cut out by the modeler, while
others will be stamp cut right around the
design. If your decals require cutting, use
either a sharp pair of scissors or a hobby
knife. Make all of the cuts close to the design and only cut rounded corners—do
not make any sharp corners because that
will be where the decal will start coming up. Before removing the backing, lay
down the decals and mark out the location
