film "decals" in PE detail kits

Modeling Subjects Aircraft
1

I hav e a ouple of detail kit s for an A6M5C zero and a P-47. Both Kits have film type decals but I am not sure how to put them on?

I have looked all over and not been abale to find anything.

Any help from anyone would be appreciated.

Thanks,

2

If you’re refering to the Instrument Panel film, they are not decals. They are a clear acetate with the dials silk screened onto the acetate. You glue them to the back of the PE outer IP face. You will have to paint the back of the acetate white, or use a white backing, to make the dials more visible.

Regards, Rick

3

I usually sand off the details on the kit panel, paint it white and then apply the film/PE face to this. It works pretty well.

Steve

4

This is not what he’s dealing with, but it is a unique approach. Waldren sells instruments, US, Brit and German and Japanese, in 1/48, 1/32 and 1/24 (they used to sell instruments for the two 1/12 Ertl cockpit kits). Since the Waldren instruments are made for any WW II aircraft (or mostly fighters, actually), they are placed on the film in no particular order, and they give you the diagrams of a few common panel layouts, like Me 109 or FW 190. They are labeled as to whether it’s an altimeter, manifold pressure, etc. The film instruments are so fine, that at 1/32 (or 1/48 if you have a jeweler’s loup) you can read them. (Except some of the Japanese instruments, if you don’t read Japanese). They come with a white adhesive backing, which you can peel off, so they’ll stick to another surface. There are a few ways to use them, but the recommended way is to take the panel you’re going to use, punch out the kit’s engraved instrument’s, lay it over a sheet of white .010 or .020 plastic card, and then draw around the instrument holes inthe circles with a fine pencil point. Then you stick the little buggers down on the card, place the panel over it, and voila.
The real problem with this, and the reason Waldren likes the method, is because it pretty much requires you have have their $70 or $80 punch set. If you have seen one of these miniature punch sets, regardless of who makes it, that’s a lot of money for a tool with relatively limited use for us as scale modelers. But boy, I’ve sure always wanted one! And I’ve never seen a shabby Waldren instrument panel. Or a cheap one.
BY\TW: I’ve seen those punches used to make thin styrene disks which, when stacked in two alternating sizes, make cylinders that build up into beautiful WW I engines from scratch.

5

Thanks Guys,

What sort of glue do you guys use?

Sharkskin…Good thing this is an inexpensive hobby…just like Golf or fly fishing…HAHA

6

or flying.

7

Tom,

This Waldron business seems like an awful lot of trouble. I know some modelers welcome this as they appreciate thye challenge. Is the appearance that much better than photo film?