Painting a decal letter to get a different color

Tools, Techniques, and Reference Materials Decaling
1

Hi all - I need a white “H” code letter for the fuselage on my Do17z. All I have on my decal sheet are black ones, and I can’t find any on the net.

  1. Can I cut out the black one, paint it white, and then apply it to a curved surface without the paint cracking?

  2. What paint should I use? The best white I have with decent opacity is Floquil’s reefer white. Would that work? Should I overcoat it with a clear before applying it?

Does any one know of a decal sheet of white German code letters, 1/72 scale?

Thanks for any help you can give.

Stinger

2

  1. While it may not work for everyone-- I had to change the blue/white checkerboard scheme on a decal to blue and black…being too lazy to mask all those diamonds, I just painted in the black…and it worked great for me.

  2. I used regular ModelMaster Gloss Black acrylic for my decal…let it dry a couple days- and it went onto the nose very smoothly-- especially with some MicroSet and Sol.

3

I’ve painted large decals then cut them in to strips to put on greenhouse style canopies like the He 111 and bomber turrets without any problems.

4

Thanks guys - I’ll give it a try. After all, it is a pretty simple letter make.

Stinger

5

You could also paint a white area, apply the black decal over the white area (dry transfer work best for this method, tho) - paint your camo. After it’s dry, take a piece of tape and dap the decal with the sticky side to remove it.

6

Good idea wibhi2. I’ll consider that option also.

Thanks

Stinger

7

HEY,
That is a good idea wibhi2.I was thinking of somethig like that but couldnt think of anything to use for the H and you solved that.

Randy

8

Here’s what I’ve done: use a straight edge and x-acto blade to lightly cut through the decal (not all the way through the backing paper, though). Then paint the decal, let the paint dry a couple of hours and apply as normal. I’ve done this successfully to change yellow 8th AAF codes to the proper gray. Usually I do the decaling as soon as possible after painting the decal, so that the paint stays somewhat flexible. I don’t know if the paint would crack if left to dry too long. I’ve used Model Master for this, thinned with DioSol and Glaze, both Floquil products, so I think the technique would work using Floquil paint, too.

9

Thanks guys, I remembered that one from an old Kalambach/FSM publication and have used it a few times with great success.[:-^]

10

Where is a good source for dry transfers? Can you get national insignias, such as swastikas and german crosses in dry transfer also?

Thanks for all the tips.

stinger

11

First, try Verliden or Squadron. If you live near a graphic art supply store you can get the Letraset dry transfers. They come in a multitude of font styles and sizes.

12

Thanks wibhi2 - I’ll check that out.

In the meantime I’ve been experimenting with painting clear decal film. Biggest problem is finding a knife sharp enough to not tear the film. Even a brand new #11 won’t cut into or out of corners with the crispness I want, although for a simple “H” letter I can just lay it down in strips.

Will let you know how it turns out.

Thanks again, stinger