Russ Bellinis Wrote:I'm not sure of cost, but I think a couple of stamps are probably less expensive than having custom decal set made up. Especially if you need different decals for different types of rolling stock. You can then get your other data for the cars from standard railroad data sheets. Cool!

That's how I was looking at it Russ. I figured that if this worked I'd be set for life for creating Kings Port & Western logos. I looked at a custom decal site and it was more expensive than the stamps...and of course, I figured I'd have some percentage of fails applying the decals.

I'm intrigued by the experiments on decal sheets!

AF350, I was cautious and didn't handle the car for an hour after stamping. It was certainly dry then. I'm finding that my cars are a two step process. They need a gloss finish for the Microscale decals I use but it seems that a matte finish gives the stamp ink a little "toothy" surface.

Here is a hopper with Microscale decals added to the Kings Port & Western stamp. I still need to decide how to number my KP&W hoppers..



Thanks for your interest in this idea everyone!
Ralph

Lookin' pretty good there, Ralphie!

What are you using for the white ink?

It's hard to tell from a distance (the Tree Foot Rule is apparently in affect) how crisp the lettering is when you get up "close and personal." Don't get me wrong ... the lettering looks awesome from where I sit! I was just wondering ...
... but you may just be on to something!!!

Thanks for being creative ... you'll never hear anything but encouragement from me when you venture off the beaten path in a creative search for innovation! I have spent my whole life doing exactly that ... and for about thirty-five plus years was paid quite well for my off-beat thought process and ADD-driven ability to take an idea and jump from "today" to "trends of the past ten years" to "twenty years from now" and then drag it back to where we can build it for tomorrow's market using today's technology.

I like it though ... you eliminate the need for a gloss coat due to the need for "tooth" on the surface for the ink to adhere to ... C'mon ... ya gotta love that! Then a coat of dullcoat to seal it all in ... done!

Yup Ralph I think you are on to a good idea I wonder if roughing up the surface of decal would help the ink stick better? I was eventually going to buy the system that allows you to make custom dry transfers but the stamp Idea would be much more affordable The dry transfer system is made by decal pro I think.

<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.pulsarprofx.com/decalpro/">http://www.pulsarprofx.com/decalpro/</a><!-- m -->

I have thought for years about doing a stamp onto decal paper. Now, perhaps, I get to see someone else try it out for me!! Now, who will be the first to cut open an empty HP (or canon, lexmark, or whatever) ink cartridge, clean out all the black ink, and replace it with white india ink to see if it works?

P5se Camelback Wrote:What are you using for the white ink?

I bought a white ink stamp pad. When I saw they were available in white that really sold me on trying stamps. So far I'm stamping directly on my cars, not on decal paper. I am curious to see how that idea works out for you guys who are experimenting with it.

Ralph

This is a very interesting thread. Ralph, thank you for coming up with the idea, it definitely has promise. I look forward to more experimentation from everyone, so please post the results!

My goodness, Thanks for making us think Ralph. How is this for car numbers?
Rotating alphabet and numbers all on one stamp. <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.carolinastamp.com/bandnumberers.htm">http://www.carolinastamp.com/bandnumberers.htm</a><!-- m --> Check out the sizes to, and looks like PULLMAN lettering too. <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.carolinastamp.com/numberersizechart.htm">http://www.carolinastamp.com/numberersizechart.htm</a><!-- m -->
I'm intrigued
Charlie

If the stamp pad needs a bit of a rough surface for "tooth", I wonder if decal paper will be too smooth. I think Ralph's method of stamping on a flat finish, and then shooting a gloss coat for decal data sheets, followed by dull coat and weathering would work best?

Ralph, I commend your "outside the box" thinking - or perhaps it's simply "inside an older box" thinking. At any rate, the lettering looks great.

I'm pretty sure someone makes (or made) matte decal paper, although I can't recall who it was. However, there's no reason why the decal paper can't be sprayed with a flat finish prior to use of the stamp. If you intend to use commercially-available dimensional data, stock up while you can - I received an order from Champ last week which included a notice that they intend to cease selling the decals which remain in their inventory sometime this year (they stopped production some time ago).

Wayne

doctorwayne Wrote:... which included a notice that they intend to cease selling the decals which remain in their inventory sometime this year (they stopped production some time ago)...

They post on their web page:

"Champ will either close its doors or be sold to someone in 2010. We realize that we have been selling down our inventory for many years, but we still have many years of inventory to sell. This is for sure the end of the road for current owner Connie Allard"

I understood the owner and producer of the decals died some years ago. His wife and daughter continued to run the business by selling the inventory. Looks like they will quit that too. I hope the inventory will find a new owner and will still be available to us.

Check this out, a fast drying ink/ink pad set for use on non porous surfaces, but is expensive.

http://www.carolinastamp.com/markIIkitinfo.htm

I still think that direct to the model may be the best way to go, and on decal paper as well. will have to experiment some more 8-)

Charlie B Wrote:My goodness, Thanks for making us think Ralph. How is this for car numbers?
Rotating alphabet and numbers all on one stamp. <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.carolinastamp.com/bandnumberers.htm">http://www.carolinastamp.com/bandnumberers.htm</a><!-- m --> Check out the sizes to, and looks like PULLMAN lettering too. <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.carolinastamp.com/numberersizechart.htm">http://www.carolinastamp.com/numberersizechart.htm</a><!-- m -->
I'm intrigued
Charlie

That's brilliant!!!!! I am definitely going to check out my local Office Depot and Office Max stores to see if they have those stamps available! If the stamps leave a good impression it would be so easy to number a fleet of equipment!!!

Thanks for the idea!
Ralph

Ralph Wrote:If the stamps leave a good impression it would be so easy to number a fleet of equipment!!!

Thanks for the idea!
Ralph

I think I will check them too. I need to change the numbers on quite a few cars. I'm sure that by looking around the proper fonts could be found too.
Charlie

I bought a rotating number stamp at Office Depot for $5.49 and decided to mess around with it.


You have to make sure the numbers are lined up straight and they might move slightly when you ink the stamp on the pad. Probably a case of getting what you pay for! After a few practice attempts I made this...


I'm going to keep practicing and see if I can get results I like. The nice thing is that mistakes wipe right off with a damp paper towel. I'm thinking of moving the Kings Port & Western lettering to the right instead of having it centered.

Ralph

Ralph!!!!! You have a winner....
Did they have the little tiny ones for the ends too?
I need to go there. There are times I only need to change one or two numbers, and this may save the day.
You need the No Bell Piece prize..
Charlie