Mr first experience using custom-made vinyl lettering on locos

Very good idea. Thanks.

Seems pretty good.  The only thing I'd be concerned about is the longevity of the adhesive.  I wouldn't want those things to start falling off five or ten years from now.

I wonder if the old trick of placing acrylic floor wax over the decals and then coating them with sealer might make them less vulnerable to damage or loss of adhesion.

A great tip as always as I have been looking for essentially the same thing.

If you have a hard time peeling the lettering off the backing, try putting the lettering face down and peeling the backing up and off of the lettering.

For some odd reason it's sometimes easier that way.

Just be careful as you pull up the backing that the lettering is still stuck to the application tape.

Lee,

That looks like a useful product. Thanks for sharing. 

If they are like the vinyl we used for lettering on park trains, they'd spray the surface with soapy water 1st, then put the vinyl on.  The soapy water would hold it in place without actually letting the adhesive stick so you could position it.  Then once you got it where you want it, you can use a squeegee to get the water and any air bubble out and the vinyl would then stick.  The soapy water also helped in the removal of the top paper level as it's adhesive wouldn't stick being water soluble.  We also had our own vinyl cutter.  The reason for not getting smaller than 1/2" is because most cutters are blade based, and if you try to cut too small, the vinyl will just tear and bunch up on the blade.

Hey Wait!

You spelled N Y C wrong!

(she looks lonely up there!)

Oh, you mean that NYC Mohawk two shelves above my fantasy loco?  It won't be linely for long.   What do you think the silver SANTA FEs are for?

There are desktop craft cutting machines that work like plotters with a knife blade to cut out paper, thin cardstock and adhesive vinyl. A prominent brand at the consumer level is the Silhouette:

This model is the low-end model, the "Portrait"

and it's more sophisticated variant, the "Cameo"

The relevant application would be cutting out adhesive vinyl as solid-color decals. While I wouldn't try doing stuff like dimension/weight data these machines might be useful for doing single-color logos and stencils. And probably at less than the half-inch minimum imposed by the service Lee found.

Only drawback is that the smallest one is about $150 on Amazon ($270 for the Cameo). Unless you're doing a lot of decals, it's a pricey solution.

I have a really old variant of one of these devices that I never got around to using, one of the early Roland Stika devices made for Windows 3.1 and only uses vinyl strips about 3" wide (but has a stand-alone feature that allows it to function like one of the old fashioned hand scanners). When I ran across it recently, I was inspired to look up its successors, and while they're out there and (even more expensive), the Silhouette cutters crossed my path as one of those "customers also bought" suggestions.

---PCJ

Really like your presentation and the step by step process.

While my use of adhesive lettering this small is somewhat limited, I have a ton with larger fonts and graphics. Along with burnishing, I like to make sure adhesive items, and areas they will be applied to, are warmed a bit before the application. It softens the adhesive, and usually allows flatter, smoother burnishing, and stronger bonding to the surface. I also use heat or cold, depending on the situation, to aid in the removal of excess adhesive sometimes squeezed out while doing burnishing.

Electoliner- Why acrylic wax? Is it a base to avoid beading(orange peel) of clear coats? Adheres better? To prevent reaction with decal, printing, or adhesives? Ive sealed "sticker" type graphics with clear coats without incident many times.

After reviewing some more materials, the above cutting machines can do a minimum of 1/4" lettering. Still not small enough for dimension/weight stencils, but enough for car numbers and solid-color logos.

---PCJ

They use this stuff on airplanes - doesn't seem to want to come off, even in the rain.

I put some on a live steamer about six years ago - still there.

The Silhouette stuff looks interesting, has anyone actually done lettering appropriate for locomotives and rolling stock with one?

I'm going to look into it, would even buy one to play with if and when I have time.  But I worry about the accuracy of the unit in cutting the pieces.

I would be more interested in finding some supplier that would do 1/4 letters.  He's get a lot of business from me..  

EDIT: I just ordered more letters.  This time the website let me specify letters only .25 inch high.  no idea why it would not let me last time.  

It was sure expensive, but I will report what get when it arrives next week.  Here's hoping.

here's the cutter I have well an earlier model I have mine goes by the name JSI but looks the same as this one. I used mine for awhile to do graphics for r/c boats, cars, and just general items never used it for trains but I know the more expensive vinyl is thinner than the cheap stuff. with a little heat they will form around almost anything. I read where a guy was using one to cut out details on buildings then pealing a layer off paint then peal paint to get trim colors and main colors. he was making old warehouse buildings.

http://www.jsisigns.com/produc...-24-inch-cutter.html

I think $1900 is out of my price range!

yea it was mine too but I bought it about 11 years ago. and I paid $1500 then. but made $1500 on one job with it to pay for it .  

Maybe that Silhouette is looking better?

Beyond the cost of such machines, there is a cost of learning and using.  I will just keep paying the cost.  Assuming this service works out well and actually delivers 1/4 inch letters, i will stick with them  I ordered letters and numbers for five locos, and it costs about $42 per loco: steep but still better than buying the machine, the supplies, etc,

If it does not work out, I will consider one of these machines.  

I tried it and it was relatively easy.  I converted my Union Pacific K-Line Scale Mikado to Texas & Pacific.  Engine cab numbers are taller than those on tender, but they don't look like it.  The old cab number was 2499, so by taking the 2 off it is easy to change the number boards.

That looks really good.  Nice loco, too.  K-Line made some super stuff.

Bob Young ....

Looks great!

What supplier did use? What is their name for that font?

Thanks

Jim

I have used vinyl for lettering but my favorite application is with images. The thunderbird is a vinyl decal on this caboose.

Supplier was DoItYourselfLettering.com. Font on tender:  Aldine 721; font on cab: Aharoni