The decal draw was tricky and took a few hours.
Luckily there are no white decals. I wonder what existing kit decals the original Estes builders used for the MRN picture.
The solar panel grids were drawn to allow a border around the sides of the fins.
If you are a Patreon supporter, a PDF of the decal sheet is available for single clone kit builds. Email me and ask for the Orbital Transport Laboratory decals.
Before wasting a decal sheet (finding out the first print wasn't the right size) -TIP: Print up a copy on 20 lb. paper and tape the pieces to a BT-60 body tube to check the fit. Some size adjustments were made before using a full decal sheet and wasting ink.
Even if the decals are a little off they can be usable. Wrap decals (where they have to meet up evenly going around a body tube) are sometimes difficult to get right.
Good tip. I neglected to size-check my homemade decals and had to re-size and print them again.
ReplyDeleteminor quibble -- if the fins are supposed to represent solar panels (or even radiators) then rather than a grid of blue lines, shouldn't it be a grid pattern of small blue rectangles? Yes, I'm aware that it doesn't match the image on the catalog, but the instructions do state blue with thin silver lines.
ReplyDeleteHi Naoto,
DeleteI saw the painting suggestions in the instructions, but opted for the blue lines on the white fins. I liked the color catalog picture better. I also wondered how you could evenly draw silver grid lines? I've worked with Rapidiograph pens before - How could you keep the grid spacing even?
Given the available tools of the day, the silver lines would indeed be rather challenging. Dark lines would be much easier -- perhaps using something like the stuff from Zip-A-Tone, ChartPak or Letraset.
DeleteAs for using tools available today, what would come to mind would be painting the fins silver and the blue part being a decal (with gaps between the small blue rectangles). Of course, if you had something like an APLS printer that could print in metallics...
Hi Naoto,
DeleteI used plenty of rub-on lettering when I worked in the print shop. I don't remember ever seeing a rub-on grid pattern available. Rub-on lettering could dent the balsa.
No Alps printer here! The color catalog cover picture was the easiest way to go.