# How to make decals look old??



## hrizhouse (Jun 23, 2009)

I am working on an HO bridge, and I have wrote some graffiti using an alphabet decal. Is there a solution I can apply to the letters to make them "curl" or "distort" to reflect age? I also am going to apply a little rust after this technique. THANKS!!


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## Carl (Feb 19, 2012)

As I recall, this link does speak to weathering lettering

http://www.building-your-model-railroad.com/weathering.html

I hope this is of assistance.


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

You want your decals to curl / distort away from the applied surface? Perhaps I'm not understanding your quesiton properly ...

Or are you trying to distort the actual letters? How would that be an age-related thing in real life?

Just curious,

TJ


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## hrizhouse (Jun 23, 2009)

TJ, the effect I'm looking for is to make the graffiti look like it's curling, buckling, or chipping, kinda like when your house is ready for some paint. I thought there might be some trick, like what happens when you paint lacquer over enamel, ......or vice versa, whichever it was.


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## New Berlin RR (Feb 11, 2012)

basicially you want to make it look weathered, as in faded, old, chipping (if applicable), not sure how but thats what I got from your question. am I correct?


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## hrizhouse (Jun 23, 2009)

New Berlin, I just want to know if there is a way to make a decal, as in my case, alphabet graffiti, look like its "old", as if the lettering is rippled, curling, chipping, ...... I can do fading, rusting, washing. I'm looking for the effect kinda like the paint on your house looks, when its time to paint it. THANKS!


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## New Berlin RR (Feb 11, 2012)

i see some thing like these then



























basicially same steps you would do with any thing really I would think, fade the decal some, what I have done was heat the decal (blow dryer) then rapid freeze in the freezer which some times yeilded results, can't say for sure as i haven't done this on decals for model RR stuff...but it may work, im sure others will have other ideas to help ya


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## hrizhouse (Jun 23, 2009)

DING-DING-DING-DING-DING!!!!! STOP CALLING WE HAVE A WINNER!!!!
THAT IS IT!!!!! Now, how can I get a decal to do that????????


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## sawgunner (Mar 3, 2012)

put it on half heartedly then scrape with an x-acto knife


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## New Berlin RR (Feb 11, 2012)

I agree with saw, half heatedly then I would kinda clear coat it and use an xacto knife and scrape bits and pieces off then call it a day ...


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## hrizhouse (Jun 23, 2009)

THANKS GUYS!!! I'll give it a shot.


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## New Berlin RR (Feb 11, 2012)

depending on the paint it wouldn't necessarily "peel" like decals, but graffiti (oh boy...here we go again...) would more likely fade.


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## Lee_R (May 30, 2012)

New Berlin RR said:


> depending on the paint it wouldn't necessarily "peel" like decals, but graffiti (oh boy...here we go again...) would more likely fade.


Roger that. Keep in mind, the vast majority of graffiti is done by people who have WAY too much time on their hands - translation: non-working. Since those people are more than likely spending all their money on "pimping their rides", and their iPhones/Blackberries/Androids, they won't be spending a lot of money on their spray paint. The El-Cheapo brands that they can get at Wally-World, or the cheapest brands they can get at O'Reilly's or AutoZone will be their most likely purchasing target.

Or with a number of them, what they buy will be based on how much they can filch from Mom's purse (or Dad's wallet, if available).

Of course, a lot will also depend on the surface the graffiti is painted on. Most likely, fading will be your most likely outcome unless there's a good build-up of grease and dirt. Then, you'll have whole patches flake away, which can be duplicated by painting on your graffiti, then going back with something like a two- or three-bristle brush and some black paint and hand-painting where the paint has pulled away.

Or maybe use a significantly darker shade of the original surface. Remember, it's dirty - that's why the graffiti flaked away in the first place! 

Please, DAMHIKT!


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

Just put it out in the sun for 15-20 years, you'll get the effect you desire.


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## manchesterjim (Dec 30, 2011)

*Fading paint*

I found, on some cars, that a washing (mild scrubbing) with 90% Isopropyle (sp?) alcohol will often fade the preprinted lettering on the car.....I've not advanced to the stage of painted graffiti so I can't say how that would go, but I'm assuming something similar would happen.

(Unless, of course, the graffiti was applied as a decal)...

Ok, this is going to look like I'm rambling, but as I wrote the decal statement, I realized that you could create the art, and give it a faded look before even printing it to decal material....!hwell:

Jim


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## Lee_R (May 30, 2012)

manchesterjim said:


> Ok, this is going to look like I'm rambling, but as I wrote the decal statement, I realized that you could create the art, and give it a faded look before even printing it to decal material....!hwell:
> 
> Jim


Now "that" is probably the easiest way to do it!

I've also learned the alcohol trick, although it wasn't exactly alcohol I was using - good old Testors paint thinner on my fingertips worked pretty good too! Now, if I had "intended" to do it, that would have been great. But it was entirely an accident, and when I saw what was happening, I just went ahead and ran with it.


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