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#11
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Making Placards
Charlie wrote: Does anyone have any ideas for making the placards and a source for the materials? Charlie +++++++++++++++++++++++ Hey Charlie - this worked well for me: I created all the placards I wanted in Coral Draw, including warnings, limitations, labels, check lists etc. ( I guess any similar software that has the required font and font sizes will be Ok including MS word. I set things up to print a mirror image in reverse (negative) format - then printed the sheet(s) on clear plastic (over-head projector sheets) in a regular ink-jet (bubble jet?) printer. This obviously consumes more ink than normal so try it out in draft (or wire-frame) mode on normal paper until you are happy with everything. Now we have the actual lettering in the clear part of the plastic (all else is black ink) and reads correctly when viewed from the plastic side. I guess this print colour could be selected to suite your panel colour. I tried different things from this point, including a coat of white paint over the printed part in order to make the writing white (not clear). I suppose different colours could be used over some placards if needed. I also tied pasting a sheet of white paper over the "back" to create the white letters. I honestly cannot remember what I ended up doing, but I do remember that the solvent in the paint and glue was inititially a problem (disolving the ink, but I managed to find a way around that. The final "lamination" of clear plastic, printed ink, white paint (or paper) is very thin and readily cut to shape with scissors (round or 45 degree corners) and cemented in position on the panel or wherever. Test all the glues and paints including the final adhesive on a test strip placed in sunlight for a few days. My final product was mounted with super glue (the thicker one) dabbed very carefully onto the placard to avoid unsightly ooze-out. Tip - the ink washes off the plastic so any foul-up can be washed off for another attempt. Good luck Steve J |
#12
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Making Placards
Isn't there a special kind of printer paper for making iron on transfers to
t-shirts and sweatshirts? Wonder if that would work then use a clearcoat finish. I never tried it. It's just a possibility. Ebby "Steve J" wrote in message ups.com... Charlie wrote: Does anyone have any ideas for making the placards and a source for the materials? Charlie +++++++++++++++++++++++ Hey Charlie - this worked well for me: I created all the placards I wanted in Coral Draw, including warnings, limitations, labels, check lists etc. ( I guess any similar software that has the required font and font sizes will be Ok including MS word. I set things up to print a mirror image in reverse (negative) format - then printed the sheet(s) on clear plastic (over-head projector sheets) in a regular ink-jet (bubble jet?) printer. This obviously consumes more ink than normal so try it out in draft (or wire-frame) mode on normal paper until you are happy with everything. Now we have the actual lettering in the clear part of the plastic (all else is black ink) and reads correctly when viewed from the plastic side. I guess this print colour could be selected to suite your panel colour. I tried different things from this point, including a coat of white paint over the printed part in order to make the writing white (not clear). I suppose different colours could be used over some placards if needed. I also tied pasting a sheet of white paper over the "back" to create the white letters. I honestly cannot remember what I ended up doing, but I do remember that the solvent in the paint and glue was inititially a problem (disolving the ink, but I managed to find a way around that. The final "lamination" of clear plastic, printed ink, white paint (or paper) is very thin and readily cut to shape with scissors (round or 45 degree corners) and cemented in position on the panel or wherever. Test all the glues and paints including the final adhesive on a test strip placed in sunlight for a few days. My final product was mounted with super glue (the thicker one) dabbed very carefully onto the placard to avoid unsightly ooze-out. Tip - the ink washes off the plastic so any foul-up can be washed off for another attempt. Good luck Steve J |
#13
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Making Placards
You may try a electronics specialty store. I forget the name of the product but about thirty years ago I marked panel with a product that uses a process similar to ones described here earlier but the letters come on sheet of wax paper ready to rub onto the surface. A form of "Decoposh" which I believe was part of the product name such as Decoletter or Decoseal or something. I'll bet the RST guy knows about this stuff. I think with the advent of the Brother label makers these letters have become extinct perhaps. "Charlie" wrote in message ... Hi, I would like to make professional looking placards for the switches and circuit breakes in my homebuilt. I have searched the 3M web pages for a product I heard they have, but have not been able to locate it. Does anyone have any ideas for making the placards and a source for the materials? Charlie |
#14
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Making Placards
I remember those, IIRC, the letters and numbers were always black, they
came on 8 1/2 x 11 inch sheets, and they were available in a number of fonts and point sizes. They worked faily well when applied to aluminum or paper--within the rather crude limits of aligning them visually--but I never tried them on paper. They were available (and probably still are) from office supply, drafting supply, and art supply stores. Obviously the result will be a legal placard, and better looking than Dymo, but not nearly as nice as an engraved placard. I've said it before, and I'll say it again: For far less effort and very little more money, your firendly local engraver will make you placards which Cessna, Beech, and Boeing would be proud to use. That's if you don't make any mistakes and don't creat any scrap--which is a big "if"! Peter "RPE" wrote in message t... You may try a electronics specialty store. I forget the name of the product but about thirty years ago I marked panel with a product that uses a process similar to ones described here earlier but the letters come on sheet of wax paper ready to rub onto the surface. A form of "Decoposh" which I believe was part of the product name such as Decoletter or Decoseal or something. I'll bet the RST guy knows about this stuff. I think with the advent of the Brother label makers these letters have become extinct perhaps. "Charlie" wrote in message ... Hi, I would like to make professional looking placards for the switches and circuit breakes in my homebuilt. I have searched the 3M web pages for a product I heard they have, but have not been able to locate it. Does anyone have any ideas for making the placards and a source for the materials? Charlie |
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