Need help w metallic gold on model

Those decals can certainly be custom made, but are difficult and costly to make. Cartograf in Italy can make them, and Microscale in USA might be able to as well. I'm sure there are at least a few other sources, but have not looked further.

Given who I suspect/believe "the builder" is, then I'm not at all surprised about what has happened.

 

Hello William,

just did sent you a private message

 

Both were contacted. Both declined.

Is it really necessary to lower oneself to that sort of comment? Disappointing.

 

Not necessarily.

I've used these guys for wine labels:
Reprolabels.com

They can definitely do foils, and I believe that they can do transfer decals.

But you will need to provide them with artwork.
I assume whoever did William's car originally can provide that.

Surprisingly affordable.

Matt

 

I may be wrong, but looking at the Reprolabels web site I did not see anything about making waterslide decals, and what is used on toys are stick on labels, which is a different process, and easier to produce. I've been having decals made for my model production runs since 1989. I've used companies large and small, here in USA and overseas, and various production methods. Many companies have also come and gone. Looking at the Gold Foil some more.....there are another couple of companies I know of in the US and Australia who have made Gold Foil waterslide decals and can most likely do the work. It is a given that you almost always need to provide your own artwork, but Microscale can also do artwork or you. However..... having discussed this with the owner of Microscale, he was not certain they could make waterslide foil decals, but is going to look into it. They can easily make stick on labels as mentioned, and standard waterslide but any type of Foil is a different thing, and yes, I stand corrected that they do not make Foil waterslides at this time.

The reason I said costly is that if you have Cartograf or Microscale produce decals OR any type of labels for you, there is a minimum run requirement and that is costly.

 

They do more than what's listed on their website.

In the old days any film shop or prepress could make INT transfers. They're all done now that you can buy transfer printer paper.

Matt

 

Ouch.... As for my "disappointing" comment that was based on a number of 'experiences'.........

Cartograf still makes Foil decals, at least that is what they show, and have told one of the graphic artists who does make some decal art for me. There are other decal makers who do produce Foil decals as well, but not too many, which I've mentioned in my reply to Matt. Also spoken further with Microscale, and mentioned in same reply.

Ok, I stand corrected about Microscale's current ability with Foil waterslide decals. I based it quickly on my using them for other production decals, and that they do produce Foil stick-on labels on very thin mylar.

 

That's good to know about them. I guess definitely worth looking into some more.

Seems so many services have changed over the years. I used to get some of our materials done on Kodalith ortho film, as well as too much else that has gone away or changed a lot these days. Some better and some not so much.

 

A really good painter can gold leaf that on for you. Requires some special skills, but fine gold leaf would work.

you'd have to get the HUBBELL artwork made into some kind of transferable adhesive, but once you accomplish that, adhering the gold leaf wouldn't be a big chore. It would be pricey.

I watched a guy do gold leafing once, it's an amazing process, but there are still craftsmen out there that do it, several, apparently, in the Miami area. Or you can contact a wholesale supplier of the leaf and I betcha they'd tell you who they are shipping to in your area.

D

 

No need to thank me - although with 30+ years around racing and modeling I'm always happy to help - but it was the builder himself who had contacted those vendors and others in his efforts to get accurate foil decals made for the models.

Some of the companies who can make this sort of thing wouldn't even consider an order for less than 300 sheets making the cost/value proposition a non-starter for most people.

 

Yes and there are two sides to every story but this probably isn't the place for it to be brought up.

Mr. Hubbell appears to have dealt with about the only game in town for very low volume production of such a model and, as you very well know, sometimes the technologies available require some compromises.

I'd be very curious to know what someone skilled in applying gold leaf would charge for squinting at a 1/43 scale model for an hour or two if they would even consider such work. Be an interesting discussion I'm sure.