Good or Bad? WaterSlide Decals

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Who hates WaterSlide Decals?

  • Yes, with all my heart

  • No, they are a part of rocket life

Results are only viewable after voting.
I like to print my own, but with a regular ink-jet printer and the typical ink cartridges, you can't print white, and light colors are not heavy enough over a dark background. (very hard to do your own Honest John in olive drab with white lettering, for example.) Homemade decals work best with dark colors on a light background. Kits with unique decals just really make the rocket special. I like the old vintage roll patterns, which are also the more difficult to apply when you have to wrap around the whole tube and line up with where you started. Stickers are okay, like when they are metallic or chrome, another thing difficult to make at home.

You can avoid decals and painting/masking completely by making a cardstock model that you print on an ink-jet printer, body, fins, nose, and all. Just needs clear coat when you are done. The Currell V2 paper model is a popular subject for conversion to a model rocket kit. Also, the TRF logo rocket from Pemberton.

https://www.rocketryforum.com/threads/pemtech-trf-logo-rocket-gallery.53629/
 
The original Estes Interceptor E had the worst decals of any model I ever put together. In the end I scanned them and created my own set using an inkjet printer.

However, most decals are of good quality and work well. Plastic model builders use them all the time. I would much rather use water slide decals than stickers. Stickers will always look like stickers - no matter what you do.
 
Bob Austin said:
The original Estes Interceptor E had the worst decals of any model I ever put together. In the end I scanned them and created my own set using an inkjet printer.

However, most decals are of good quality and work well. Plastic model builders use them all the time. I would much rather use water slide decals than stickers. Stickers will always look like stickers - no matter what you do.
Click to expand...

but they are less of a pain to deal with tho , if you want fast almost professional details i would choose stickers any day ... that's just me and frustration town decal... i always end up getting them teared before they go on the rocket.. please tell me there is a less alternative to this than stickers
 
Water slide decals are the best!! After some practice, you almost can’t go wrong.
 
Matt,
If your decals are tearing apart and they are not 40 years old, sounds like you might not be soaking them in water long enough. I give my waterslide decals a MINIMUM of 45 seconds soak time EACH. The bigger decals take even longer. They should EASILY slide from the backing paper. If not give it more soak time. Google "How to apply water slide decals". More info than I can put here.
When done right waterslides give superior results to stickers by far. PATIENCE is the key, my man. I know you can do it!
 
kuririn said:
Matt,
If your decals are tearing apart and they are not 40 years old, sounds like you might not be soaking them in water long enough. I give my waterslide decals a MINIMUM of 45 seconds soak time EACH. The bigger decals take even longer. They should EASILY slide from the backing paper. If not give it more soak time. Google "How to apply water slide decals". More info than I can put here.
When done right waterslides give superior results to stickers by far. PATIENCE is the key, my man. I know you can do it!
Click to expand...

very true but does anyone have some frustration when it comes to them? Details are boss but decals I've had a bad history with them... i do what the instructions say also ... soak in warm water for 30sec until the sides relax apply and pull off then blot... hmm i guess im not the steady as she goes type of person...
 
lol, as I recall it took me 8 hr.s over the course of 4 days to do the decals on my intercepter E...and I still had the nose cone to do! :) part of that was due to changes made to the kit by Estes (relocating the aft launch lug caused me some grief).
 
kuririn said:
They should EASILY slide from the backing paper. If not give it more soak time.
Click to expand...
That's the real key. You can try 30 seconds, 45 seconds, or "that's about long enough". Regardless, if the decal doesn't move easily, it goes back in the water.

Another trick I've learned is to leave the decal in the water for a while, then move it out of the water onto the side of the bowl before it's ready. There's still some water absorbed by the backing paper which can continue to dissolve the adhesive, and it means you don't end up fishing the decal out of the water after it's separated from the backing paper.

Regardless of what sort of finish you want on the model, either use gloss paint or gloss varnish before putting on decals. If you put them onto a matt finish, the microscopically uneven surface will cause tiny bubbles under the decal which will mean any clear parts on the decal will look frosted. If you want a matt finish, you can apply a coat of matt varnish when the decals are set.
 
I'm another water slide decal advocate. I'll take them over stickers any day!

This, like a lot of things, comes with practice. Patients, "let the tool do the work" applies here. Take the time, let the water do it's job. Pat the area with a bit of water, then slide the decal into position. Help it into it's final position with a small wet paintbrush. Then soak up any water with the corner of a piece of paper towel.
 
adrian said:
That's the real key. You can try 30 seconds, 45 seconds, or "that's about long enough". Regardless, if the decal doesn't move easily, it goes back in the water.

Another trick I've learned is to leave the decal in the water for a while, then move it out of the water onto the side of the bowl before it's ready. There's still some water absorbed by the backing paper which can continue to dissolve the adhesive, and it means you don't end up fishing the decal out of the water after it's separated from the backing paper.

Regardless of what sort of finish you want on the model, either use gloss paint or gloss varnish before putting on decals. If you put them onto a matt finish, the microscopically uneven surface will cause tiny bubbles under the decal which will mean any clear parts on the decal will look frosted. If you want a matt finish, you can apply a coat of matt varnish when the decals are set.
Click to expand...

" If you want a matt finish " does that refer to my details that are boss or is that a saying?
 
I have no trouble with waterslide decals, and I make my own with an inkjet printer and Testors Decal Bonder. I find that letting the decals "cure" for a few days after being printed works best, giving the ink a chance to dry, then they get a couple of quick coats of the Testors decal bonder and let it dry for a few hours at minimum. Then, dip the decals (after cutting them out as necessary) in warm water for about 30 seconds or more, and slide 'em off.

As for positioning them, do that BEFORE you start dabbing water away and pressing them down. I use a clean, dry, cloth rag to start squeezing the water out from under the decal once in place. Dab straight onto the decal, DON'T wipe the water away or you risk moving, stretching, or even tearing the decal. If you make a mistake in placement, dip your finger in the water, and re-wet the decal; it will move again once it gets more wet again. Then go back to dabbing it dry. I find that once I get the initial water out from under the decal, it is good to roll my finger and towel (or just my finger) over the decal from the center to the outer edges, in effect squeegeeing all the water from below the decal. That creates a good, strong bond.

Finally, I don't ever clearcoat or otherwise coat the decal once in place and dry. It makes any sort of repair to the model extremely difficult down the road. One other thing, I wetsand and polish the paint on my rockets to get a VERY slick surface that helps decal bonding. Rough surfaces don't hold decals well at all.....
 
SammyD said:
I have no trouble with waterslide decals, and I make my own with an inkjet printer and Testors Decal Bonder. I find that letting the decals "cure" for a few days after being printed works best, giving the ink a chance to dry, then they get a couple of quick coats of the Testors decal bonder and let it dry for a few hours at minimum. Then, dip the decals (after cutting them out as necessary) in warm water for about 30 seconds or more, and slide 'em off.

As for positioning them, do that BEFORE you start dabbing water away and pressing them down. I use a clean, dry, cloth rag to start squeezing the water out from under the decal once in place. Dab straight onto the decal, DON'T wipe the water away or you risk moving, stretching, or even tearing the decal. If you make a mistake in placement, dip your finger in the water, and re-wet the decal; it will move again once it gets more wet again. Then go back to dabbing it dry. I find that once I get the initial water out from under the decal, it is good to roll my finger and towel (or just my finger) over the decal from the center to the outer edges, in effect squeegeeing all the water from below the decal. That creates a good, strong bond.

Finally, I don't ever clearcoat or otherwise coat the decal once in place and dry. It makes any sort of repair to the model extremely difficult down the road. One other thing, I wetsand and polish the paint on my rockets to get a VERY slick surface that helps decal bonding. Rough surfaces don't hold decals well at all.....
Click to expand...

i use a damp fine paint brush to smooth out and adjust the t the decals before i blot them ... yes the stickers are less professional but sometimes its made for less hassle
 
The Aerotech kits all use stickers. My Astrobee D has them and they are *barely* visible as such. Like all things, each has it's place. I certainly don't think they look unprofessional but then again, I used gloss paint on the main body and once the weather warms up a bit I'll do a flat clearcoat which I expect will hide them slightly better. You certainly can't tell from 30 feet away while the rocket is being launched. Cut vinyl lettering, for example, looks pretty darn good even against flat paints, there is zero clear boarder on them and a flat clearcoat will hide the shine too.
 
DeltaVee said:
The Aerotech kits all use stickers. My Astrobee D has them and they are *barely* visible as such. Like all things, each has it's place. I certainly don't think they look unprofessional but then again, I used gloss paint on the main body and once the weather warms up a bit I'll do a flat clearcoat which I expect will hide them slightly better. You certainly can't tell from 30 feet away while the rocket is being launched. Cut vinyl lettering, for example, looks pretty darn good even against flat paints, there is zero clear boarder on them and a flat clearcoat will hide the shine too.
Click to expand...

Yes, i have to agree with you on that they do have that nice easy look after you cover them with the clear gloss coat helps blend in the colors..... but decals seem to be somewhat better with the ideal looks but they are usually a pain to to put on because they are so delicate.... thanks
 
In my experience...it goes like this...

User has easy time putting waterslides on rocket, model kit, etc. - "Waterslides are the best thing EVER!!!"

User has rough time putting waterslides on rocket, model kit, etc. - "Waterslides are the worst thing EVER!!!"

The main difference is knowledge/experience.

I for one, LOVE Waterslides. Stickers peel overtime, make it obvious what they are (aka sticker lines), do not allow for weathering (adding grime to a steampunk rocket, for example), and are, effectively, in place once they touch the rocket.

Water slides are adjustable, essentially adhere into the rocket finish, rather than sit on top. Can be cleared over to create a smoother finish resulting in less drag (hey, 1 extra foot is still higher, right), and have a longer working time...when done right...

Admittedly, they have a learning curve (but what doesn't), and have good and bad producers out there, but so do sticker (amount of adherence, thickness, etc.).

In the end, at least for me, waterslides are worth the effort to have a professional looking rocket, where as stickers are not always my friend. I am, however, focused more on he construction than the flight, as it is the art of rocketry that attracts me. Your experience may vary. (And yes, I do fly...most of...my rockets :) )
 
Biggest issue for me is that a lot of the plastic stickers don't stay stuck down: the edges tend to lift up, particularly on the smaller low power rockets where the tube sizes are smaller and the curvature radius is tighter. Stickers are just too thick to stay conformed to the surface. Once you experience that it's not "I hate water slide decals" but "I hate stickers!".
 
Depends on the sticker..

the "stickers' that came with e older release of the Estes Bullpup: Ugly, were obviously stickers, peeled up, you saw the edge, were cheap, etc.. it really came down the size of the rocket, the size of the stickers, the fact they ere applied to a white rocket showed all their flaws.

Larger stickers, larger stickers on larger rockets, stickers on to dark backgrounds tend to disappear / aren't as obvious.
 
kuririn said:
Biggest issue for me is that a lot of the plastic stickers don't stay stuck down: the edges tend to lift up, particularly on the smaller low power rockets where the tube sizes are smaller and the curvature radius is tighter. Stickers are just too thick to stay conformed to the surface. Once you experience that it's not "I hate water slide decals" but "I hate stickers!".
Click to expand...

I dunno... those AT stickers are pretty thin!
 
Rockyt said:
In my experience...it goes like this...

User has easy time putting waterslides on rocket, model kit, etc. - "Waterslides are the best thing EVER!!!"

User has rough time putting waterslides on rocket, model kit, etc. - "Waterslides are the worst thing EVER!!!"

The main difference is knowledge/experience.

I for one, LOVE Waterslides. Stickers peel overtime, make it obvious what they are (aka sticker lines), do not allow for weathering (adding grime to a steampunk rocket, for example), and are, effectively, in place once they touch the rocket.

Water slides are adjustable, essentially adhere into the rocket finish, rather than sit on top. Can be cleared over to create a smoother finish resulting in less drag (hey, 1 extra foot is still higher, right), and have a longer working time...when done right...

Admittedly, they have a learning curve (but what doesn't), and have good and bad producers out there, but so do sticker (amount of adherence, thickness, etc.).

In the end, at least for me, waterslides are worth the effort to have a professional looking rocket, where as stickers are not always my friend. I am, however, focused more on he construction than the flight, as it is the art of rocketry that attracts me. Your experience may vary. (And yes, I do fly...most of...my rockets :) )
Click to expand...


Since I've had recent woes with waterslide decals, I currently hate them. However that did not prevent me from ordering multiple waterslide sheets.
 
DeltaVee said:
Since I've had recent woes with waterslide decals, I currently hate them. However that did not prevent me from ordering multiple waterslide sheets.
Click to expand...

Yeah that is why i am right now figuring if i can can go to Hobby and find me some better stickers / decals to replace the hand drawn ones i do ..
 

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