Adhesives Question: Glueing on a logo?

[techrat]

I just printed and colored in with markers a custom logo for one of my rockets... Now I have to stick it on somehow. Its printed on plain printer paper. I thought about using white glue, but the rocket is already painted with gloss paint, and my guess is white glue won't stick. Any suggestions?? CA might work, just worried it'll make the marker color run....

 

[David Schwantz]

Use clear tape that will cover entire logo, packing tape maybe. then cut out a border around logo. Stick it in place and burnish tape down. Will never even see the tape.

 

[techrat]

Clear tape is an option, but I may have found a solution. Testor's plastic cement (in the tube) rubbed on the back of the logo and then wait about 10 seconds, and then press onto the body tube like any other decal. I'm testing right now on a scrap, but so far appears hopeful as it's not causing the marker to bleed on the paper, and I know that cement will stick to spray paint. I'll see what happens in the AM.

 

[tsmith1315]

I've used white glue to attach a paper decal on gloss paint once.

Print, spray with clear, smear the backside with a thin layer and let it tack before applying. Maybe sprayed with clear after dry, ICR. It's been there for a year and a half, but only one flight and it lives in the house.

 

[ljwilley]

If you have an inkjet printer, you can buy paper from various places online that will allow you to create waterslide decals. Most of the time, you print your decal on it like normal paper, then spray it w/ some sort of clear coat spray, and bingo! You have made your very own custom waterslide decals that are perfect for your rocket!

 

[techrat]

Sorry... I gave up on injet printers a decade ago. Couldn't deal with the injet carts needing to be replaced every time I needed to print something.

 

[ljwilley]

I'm 13 and my mom works with the printer. I just make the decals!

 

[jqavins]

Clear tape is an option, but I may have found a solution. Testor's plastic cement (in the tube) rubbed on the back of the logo and then wait about 10 seconds, and then press onto the body tube like any other decal. I'm testing right now on a scrap, but so far appears hopeful as it's not causing the marker to bleed on the paper, and I know that cement will stick to spray paint. I'll see what happens in the AM.

It might be worth spraying clear over the whole thing to seal the decal as well. BUT FIRST, test the clear you might use on a test piece colored with the same markers.

If you have an inkjet printer, you can buy paper from various places online that will allow you to create waterslide decals...

Such paper is available for laser printers also. But it's different paper, so watch out.

 

[mh9162013]

If you have an inkjet printer, you can buy paper from various places online that will allow you to create waterslide decals. Most of the time, you print your decal on it like normal paper, then spray it w/ some sort of clear coat spray, and bingo! You have made your very own custom waterslide decals that are perfect for your rocket!

What if your decal has white in it? What if you're printing decals that will be put on surfaces that aren't white?

In other words, how do you account for the semi-transparency of these decals?

 

[jqavins]

Those papers are available in both white and clear film styles. That does not solve all problems, as white patches over non-white bas colors can't easily be handled.

 

[BABAR]

Sorry... I gave up on injet printers a decade ago. Couldn't deal with the injet carts needing to be replaced every time I needed to print something.

So you used a black and white laser printer? @ljwilley , will the decal paper work with a laser? Can you color it with markers?

 

[jqavins]

As I said, the decal paper for laser printers and that for ink jet printers are different. If @ljwilley has any experience trying markers on the inkjet decal paper, it is not germane to @techrat's situation.

That's pretty near the full extent of my knowledge on the subject. @neil_w, among others, has a lot of knowledge here.

 

[techrat]

Guys.... I'm there already. The American Daddy Logo and "Roger" are already on the Rocket. I'm thinking about Stan on the lower part of the Body tube as well.

 

[lakeroadster]

Guys.... I'm there already. The American Daddy Logo and "Roger" are already on the Rocket. I'm thinking about Stan on the lower part of the Body tube as well.

So how did you make it work? What glue, etc.

 

[grapetang]

Nice! Label paper or spray adhesive will work.

I'm with Tim the Enchanter (@tsmith1315) - White glue and permanent glue sticks can work but should be sealed at the edges. Glue sticks won't wrinkle nor smudge the artwork whereas white glue can/will.

 

[techrat]

So how did you make it work? What glue, etc.

Well, as I said, I discovered that Testors Plastic Cement from the tube works, so that's what I used. I would still like to spray the whole thing with clear coat, but I do not know if the weather is going to co-operate before my launch. This is the most work I've ever put in to decorating a rocket -- usually I spray them a color and call it a day, but this time around the rocket had a theme and I'm working it as best as I can.