Can anybody tell me about using dry transfer lettering?

We did an in-depth article on the use of dry transfer lettering in a past issue of RodMaker.

The stuff is getting harder and harder to find as it's not used nearly as much these days in the art and graphics fields. The companies that still make it and the selection of typefaces is much more limited than say, 10 or 15 years ago.

There was a company in Charlotte, NC named ColorWorks, run by Ed Dao, who used to make custom dry transfer lettering. He made many, many sheets for me over the years.

It's somewhat difficult to apply at times - you put down two letters and pull one up. Or, you put down one and three come off. Over time, it dries out and becomes unuseable. However, with patience and persistence it also results in some of the nicest inscriptions you'll ever see and you can make names and various nomenclature "on the fly" as you do this letter by letter (unless you have sheets made with words or logos).

Chartpak and Letraset were two companies still making a few styles and sizes. Most art or engineering graphic supply stores should be able to get it for you. Some craft stores will have a limited selection as well.

.................

Tom,

What do you have to do once it is on the rod? Can u just epoxy over it? Do you need some type of fixative? Can you do multicolor or is it all one color?

Dry-letter transferring works, if you are careful. It is somewhat tedious, but it is easy to test on a scrap blank - on the rod blank itself, or over some thread work, if that is how you plan to achieve color contrast. Only apply the lettering over thread after the first coat of thread finish / epoxy has been applied, because that makes the underlying base for the lettering smoother. Sometimes the letters can crumble in the valleys between adjacent threads, if placed over coarse thread like E-size nylon. Usually the epoxy will not dissolve the lettering, but that is a possibility, I suppose, with some rare combinations of lettering and thread finish. As you apply your overcoat of protective finish, be careful not to scrape the lettering with the applicator, or do not use too stiff a brush bristle or brush-stroke.

Position the lettering carefully, and rub uniformly. The shaft of a toothpick or medium-hardness plastic tool works well. Too hard or sharp a tool may rub thru the plastic lettering sheet. I guess some rod-builders use a clear label or decal onto which they do their transferring, and then just put the entire finished decal into the desired position on the rod blank. That way it is easier to control the typesetting. I only ever used a few letters or numbers at a time, so I never fussed with a more complicated system. (What ! - Cliff not fuss? - must be a different Cliff !)

Otherwise, do a SEARCH = DECAL CONNECTION for old Posts here at RBO. Or go-to their RBO Sponsor Link at left for more information and consideration of what you are trying to do. Dry lettering may be enough. But if you need something more, then everybody has had great things to say about the Decal Connection.

-Cliff Hall, Gainesville, FL-USA+++

I had my logo made by Letraset. Actually, they got made by Redd in England. Not cheap!

I love them. They were tough to get to stay down. Parts of it would lift or just wouldn't go down. Then I stumbled on to the solution. I put down a coat of finish, put the rod in the dryer for 3 1/2 hours and now they really stick. They are a snap to apply. Fresh finish is the key. Nothing special is required to finish over them. I'll be ordering more when these run out.

Better to have and not need than to need and not have.

RodMaker Magazine Back Issues: RMM-2(3): Volume 2 #3 May/June '99 [rodmakermagazine.com] $7each
- Making custom rod INSCRIPTIONS: pen & ink; computer generated; DRY TRANSFER; gel pens; dye sublimation;
- triangles into diamonds wrapping;
- hints; photo gallery; refinishing rod blanks; Q&A; reader tips; more!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/17/2005 07:39PM by Cliff Hall.

I normally just coat them with color preserver, let dry and apply finish. There is a photo of my logo and some noemclature made with the ColorWorks process on the photo page under my name.

.........

I have been using dry transfer lettering burnished onto plain decal paper for almost forty years, first for plastic model cars, then model railroading and now for names or whatever on rods.

Once the decal is dry I put three thin coats of epoxy on them and have not a problem with durability. They are very difficult to find, the last sets I bought directly from Letraset in England.

The nicest rub-on lettering I have used is made by a Geographics, Inc. Blaine, WA. part number Snell Roundhand 742-18 . I hhave always used gold, but other colors may exist. Last time i bought this item I bought 25 sheets of it. Each sheet has many repetitions of the alphabet enough for many names. The lettering comes on a thin type of paper, almost appears to be wax paper but it is not that.

I usually allow the 1st coat to remain in the inscription area in a thicker coat to cover the thread up and give me a smooth surface for the lettering. You have to let the finish cure long enough, 24 hrs, otherwise the slight stickiness of the partially cured finish is enough to pull portions of other letters off the paper while you're rubbing one particular letter on. Any inadvertent transfers of material in this way can easily be removed with a piece of masking tape. Unfortunately it ruins the lettering ont he paper that were robbed of tiny portions of their composition.

I usually tape off the area above and below the lettering (above=toward tip, below=towards reel seat) is going to be applied, and use a piece of masking tape"under" the area where the lettering is going to be centered. On this last piece of tape I mark the center of the lettering, and use the top edge of the tape as a guide to align the sheet when I transfer the lettering to the blank. The sheets have indexing marks under all the letters to allow this alignment.

When I apply lettering I apply the center letter first and work outwards towards the first and last letter until the name is spelled out. This helps in maintaining the center of the inscription.

I use a chrome knitting needle to transfer the lettering. I do the work while the rod is mounted on a rod lathe, but there was an article in a rod building periodical some years ago explaining the use of a flat board with a groove across it to hold the rod stationary. The board had a grid pattern drawn on it to help with the alignment of the sheets of lettering. I think a quilting board would work for this - you know, the tool used to to align and cut pieces of cloth into geometrical patterns. The tools does not do the actual cutting, it is just a flat surface with a grid drawn onto it. It is commonly found in the crafts section of many stores.

I have been using this lettering long enough that I have few if any problems with it. Tape off the areas, begin inthe center and work your way outwards, and watch your alignment. You should get good results.

Lou

I special ordered 18pt med. helvetical in gold from Chartpak about three or four years ago, minimum order was 50 sheets at $10.34 per sheet. About two years ago the stickum dried out and life was miserable until about 6 months ago I found a new use for Perma Gloss. I dip my finger in the Perma Gloss and spread it on the blank where I am going to put the letters and let it tack up and the letters stick to it just fine. I just put Flexcoat over it and have no problems. I just bought a 24 compartment box and cut up the page of letters so you didn't have to work with the 8"x10" sheet and life is even better. Jesse

I special ordered 18pt med. helvetical in gold from Chartpak about three or four years ago, minimum order was 50 sheets at $10.34 per sheet. About two years ago the stickum dried out and life was miserable until about 6 months ago I found a new use for Perma Gloss. I dip my finger in the Perma Gloss and spread it on the blank where I am going to put the letters and let it tack up and the letters stick to it just fine. I just put Flexcoat over it and have no problems. I just bought a 24 compartment box and cut up the page of letters so you didn't have to work with the 8"x10" sheet and life is even better. Jesse