Just finishing up my first rod and wanted to order a decal or two and have some questions. Couldn't seem to find the answers on their, or this, web site:

1. What is your experience between the old and new waterslide material Decal Connection offers? Do you prefer one over the other?

2. How important is either the Micro Set or Micro Sol solutions and what is the difference between them? Do you use either? Are you suppose to use both?

3. Do you usually use two decals for such things as "Hand Crafted by . . ." and the rod specs or place all info on one?

4. Is there a minimum order charge?

5. Does the rod blank surface need any prep prior to applying the decal?

6. Do decals need to be coated with anything prior to finish being applied? I will be using FlexCoat Lite.

I know this is a lot of questions but , hopefully, most need only a brief answer.

Thanks

Ralph
1 the new water slide paper is considerably stronger then the old with no additional thickness,most prefer it.
2 I rarley use micro set or sol but a lot of people find applying a decal with it easier and get good results
3 I place it on one decal- the longer and wider a decal the more difficult it becomes to get good quality generally better to order two of the same in case of a problem.
4 I don't believe there is a min order charge easy to check with them
5 You ned to apply a thin coat of finish on the blank where the decal is to be placed and allow to cure.
6 Decal Connection decals don't need to be covered with anything but wait 24hrs before applying the finish, I have done it in as little as 5 hours but the additional drying time is better
hope this helps
John

1. Difference is night and day. The new material is the way to go. Make sure you follow DC's instructions on how to release them from the paper.

2. Never used them, only water.

3. Depends on the size of the decal and the taper of the blank. The smaller the decal you work with, the better the end result. Sometimes use up to 6.

4. No

5 and 6. If you have a gloss blank, no. Just make sure it is clean. If you have a matte blank, you'll want to put down some finish first.

My mistake misreading. For #6, what John said.

Ralph,
Jimi at Decal Connection is awesome. I can't say how the older decals were but the new ones are a snap to apply. My decal is about 2.5" long and I never have a problem. I always sandwich mine bewteen coats of finish because I like it to look suspended and glassy. In regards to #3 mine have my company name on top with "custom built by" underneath. I never put the rod weight or specs on the rod as each customer get a spec sheet with each rod explaining all that. That's just the way I do it. Certainly, Jimi gets thumbs up. Randy.

I do not believe there is a min order required with Decal Connection. I just ordered 3 names to put on rods I've built for my nephews for Christmas from DC.

I use two seperate decals, one for spec's and one for the builder

DR

I usually put custom made for in one font/size followed by user's name in a larger more decorative font and underneath, I put Rod specs in a small font. All one decal. Iuse only the new paper (much stronger, easier to work with) I use Micro set.

There is no minimum order. I have often ordered one decal and had it in a couple days. I always order by e-mail to avoid any miscommunication on what I want.

You can get a whole sheet of Logo's done for a fraction of the cost! You can scan your signature and have that printed if you want

It's the only way to go!

Mike (Southgate, MI)
If I don't want to, I don't have to and nobody can make me (except my wife) cuz I'm RETIRED!!

Jimi is terrific!

Go with the new waterslide.

Put a coat of FC Lite down first. Decal goes on this. One more coat usually does it.

They are almost foolproof. And look great.

Used white on my last rod.....Very nice.

Keith

I will normally do one logo that contains my company name and rod details. This decal is generally sized correctly for smaller rods and I have the option of cutting it in pieces if I need to spread the info out on a larger blank. I generally do my logo on another decal. In the past there have been no minimum orders (I typically order two at a time from Decal Connection...one plus a spare just in case). Jimi has always gotten my order out in just a couple of days. I only hope the new owners will be as speedy and professional.

Jay