A new Archer Fine Transfers product

[wazzou]

This product could definitely get some play on diesel bashes like the rivets have on freightcars.

http://www.archertransfers.com/AR88040.html

They come in both 6" wide and 14" wide versions.  I wish they came with both widths on one sheet though.

[JoeD]

What are those???  Louvers? 

[pfs]

i like, i have a nw2 that needs these

[DKS]

Wow, another brilliant product. Me getting some!

[Philip H]

Given my success with their rivets . . . geez march is shaping up to be an expensive month hobbywise.

[Dave Schneider]

I agree that the Archer products are very nice. But what I would really like to know is how to have these printed myself. I recall someone saying that these are likely printed in a similar manner to raised relief business cards. Any thoughts out there on how to print raised relief on decal film?

Dave

[wazzou]

From what I know, it's a resin extruded onto the decal film.

[Denver Road Doug]

I've been wanting to place an order for the rivets but have been putting it off.  This will fix that, as it appears to be exactly what I need for a project.  Great stuff...very innovative, assuming they are good quality.

[DKS]

From what I know, it's a resin extruded onto the decal film.

I'm not positive, but I believe it's done by thermographic embossing. It's a technique used for many decades to make faux engraving--the raised letters on a business card, for example. If I'm right, the decal is printed using an offset press, and while the ink is still wet, the sheets are passed through a machine that deposits a fine layer of resin dust; then it pases under a blower, which removes the dust from everywhere except where the wet ink has caught it; finally it passes into a heat fuser where the the resin is melted, and it becomes a solid plastic-like material permanently bonded to the decal sheet.

[GaryHinshaw]

Better living through decals.   

This is a great application, though not one I have an immediate need for.  I wonder what other overlay-type details lend themselves to this technology?

[sirenwerks]

How about car end ribs? Door ribs? Roof panels? N scale weld beads, like those they make for the larger scale military modeling, would be nice in N too. And builder and model ID plates, like EMD GP9 castings. They do something similar in larger scale for tanks. I particularly like the fact that we get these before our HO counterparts. Muwahahaha...

Wouldn't it be sweet to produce true scale brick and cinderblock sheet using this process? In uniform shades of red, beige, or grey that could be applied to styrene sheet pre-painted (by modeler) with whatever mortar colors. Not sure of the process's capacity, but maybe even multi-color brick stock. The problem is the large price for small sheet. Not conductive to doing large brick sheet walled industries. 

[inkaneer]

Better living through decals.   

This is a great application, though not one I have an immediate need for.  I wonder what other overlay-type details lend themselves to this technology?

Bricks,  Concrete block and window muntins come to mind.

[DKS]

Better living through decals.   

This is a great application, though not one I have an immediate need for.  I wonder what other overlay-type details lend themselves to this technology?

Bricks,  Concrete block and window muntins come to mind.

Golly, the mind boggles. As it is they have a number of others that may be of interest.

Tread plate pattern: http://www.archertransfers.com/AR88008.html
Non-skid texture: http://www.archertransfers.com/AR88021.html
Woodgrain: http://www.archertransfers.com/AR88012.html

Though they're not necessarily available in the right scales, they could be.

[CoalPorter]

I got to try some of the rivits. Gosh this is such a simple idea, why didn't someone come up with it yeaarrrrrs ago ?!  ??? ;D

[SirTainly]

Egg-cellent Smithers!

My air repeater boxcar just got much easier!