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Tamiya 1/12 F-1 decals and tires


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I have a couple questions for the Tamiya line of decals and using tire decals.

 

Sometime ago I was building a 1/20 F-1 and found the decals to be less than desirable, they laid down fine but were so transparent that the Ferrari red shown through.

Has there been any improvement with some of the re-pop kits like the Tyrrell 003 upgrade kit or should I buy aftermarket?

 

The next is applying decals to the rubber tires, what is the best way to do that?

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I am working on a 1/20 Tamiya F-1 car right now, and noticed that the white decals appear to be affected by the underlying blue paint. You could try sourcing a second set of kit decals and double them up, but Tamiya's decals are already kind of thick. Aftermarket sets vary in quality, so you should research potential sources before buying.

 

I am leery of applying tire logo decals to the sidewalls, so I tried using PE templates and airbrushed the markings on. It was a lot simpler to do than I thought; I wrapped the tire tread face with a piece of masking tape, then stuck smaller pieces around the template. The tape on the template made it easy to stay on the tire sidewall. One thing I learned that the white paint does not have to be too heavy, and light overspray (which was very minimal) actually looked like the real thing (1970s era; the more modern tires might have tighter printing). I went too heavy on the front wheels, and the still wet paint was damaged when I put the tires back in the box. The sharp, heavy white paint does not look as "real" as the lighter, slightly fuzzy rear wheels.

 

https://flic.kr/p/wgdyT7

 

Sorry about the click to link. I still can't figure out how to post links.

Edited by Neal
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If you want to look into F1 decals, go to www.indycals.net and for tires http://indycals.net/decals/tires.html

 

The best way to handle tires markings is to spray them through PE masks - http://www.hiroboy.com/120_Tyre_Painting_Template_for_1990_Goodyear__P990--product--4372.html

 

If you have other questions, go to www.f1m.com

 

Eric

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  • 2 weeks later...

Eric

I have one set of Studio27 decals for my Lotus 72D. http://www.mshobbies.com/1-12-studio27-decal-tyrrell-ford-002-003-1971/ Do you know anything about this brand?

 

I already invested in two sets of tire decals so I guess I'll try out one set and see how it goes. I was wondering if I should apply a top coat over the tire decal?

 

Neil

That's some awesome looking wet tires, do they come in 1/12 too?

Edited by sumterIII
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S27 decals are usually pretty good. Some of them are hi-tech in that the carrier film can be removed, but I've never tried those.

 

Top coating the tired can be tricky on 12th scale tires as they can flex a bit. For 20th scale solid tires it tends to work better. I think the Acrylic clear paints might be better to spray.

 

I'm not sure if anyone does 12th scale wet tires... http://www.iconautomotiveminiatures.com does a range of tires...

 

E

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I would also try testing the decals with any spares that might be on the sheet. S27 decals can be brittle but usually are pretty opaque.

 

I would apply it to an identically prepared piece of plastic, with your preferred decal solvent, then try clear coating it. You may not want to clear coat the 003 car as they tended to not have glossy sponsor logos / numbers / etc. but you might need to on other models.

 

A warm damp cloth might also soften then so they conform but you may only need that for the round number on the side.

 

E

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  • 2 weeks later...

I actually saw Jackie Stewart race in the Tyrrell in Holland, along with Graham Hill and many others from the early to mid 70's. The cars were polished and shinny at the start but wore quickly in the race. Yes the numbers and stickers on the 003 were add-ons and not buried under clear. Back then it was all lacquer paint. Thanks Eric for the advice.

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