[OldRestorer]

I posted about the new photo finishes last month and put one on. I am now changing my mind a bit. The thing is not sticking, it is too thick, the corners are curling and even with glue it is not right. Looks much better than it did but it is becoming too much work. the decals need to be thinner and have better adhesion. Even with lacquer over it it is still causing issues...

Anyone buy one and put it on yet? Maybe I did something wrong.
I dont want to bash the guy since he is doing a lot to support the hobby but I want to be honest too.

Kirk

[tab10672]

Is it paper or plastic/vinyl like a roll of contact paper?

[morzh]

I always thought (strictly speculatively - I have no experience in cabinetry) that the best way of doing this would be having something like decals - very thin layer of printed image, without thick paper substrate.
Then you could cover it with lacquers etc.
If one uses paper, unless it is very thin, it will try to create rigid corners, separate etc.
And self-sticking type like labels to me is simply not going to work well.

Again, strictly imaginatively. Perhaps people know how to make these work.

[OldRestorer]

It is a plastic and is much thicker than a decal. I agree Mike, it should be thin but would most likely rip due to the size.

[morzh]

I wonder if at some point someone could come up with this process:

Put the foundation right on the wood/plywood used for the cabinet, that is guaranteed not to crack etc and that one could print/paint upon.
Then come up with some process to print right on this foundation on the plywood. Print any pattern you like, directly in colour.
Then you lacquer it and such.

[tab10672]

The reason I ask is that plastic wouldnt "soak" in the glue no matter what you use. As morzh said the corners and edges would roll after a while. It may not be too expensive (if will lift off easy) to take it to a print shop and have it transfered onto thin glossy magazine paper then apply with spray adhesive?

[morzh]

Think glossy paper is also kind of...glossy. I am not sure it will glue well.

[tab10672]

Being paper rather than plastic it would soak in the glue better, The reason I know it will work is that I used this process on my 37-84 but I printed it myself and the colour bled a little with my printer. A printing press could print the image alot sharper and larger.

[tab10672]

Not perfect but it looks better than it did.
   

[OldRestorer]

Todd,
Thats beautiful!

[tab10672]

Thanks kirk
Thats the largest radio I could print to fit. I have about 5 more photo finish tombstones/cathedrals but they are all taller than a sheet of legal sized paper will cover, one of these days I am going to use my own suggestion but without a fitted image I would have to have full sheets of each wood grain printed and cut it out myself, then there would be the problem of the pinstriping.

[Eliot Ness]

Tab, is that whole front printed on a piece of paper? It looks pretty good.

Kirk, I thought from the Youtube videos those were water slide decals he was selling.

[tab10672]

It is actually 3 pieces, right and left dark areas and one piece for the middle U shaped piece

[bfrohwein]

Kirk:

Did you buy a re-faux pro ?

[TA Forbes]

VERY nice work, Todd !!!