Decals

[Mike Swendsen]

There is a nice little tool that is made for Letraset for the purpose of
using rub on transfer letters etc.  It looks like a pen with a nice plastic
tip.   A tip cover from a bick pen would probably work as well, as long as
it slides easily and doesn't stick.  You need to push hard enough for the
decal to transfer, but not hard enough to break it, or overly stretch the
backing.  The piece you want to transfer the decal on must also be very
clean.  Burnish the decal down after transferring it by putting the white
backing paper over the decal and rubbing it down firmly using the back of
you thumbnail or some other smooth hard object.  ( this make the decal stick
more firmly)    Next over spray with lacquer, you can use gloss, satin or
flat. that should be all, if you don't overspray , the decal will rub off.
-----Original Message-----
From: Ted Simmons <ted@palmnet.net>
To: pianotech@ptg.org <pianotech@ptg.org>
Date: Saturday, March 28, 1998 9:34 AM
Subject: Decals


>   A customer of mine, whose piano I have been tuning for some years, has a
>piano rebuilt by a tuner who has since passed away.  It is a Chickering
>grand but there is no name on the fallboard and he wants me to put a decal
>on.  I ordered the press-on decal and messed up the little practice sample.
>Now I'm afraid to apply the decal fearing that if I mess it up the
>customer will be disappointed and he is an "every 6 months" customer.  I
>don't want to disappoint him!  In addition, the instructions call for
>applying a coat of lacquer after the application is complete.  I tried this
>on the sample and the lacquered portion stood out like a sore thumb.   His
>piano's finish is not high gloss.  Is there a coating that would not look
>so obvious? Do I even need to coat it?  What do you use to rub the transfer
>decal off onto the fallboard?
>   All advice will be appreciated.
>
>Ted Simmons
>Merritt Island, FL
>
>