Maybe youve made a parts-caster or a kit. Tenant rights in Ontario can limit and leave you liable if you misstep. They very thin and fragile. Then, mask off the sides and back of the neck and headstock. Then I forgot. . Just enough build to be able to sand back flat. Because youll have a little water around and under the decal, you can (carefully) reposition it until its in the correct place. Id hate to think anyone was trying to con someone by faking a headstock decal. Remove the decal from the backing and place it carefully onto the instrument. The best way to get the ball rolling is with a no obligation, completely free consultation without a harassing bunch of follow up calls, emails and stalking. Your digging led you this far, but let me prove my worth and ask for references! , This article written by Gerry Hayes and first published at hazeguitars.com, Solving Intonation Problems (Free Download). You found me for a reason. Once its dry and flat, with no wrinkles, leave it aside until tomorrow to make sure any small amounts of residual water have evaporated. Next day, you can hit it with normal wet coats to build up enough lacquer for sanding and buffing. After thirty seconds to a minute, the film should have loosened on the backing paper. Sand the entire face of the headstock with dampened sandpaper until you get down to the layer with the decal. Maybe youre customising or modifying your own guitar. No matter their experience level they agree GTAHomeGuy is THE only choice. If you do a bit of googling for something along the lines of custom waterslide decals, you should find heaps of places that will print your design for you. The first coats over the logo should be misted on to avoid shocking the decal. You should be able to slide it a little to centre it properly, 6. Cut the decal roughly 3mm (1/8) around the edge of the image, the edge will be transparent once you slide it off the backing paper, 3. But, you dont have to do this stuff for a living to do it. I dont know why but tiny flies seem to love wet lacquer. These decals are printed on a super thin film (for want of a better word). Many sales people will tell you what you want to hear and hope that you arent going to ask them to prove it. Once the decal is cut out, plan your placement of it on the instrument. Use a tweezers to lift both from the water and place it on the headstock near where you want it. We recommend applying at least 15to 20 dust coats. Be really careful here. 7. Spray a few coats, wait a couple of days and sand it flat so there are no dips or shiny spots where your decal will go. Thats not cool. My clients come from a diverse background, some are new to the process and others are well seasoned. Are you sure youre using the best strategy to net more and decrease stress? Check your inbox for an email for meyou'll need to confirm your subscription there. Water-slide decals are great for guitar logos. Be sure of your position before leasing your property. The decal should now lie on the headstock face. Its possible to buy decals for just about any famous guitar brand you might want. Maybe youve hammered hunks of lumber into a guitar shape and want to make it yours. Smacking on heavy coats straight away can damage and wrinkle the decal. Gently press the decal film while you use the tweezers to slide the backing paper out. Because the film is so thin, its possible to apply clear lacquer over it without any noticeable bumps or raised sections at its edges. With great decal application knowledge, comes great responsibility. Dry off any excess moisture, then remove the decal with painters tape. I don't do spam and you can unsubscribe at any time. Any residual fragments of the decal can usually be removed by rubbing with a warm, damp cloth. Dont be tempted to try get it out straight away. Apply one coat, wait a half hour and then mist on another. Any clear coat whether nitro cellulose or acrylic will melt the dextrose. Soak the whole thing in warm water for a minute and the film separates from the backing and the image can be placed on the wing of your 1:32 scale Spitfire Mk IX model. But, of course, you can think of other uses for these. To prep headstock for logo application, lay down a couple of coats and flatten. Like this? Check out these other great articles, repair, guitar, bass, jazzmaster, strat, les paul, archtop, neck, bridge, shim, screw removal, repair, guitar, bass, drill, plug, worn. Nice. I dont like to apply the decal to bare wood so a few coats of lacquer are needed. But when do you know when youve found everything you NEED? The GTA market is VERY demanding and one mistake can lose that perfect pad. Use a paper towel to gently dab off the excess moisture and work any wrinkles and bubbles out of the decal. For more detailed information about these cookies please see our privacy policy. Very, very important is that the first couple of coats should be incredibly light. Spray very light dust coats over the decal. You want to just mist the lacquer on. OK. Youve got your decal. Its not cool to go beyond that, though. Sure, these days you can find anything you want online with just the click of a button. A little lemon juice can help. How to Replace Binding on a Gibson Guitar, How to Professionally Paint Electric Guitars, Copyright 2022 Leaf Group Ltd. All Rights Reserved. Make sure there are no bubbles or wrinkles when applying decal to headstock. Sorry about that. If you are installing two decals on the same instrument, use a ruler to make sure they are positioned symmetrically. Guitar Decals uses cookies. This is to bond the print into the decal and strengthen it to prevent the decal getting damaged during fitment. How many depends on a lot of factors but youll probably want half a dozen or maybe more. Use some kitchen towel to wick up most of the water. Put a little warm water in a bowl and cut your decal close to its final size and shape. To comply with privacy regulations, I need you to allow me to store and process the information you've entered. Ages ago, someone emailed to ask how they should go about applying a decal to a headstock. 4. Im assuming youre starting with a bare headstock as if youve fitted or made a new neck. Take off your guitar's strings, machine heads and ferrules if you are removing decals from under a protective finish of some kind, such as nitro lacquer. Gather these materials before you start: Scissors Paper Towels Bowl of warm water 2. Ta-da! If it doesnt move easily, a drop or two of water on/around the decal will float it and allow you to slide it about. Use your powers for good. Please note to what decal you have (water slide, not self adhesive), *Decals are uncoated and must have at least 10-20 dust coats of lacquer appliedprior to fitting, (failing to apply this amount of dust coats will result in the decal disolving and breaking apart which we will not be held responsible for), Prepare your wood surface by applying at least one coat of, 3. After applying 15-20 coats, the decal will be sufficiently coated and covered to protect the wet coats from eating into the decal and melting it.. Professional guitar and bass repair. When you are ready to apply the decal, plunge it into the warm water and hold it under the surface for 30-60 seconds, until you can begin to slide the thin film off the backing paper, 5. Enter your e-mail address to receive our newsletter, Please note to what decal you have (water slide, not self adhesive)*Decals are uncoated and must have at least 10-20 dust coats of lacquer appliedprior to fitting(failing to apply this amount of dust coats will result in the decal disolving and breaking apart which we will not be held responsible for), WATER SLIDE APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONSPrepare your wood surface by applying at least one coat of hard finish, such as varnish or lacquer, and sanding it smooth (600 grit) after it dries. Dust coats dry on contact and will not eat into the decal. If you were/are a big old nerd, like me, you might know about waterslide decals from your time spent glueing model airplanes together. Hold the neck away from your spray can or gun for a really thin, misted coat. It might take a few minutes to come through so, don't worry if it's not there immediately. Dont separate them yet, though. Use masking tape to mark the positions so you can easily place the wet decal(s) properly without guessing. This takes a little time. I should say a final word about the elephant in the room: fakes. Let me show you why my clients always refer me to their loved ones. When the decal is smooth, set it aside to dry thoroughly, first and let them dry otherwise you are at risk. Waterslide decals are a quick and easy way of branding instruments, but over time they can become chipped and worn. When the decal is dry, you can apply a top coat of clear varnish to seal it permanently. I promised Id write something about it. Dont worry if it looks pebbly. Brandon Talbot | Sales Representative for Cityscape Real Estate Brokerage, Brandon Talbot | Over 15 Years In Real Estate. The film is fixed to a heavier paper backing. Future plans, financial benefits and timing can be huge factors in approach. If you think you might want to change the decorationsometime in the future, then you can leave it un-sealed.It can be peeled off by lifting one edge with a razor bladeand pulling the dry film up and off. They very thin and fragile. This can be really useful there are legitimate uses for these in instrument repair. Thanks a lot. It still feels great to put my logo on the headstock of a guitar Ive made. If this isnt the case, youll have to sand back your current finish and logo until its gone. Heres my two cents on this topic: If you feel you need to stick a Fender logo on your Squier, I guess you can go ahead and do it. Now your custom axe has a custom logo. You must apply several"dust coats"first and let them dry otherwise you are at risk of the decal melting.This is optional, but if youwant the decal to be permanent, youll need to put sealerover it. // Leaf Group Lifestyle, The Gear Page: How To Remove a Brand Decal From a Headstock, TDPRI: Preferred Method To Remove Waterslide Headstock Decals. Use a paper towel to gently dab off the excess moisture and work. Thatll sort itself out as the later coats go on. 7. Personally, Id advise you put the insecurity aside and learn to be ok rocking a Squier (screw the snobs those guys suck) but go ahead if you really want. Now, prep your headstock. Click to play our newest game, solitaire! Finish sanding to ensure a smooth surface on which you can apply a new finish and decal if desired. You may also apply the decals to a fully finished instrument (no need for sanding if the surface is clean and smooth) 1. WARNING:Water slidedecals aremade from dextrose. How to put your logo on a guitar headstock. When the decal is smooth, set it aside to dry thoroughly, for at least an hour or more 8. Water slidedecals aremade from dextrose. Its relatively straightforward to make your own mark on your guitar. Better late than never? Its easy to accidentally nudge the decal out of position and its really easy to tear the decal film. Dust coats dry on contact and will not eat into the decal. Spray the decal with several dust coats before applying. The sandpaper will smoothly remove all traces of the old decal. Look at the reflection of light on the decal to help you spot the bubbles. Once the decal is cut out, plan your placement of it on the, 5. Time for clear coats of lacquer to cover the decal. Please accept to continue or block all non-essential cookies. Pop it in the water. This goes for all water slide decals made by anyone. Hand-built instruments. Let the lacquer cure off as per its instructions and then wet-sand and buff. If the decal is on the surface of the headstock without any coating, soak a cloth in hot water with a little vinegar, then lay it over the decal and leave it for an hour. Then, gently dab the decal with a fresh piece of towel to press out and absorb the remainder of the water. If you are working on a guitar restoration project, you may have to remove the old decal to replace it with a new one. Remove the decal from the backing and place it carefully onto the, 6. Wait for the lacquer to cure off a little and sand it back to get the fly out and apply more lacquer to get rid of the fly-crater. The manufacturer's name on the headstock of many guitars is applied with a waterslide decal.