# Vinyl Over Rivets



## Dylanfreeski123 (Apr 13, 2008)

I was just wondering if anyone knows a good way to get vinyl lettering to stick on rivets. The directions from G-Scale Graphics tell you to press on the letters with an eraser but that seems to last only for a day or so. Anything will be helpful, thanks.


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

Del should know. I think he told me a hair dryer helps. 

Regards, Greg


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## East Broad Top (Dec 29, 2007)

Never had much luck with that. I tried warming them with a hair dryer, but they still pulled up. That was on a B'mann 4-6-0 tender, which has grotesquely oversized rivets, though. Smaller, more scale rivets might react better to the hair dryer treatment. 

Later, 

K


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

Or maybe Del is using a different thickness, adhesive, etc. 

Are you speaking from experience with Del's vinyl? 

Regards, Greg


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## Nicholas Savatgy (Dec 17, 2008)

I use a lot of vinyl decals, some from Del some from shawmutt what i do that works everytime for me is, Place vinyl wear you want it and stick it lightly down, then i use a hair dryer to heat it up then rub it in good and your done. Heating it up aloues it to conform to seems and rivits nicely and it stays put.


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## blueregal (Jan 3, 2008)

This takes a while but I take a pin or needle and poke each rivet, and then smooth out with my fingers or a soft flat object to smooth everything out it sticks and doesn't raise up after doing that!! Takes some time but worth it. Regal Oh and yeah all the decals I have used so far are from Del G-Scale Graphics!


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## East Broad Top (Dec 29, 2007)

Are you speaking from experience with Del's vinyl? 
Yes. I have no trouble working them into groves such as on a car or building siding, because those deformities tend to be along a crease as opposed to a bump. I could never get the vinyl to lay down properly over the large (overscale) rivets on the B'mann tender. They'd sit down at first, but--as Dylan has experienced--I found them pulled up around the rivets a day or two later. I had the same results with Jeff's (Shawmutt) vinyl on the same tender. (Actually, I had tried Jeff's first, then on a separate occasion tried Del's to see if the experience was similar.) Nick seems to have had much better luck than I. (Nick, have you noticed any difference in performance based on the size of the rivets?) 

A somewhat related tip: If you're applying the vinyl to a wood (simulated wood) box car, building or such where the lettering presumably have some grain, lightly go over the lettering with some 60-grit sandpaper once it's applied in the direction of the grain. It gives the lettering the same texture as the wood, blending it in even further. 

(A nod of appreciation to both Jeff and Del for supplying me with samples to play with for the various articles and clinics on lettering and signs I've done over the years.) 

Later, 

K


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## Nicholas Savatgy (Dec 17, 2008)

QUOTE (Nick, have you noticed any difference in performance based on the size of the rivets?) 
Kevin,
In the last month and a half i have been useing alot of vinyl, i just finished a freinds 2 USA Hudsons and his 10 car heavy weight train made the all into Boston and Albany livery. also just completed my new NYC AML 0 6 0 useing Dels stuff and it works great. what i have found is i lay the vinyl were i what it press lightly and then use a hair dryer to heat it up really good then press it on useing a wet rag then i go back to the rivits and seems with the handle of a plastic handled knife and press the seems and rivits really well also using a little more heat to get them hot to almost melt over the rivits and i havent had any issues with lifting at all... A couple of years ago i did a Bachmann hopper car with shawmtt stuff useing the same practice on the bigger rivits and it work fine as a matter of fact i called the guy i sold it to today and asked him to look at it to see if it was still on ok, he said still on so im thinking heat is the key for larger rivits.


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## Del Tapparo (Jan 4, 2008)

Sorry to hear you are having problems. I hope it isn't with my product (I don't recognize your name as a customer). 


I'd give the hair dryer, as discussed by Nick , a try. 


I just checked my Bachmann tender that I lettered about 5 years ago over the rivets. If you look really close, a couple of them aren't perfect, but they look like the day I put the lettering on. I just used a rubber eraser to press down over the vinyl lettering. This lettering was done using 2 mil vinyl. I now use 3 mil vinyl because it is so much easier to work with, especially with small lettering. The 3 mil still conforms quite nicely though, and you can't tell the difference looks wise. I have also noticed over the years that not all vinyls are created equal. I have several colors of vinyl from the same product family that behave quite differently from each other during the lettering manufacturing process.


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## Torby (Jan 2, 2008)

I wonder if you have a little air under the graphic at the rivet that pushes it back up. Regal's pin trick might solve that.


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## blueregal (Jan 3, 2008)

Works for me Torby!! Yessssssssssssssssssssssssssssserie!! Regal


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## Del Tapparo (Jan 4, 2008)

Posted By Torby on 10 Dec 2009 05:51 PM 
I wonder if you have a little air under the graphic at the rivet that pushes it back up. Regal's pin trick might solve that. 


And you are exactly right! It doesn't matter how conformable the vinyl is. If there is trapped air, its not going to lay down.


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## Nicholas Savatgy (Dec 17, 2008)

Posted By blueregal on 10 Dec 2009 06:07 PM 
Works for me Torby!! Yessssssssssssssssssssssssssssserie!! Regal


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