• Welcome to RCTalk! 🚀

    Join the #1 RC community where hobbyists connect, share, and get expert advice on RC cars, trucks, boats, drones, and more!

    • ✓ Friendly & passionate RC enthusiasts
    • ✓ RC tips & troubleshooting
    • ✓ Buy, sell & trade RC gear
    • ✓ Share builds & upgrades

Inside decals

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate
links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
Heisenburg

Heisenburg

RCTalk Addict
Build Thread Contributor
Messages
1,136
Reaction score
935
Points
280
Location
New England
RC Driving Style
  1. Racing
  2. Crawling
  3. Scale Builder
  4. Boating
With the exception of race cars, all of my body builds have the decals stuck from the inside. First, using clear RTV silicone, then later I discovered "picture glue" that dries clear and can be painted. It is water soluble, but is sealed by the paint covering it.
Anyways, I am doing the "hard" decals on my Losi NASCAR (Grilles, tail lights, manufacturer badges, ect) from the inside, with livery and sponsor stickers outside.
What I am asking is if there is a glue I can use on the windscreen and other windows. I did RTV glue on my last NASCAR body, and I don't hate it, but think I can do better. I might try trimming away the clear "glass" and leave the roll cage bars and stuff.
The obstacles? RTV glue is thick, and difficult to squee gee out. The picture glue is water soluble and won't be covered by paint.
Any ideas?
 
I'd love to see some photos of your process and results! I was planning to test the same approach.

Could you mask the rest of the windshield and then back the picture glue with a gloss clear?
 
Spksh said:
I read somewhere that this picture glue is just Elmers clear school glue, which is a washable clear PVA. I’d guess the “washable” part is what @Heisenburg is concerned about.
Click to expand...
I've used it before and coated with paint years ago no issues. I've used elders glue as a cheap liquid mask and I couldn't get the paint to stick where I used it. So although similar they seem different in my experience. Elders also had a cloudy bit over it.
 
Spksh said:
I'd love to see some photos of your process and results! I was planning to test the same approach.

Could you mask the rest of the windshield and then back the picture glue with a gloss clear?
Click to expand...
Heisenburg

Post in thread 'Bodies by Heisenburg'

The paint and striping was inspired by an 'Evo I saw on Need for Speed Most Wanted. I returned the 1st can of paint I got, too drab, I wanted something brighter. All decals were stuck to the inside of the body shell, as always, with picture glue, and depict RC companies I have used parts from. The only non-RC decals were Mitsubishi logos and the RalliArt name, which is the name for their custom body works on 1:1 scale car. The exhaust has dual pipes on the right rear, firing blue "nitro" lights when accelerated. Besides the head, tail, markers, there are 2 super bright LEDs inside the head...
  • Like
Heisenburg

Post in thread 'Bodies by Heisenburg'

My 2nd import build, I needed a 4 wheel drive for my Rustler 4X4. I only have this and the Lancer Evo for now to use on that rig. I modeled the paint and bodywork after a a car I finished "Tokyo Xtreme Racer Zero" with. I added to it over sized "too big to read" letters and shooting stars. It also features red high beam "challenge" lights next to regular headlites, front markers, and tail lights. The rear hazards will also flash with channel 3. This is the first single exhaust I have ever put out for my own build, which strobes a blue flash on acceleration. As always, all graphics are...
 
I've used the XXXmain picture glue several times on different platforms. It’s held good for 20 years but most were show body’s and not bashed too much

IMG_5609.webp


IMG_5612.webp


IMG_5611.webp


IMG_5610.webp


IMG_5615.webp


IMG_5614.webp


IMG_5613.webp
 
Last edited:
The general Lee is printed on computer decal paper. The white not clear version The X-men are from a real comic book. The Cheetos car is actual chip bag. The windshield pic is a magazine picture The blue flames are an internal decal as well. The Michelob label is from an actual beer bottle from back in the day when u could peel them off. lol.

The XXXmain picture glue works great. Use it liberally then press it out as best you can then wipe off excess.
 
Xxxmain racing has a good video on using the picture. They have a few types of number decals too
 
gragner66 said:
The general Lee is printed on computer decal paper. The white not clear version The X-men are from a real comic book. The Cheetos car is actual chip bag. The windshield pic is a magazine picture The blue flames are an internal decal as well. The Michelob label is from an actual beer bottle from back in the day when u could peel them off. lol.

The XXXmain picture glue works great. Use it liberally then press it out as best you can then wipe off excess.
Click to expand...
XXXmain, that's right. It thought it might be Elmer's glue, but didn't really want to chance. Then again, if the decal peels off, I just use rtv clear.
 
I haven't used XXX Main's picture glue, but if folks say it looks like Elmer's white glue, and it kinda smells like it, it is more than likely simple old Mod Podge. Elmer's does not dry clear. Mod Podge does, and it remained somewhat flexible. It is used a lot in photography, like instead of a picture frame with a glass, you have a flat piece of wood, or a section of a tree with bark around the outside. You put the mod podge down heavy, then lay your picture in it. Then you cover it in multiple coats, even pouring it on if you like. After a few layers, the edge of the picture smooths out. You end up with a thick, glassy looking coat, like on the old vintage guitars with the heavy poly coating. It is very clear too. You could try that. Any craft store should have it.
images (87).webp


You can also dye it with water based dyes. Model Railroaders use it to create very realistic water that you can see through to the bottoms of lakes, and see fish in if you so desire. For example...
 
Last edited:
Spksh said:
Not the white stuff, I meant Elmer’s Clear.
View attachment 261007
Click to expand...
Oh, I don't know there. I have never tried that fancy clear stuff. But I know the mod podge stuff is a lot more durable than any Elmer's I ever used way back when. I kinda doubt he would actually just use Elmers, since Mod Podge is actually made especially for sealing pictures in under a nice durable gloss coat. And Elmers will peel off Lexan pretty easily. I used to add a drop of dish soap to it and use it for liquid mask back when I painted slot cars. Granted, the drop of soap probably helped it peel, at least that's why I added it. But I could peel it almost as easy as liquid mask. I am going to have to order some of each and try it out. I have always wanted to grab a nice picture book and do up a couple superhero themes.
 
Heisenburg said:
Me too, please
Click to expand...
If I was you, I'd go ahead and stop by hobby lobby, or any art supply store and grab a small bottle. If I had to guess, I would say mod podge will work. If nothing else, it's great for cool little artsy projects.
 
Oh, I remember one cool thing I saw it used for. In art class, a girl had a picture frame with no glass. Just a Gesso canvas filling the opening in the frame. She laid gravel, flowers and other stuff in there, a couple feathers, etc. Then she coated it with a few watered down layers, just drizzled over stuff. Then buried it all in heavier coats of mod podge. It was pretty neat looking.

My dad was a photographer, and he used it on the baseball plaques for the little league teams. They had a team photo on the left, and an individual player baseball card shot on the right. They were really cool too. Dammit. I want to grab some and play with it on a project now 🤪
 

Similar threads

desmobob
Putting water slide decals on a Lexan body
Replies
4
Views
339
desmobob
desmobob

RC Builds

Back
Top