My O Gauge Journal on
 Modelling the GWR

A personal Journey

Applying transfers

Applying transfers in three stages
a) First, in goes the piece of transfer and it begins to soak up water. To remove the transfer from the bath I use a specially made spatula to lift it out, (Fig 4). I tilt the spatula to allow the water to run off it leaving the transfer ready for me to hold it by a corner with tweezers. Make sure that you only hold the paper and not catch the outlying invisible bits of the transfer.

b) Second, to apply the transfer to the body, position the backing paper so that one part of the transfer can be slid off it and held with the cocktail stick on to the body in roughly the correct starting point. Then pull the backing paper away carefully threading the transfer as it does so onto the body, not the other way round, (if you pull the transfer off the backing paper it will stick to the loco body before it’s all off and then you will need a third hand to apply water to it!) . Once the transfer is on the body use a little water to keep the transfer moveable, and use the cocktail stick to tease it slowly and carefully into the right position. The transfer will complain as it is coaxed whether it is a straight or a curved piece, and will tend to show a series of little ‘kinks’ along its edges, ignore this and move along the transfer pushing it gently into position. As it regains its shape the kinks should disappear. Getting straight bits straight is not easy as the transfer will tend to follow the surface of the body and any unevenness can make it snake slightly. Keep adjusting it bit by bit; keep using water, (but not too much), until you are satisfied with the look of it. Then using the cotton wool buds roll carefully over the transfer to remove all the water. Dabbing is also permissible, beware if you drag one across your transfer or make any sudden moves, you run the risk of displacing your good work!

c) Third, when the next piece of transfer is positioned with the first it almost always will overlap the previous piece. What do you do about that? You can leave one on top of the other, but it almost always is identified as thicker lines will be created by the overlap, (sometimes you will have to do this as its position may dictate this as the only option). Use a curved modelling knife over the centre of the overlap and gently rock the blade over it. You will then be able to carefully remove the overlapping pieces so that the two pieces now butt together exactly

section 6