Best data stencil DECALS for F4U-1A?

[Woody V]

Who makes the best waterslide data stencils for the 1/32 Corsair? I already have Barracuda cockpit set, just looking for the exterior stencils.

The ones in the kit are pretty sad and I'm not interested in wet transfers.

[cbk57]

I have built a couple Tamiya Corsairs, my memory is that there are not a lot of exterior options other than the kit supplied stuff.  HGW did the wet transfers, which you have a preference against.  I think there is room here for another option.  I can:t for the life of me remember seeing a full set of data stencils in water slide.  I have sheets by Eagle Editions for primary markings but there data stencils are minimal to my memory.  A few companies have done primary markings but even in primary markings there have not been a huge number of options.  Fundekals has done some of the more comprehensive sheets but those are mostly primary markings.  I have both of those sheets as well.

[Fenous]

What about 1ManArmy masks?

https://www.1manarmy.be/services

[Woody V]

35 minutes ago, cbk57 said:

HGW did the wet transfers, which you have a preference against.

 

Just to be clear, I love HGW and have bought and used their fine products. My problem is that I'm an old fart and not interested in trying new-fangled stuff. 

[Woody V]

24 minutes ago, Fenous said:

What about 1ManArmy masks?

https://www.1manarmy.be/services

 

My heart says GO but my eyes say NO. 

[cbk57]

Agreed as to the wet transfers.  I really found the tamiya decals to not be so bad personally.  I used them on both of my builds.  I used the Baracuda stencils on the cockpit on both then the kit stencils on the exterior.  For some reason the other Tamiya kits have received better decal treatment in most regards but the Corsair has not received all of the attention it could have.  

 

I looked at oneman army, I feel like their products although great look even more tedious than a good decal job.  From what I see with their stencils, you essentially have to mask and spray one stencil at a time.  I would use the HGW product over that where at least you can put a bunch on at once.  I tried the HGW product on a FW-190 with mixed results, the stencils looked pretty good but in some cases I could not tell what I had pulled the film off of very easily.  

 

I just don:t think water slide decals are as bad as people make out.  But everyone builds their own kit and it comes down to how many hours you want to put into any given aspect.

[Woody V]

1 hour ago, cbk57 said:

I just don:t think water slide decals are as bad as people make out.

The stencil decals in my kit are blurry and out of register, otherwise I'd use them.

 

I agree! Decals have to be the most misunderstood and maligned product in model building. I have a Silhouette cutter and use it make my own decals on clear decal film rather than risk messing up trying to paint directly on the kit. The biggest issue I can see with commercial decals is they look like they put the clear on with a hose whereas Microscale clear decal film is super thin. 

My homemade decals.

 

[cbk57]

3 hours ago, Archer Fine Transfers said:

The stencil decals in my kit are blurry and out of register, otherwise I'd use them.

 

I agree! Decals have to be the most misunderstood and maligned product in model building. I have a Silhouette cutter and use it make my own decals on clear decal film rather than risk messing up trying to paint directly on the kit. The biggest issue I can see with commercial decals is they look like they put the clear on with a hose whereas Microscale clear decal film is super thin. 

My homemade decals.

 

I wonder if you have a bad sheet, I would have to open my kit and get out the magnifier but, the norm with Tamiya is people complain they are too thick, I agree they could have finer decal film, I have not seen Tamiya sheets out of register or blurry.  I might have a look at mine tonight, like i said I would have to put them under a magnifier to see if I can find a problem.  

[LSP_Ray]

Techmod has some stencils with their decals. I have 32009 "Vought Corsair II."

No steps, fuel tank 52 gal, fuel tank 197 gal, enclosure release, hand grip, no push, step, step here, and walk lines, plus prop stencils. All in black except enclosure release. 

All clear and readable with thin carrier film. It doesn't show who printed them.

[Woody V]

14 hours ago, cbk57 said:

I wonder if you have a bad sheet, I would have to open my kit and get out the magnifier but, the norm with Tamiya is people complain they are too thick, I agree they could have finer decal film, I have not seen Tamiya sheets out of register or blurry.  I might have a look at mine tonight, like i said I would have to put them under a magnifier to see if I can find a problem.  

I spent a couple hours today scouring over photos of wartime Corsairs and as far as the data stencils go, it's a free-for-all. Black, Black with a border, white, white with a border, black on a white background, black on white with a border, different fonts, etc. However, I did not see any color on anything resembling a silver background like the Tamiya decals. Wherever they came up with is beyond me.

 

When I built my Revel Corsair in the late 80s I copied the data decals and made dry transfers. I gotta dig that artwork up and compare it to the Tamiya sheet.

 

I think I'll make my own but use some of the ones on the Tamiya that could be metal placards on the actual aircraft.

Edited July 26, 2022 by Archer Fine Transfers
Error regarding HS logo color

[Woody V]

3 minutes ago, LSP_Ray said:

Techmod has some stencils with their decals. I have 32009 "Vought Corsair II."

No steps, fuel tank 52 gal, fuel tank 197 gal, enclosure release, hand grip, no push, step, step here, and walk lines, plus prop stencils. All in black except enclosure release. 

All clear and readable with thin carrier film. It doesn't show who printed them.

 

Thank you. I'll look for that too.

[adameliclem]

I seem to recall seeing Vought drawings of data stencils around here recently, possibly on Jay’s 1/18th Corsair build?  Aircorps Library may have them in their F4U factory drawing collection. If you’re making your own decals they could be a great resource.

 

Cheers,

Adam

[LSP_Ray]

I think I did see Corsair factory sheets with a silver surround on Aircorps library.

[chuck540z3]

11 hours ago, Archer Fine Transfers said:

 

Just to be clear, I love HGW and have bought and used their fine products. My problem is that I'm an old fart and not interested in trying new-fangled stuff. 

 

Woody,

 

Sometimes we old farts NEED to learn new tricks now and then, and the HGW wet transfers are the very best decals you can use for small stencils.  Here's a few pics of them on my Spitfire I did a few years ago.  Regular decals on these big gaps would be a twisted mess.

 

 

 

 

And more recently my Tempest

 

 

Crisp, clean and No decal film of any kind.  What's not to like? 

 

Cheers,

Chuck

Edited July 26, 2022 by chuck540z3

[Woody V]

9 hours ago, LSP_Ray said:

I think I did see Corsair factory sheets with a silver surround on Aircorps library.

 

Granted that Aircorps Library is a great source of information, but finding what you need is like looking for a needle in a forest. Regarding a "silver surrounding" in their library, this may be but find any standardized data markings in wartime photos if you can. Furthermore silver ink is aluminum powder and I doubt seriously that such an important strategic metal would be used for such a lowly purpose.

Of course I could be entirely wrong because all I have to go by is random conflicting photographs and conjecture. I would gladly eat a whole humble pie and wash it down with crows if someone could produce a Chance Vought drawing that specs out data stencils the way Grumman did for the Hellcat.