Really simple decal schemes
 

I have been looking and looking to see if anyone was reproducing the very simple decals that were sold in the early 1960s Centuri catalogs, and decorating the kits in those catalogs. We're talking 1/4" and 3/8" checkerboards in black or red, and simple black lines to wrap about body tubes. That's it. We have a couple of very good decal providers right now who do a great job with model-specific deal sets that I would never be able to reproduce, but I could never find these really basic lines and checkerboard, so I'm just trying to make my own. Simple graphics created in things like Google docs I hope will print and display well, But we'll see.

Assume Centuri didn't make those decals. Probably made by MicroScale Decals, which was the only decal supplier back in those days. Try these links:
https://www.microscale.com/Merchant...gory_Code=CHECK

http://www.microscale.com/Merchant2...ry_Code=STRIPES

Thank you, I will check it out.

Yes, at one time or the other both Centuri and Estes carried those checkerboard and stripes decal sheets. Same exact sheets. I never knew who made them originally.

Earl

Yes. I'm just a little surprised that for the most part these decal sheets have never entered the pipeline of preservation, scanning, sharing and reproduction as have so many of the model-specific or company logo decal sheets that are widely available today.

The checkerboards were available in many colors, 1/4" and 3/8" (I am not finding this size), and many colored stripes. By the late 1960s, the "roll" pattern decals were sold the same way and can be seen on nearly all Centuri catalog and facecard pics of the time. These also seem to be very difficult to find - unless one happens to be part of a model-specific sheet, and then only for that particular BT and model. So I am learning to make those as well when needed, which is only feasible because they are so simple.

I haven't looked recently, but "Trim Monokote" (which is simple adhesive sheets, not heat shrink) came in a variety of checkerboards.

I used that for my Aero-Dart Mark II recreation.

The other checkerboard on that model is a clear label stock run through a laser printer, wrapped around chrome Trim Monokote.

Nice! I have been thinking about Monokote (or similar metallic sheen) for roughly 1" strips for the top and bottom of the Aero-Dart payload tube - and then simply checkerboard on white for the middle. But the metallic checker looks great. I guess I could consider metallic paint, then simple black/clear checker decal over that.

But I wonder what this stuff would look like:
Trim Film _ Metallic Silver

Taking inspiration from these early black and white illustrations in Centuri catalogs - even if if limiting oneself to catalog materials - allows a lot of latitude, on color particularly. Part of the fun. This is especially so for models that were OOP (or substantial redesigned / scaled) before any color catalogs were produced, which for Centuri is nearly all of them.

I used trim Monokote on my Enerjet Aero Dart clones as well.

I spent some time and went back through my Centuri kit scans and these are the roll patterns I have for the Centuri ST-7 (Micro Probe), ST-8 (Marauder), and ST-10 (Payloader II).

These roll pattern decals were available only in those three tube sizes. And two colors: red and black. But these will provide a good basis for developing clone decals in either color.

Earl

Edit-- I see the scans got out of sequence as to how I loaded them up. As shown in the post, they are Marauder (ST-8), Payloader II (ST-10), and Micro Probe (ST-7)

Thank you Earl, these are great and I don't think I have seen them anywhere!

For the Marauder and Micro Probe, do you know if these came with the individual kits? Are do they come off of the "roll pattern" decal sets sold seperately?

I know you know the Centuri catalogs well, and I just find it interested that in 1963 nearly all the kits had checkerboards and then suddenly by 1965 is was 90% roll patterns! For example, the new Payloader II, page 10, with this same roll pattern.