Old rub-down transfers

[Bri]

Search results = zero, and it's technical, so here goes.

I have some old rub-downs of Japanese unit markings, stencils, etc. I bought them second-hand long ago and have used them on and off ever since - well, I don't do a lot of Japanese subjects. They're still in their original wrapping, on the original "greaseproof paper" sheet.
Last week I needed an odd cherry blossom, and the blooming (!) thing refused either to release or to stick down. I tried warming one up, to no avail.

Does anyone know if there's a corpse reviver for the things, equivalent to the sunshine cure for yellowed waterslides? Shame to chuck 'em ....

Regards, Bri.

[popeye]

Bri,

I have had some success with "steaming" the sheets for several minutes over a kettle.

You might also try to find out to what kind of solvent thy react - some original letraset stored in a jar together with a little lighter fuel for some time were partly useable again afterwards.

Rolf

[Bri]

Right! Steam I have (some folk reckon I'm operated by the stuff) but lighter fuel, no, unless there's some in that dead one I found in the lane and brought home for starboard nav. lights. Thanks lad - I'll post the feedback when I've tried it - B.

[Bri]

OK, I've tried it and I'm back.

Steam - I tried "immediately", "evaporated dry" and "blotted while still hot."
None made a ha'porth of difference.

Lighter fluid - no luck, it was butane! So I tried petrol, meths, white spirit, surgical spirit, and methyl-ethyl-ketone. Any more than a quick dip tended to dissolve the ink, and even that did so for petrol and MEK. I had beginner's luck with meths but after that, NBG all the way.

Bother - they must be just too old. Pity, there's rather a lot of them and the ones I used really did look better than waterslides.

Thanks anyway - Cheers -- Bri.

[popeye]

Bri,

I didn't mean to dunk them !

I have had some succes by putting some drops of lighter fuel in a big jar,
inserting the sheet,
close the lid and leave for some hours to let the evaporating lighter fuel soften them !

Good luck, Rolf