PC: Stenciling

["Christopher R. Hauf" <crhauf@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Jeffrey,

        Another good trick for making stencils.   First make them on artist
velum (tracing paper).  Then get white Contact paper.   Place Contact paper
over the velum on a light table and trace the stencil on to the Contact
paper.  Then cut the Contact paper out insuring that you keep a little
bridge to the centers
of the R's, O's, and etc.   Since the Contact paper has hash marks on it, it
is easy to square and space the lettering.  Once complete, peel the backing
off of the Contact paper, square and stick on car.  With X-acto knife, cut
the bridges away from the centers of the R's, O's and etc.   Then paint.  
       
        Contact paper (plus some newspaper) helps keep overspray off car,
and the lettering comes out really great.   Plus the glue on the Contact
paper is pretty mild and easy to peel.  One reason for doing the velum first
is that usually the Contact paper stencils get destroyed in removal and this
leaves a pattern for additional stencils (or multiple copies i.e. needed 4
PULLMAN stencils for the PRR).

        Anyway, I used that technique on the PRR Pullman.  We used the
manilla folder type stencils for our recently repainted DL&W express/baggage
car.   So both certainly have merit.

        Thanks for the tip.  Glad to hear the rubber cement worked.  That is
how I was planning to glue the PC logo on the car and possibly the numbers.
One technique we do sometimes too (like on our Erie caboose), we paint the
lettering color, put positive stencils on the car, finish paint over the
positives, and then peel to re-expose the stencil color.   Haven't decided
how I am going to go on the PC yet.

        
Until later,
Chris