frame decal application
 

has anyone ever installed frame decals before? i've done a lot of research with varying results. these are professional reproduction decals. would you say this sounds right:

- clean frame with weak soapy solution
- wipe with a cotton cloth
- using same solution wet decals
- peel off back cover of decal
- spray decal with weak soapy solution
- place the decal
- then squeegee (burnish) the excess water from under the decal
- then remove front vinyl cover from the front of the decal

i've alternately heard you should mildly scrub the bike surface with a scotch bright pad beforehand to aid adhesion.

they look like this:
http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=254253

Are those wed decals or vinyl stickers?

Knowing the decal's chemistry is most important. Some are dry applied, some water transfer and others are solvent applied. All want really clean and smooth surfaces. All want to be placed at the correct spot/realationship the first time. The solvent and water transfers have a little bit of floating to position them. dryrub ons don't, they crack quickly if tried to move. Many painters use tools to help line up the decale position. Masking tape, rules, frame blocks to allow close but not touching placement of the fingers while aplying. Flexible pressure devices to remove the liquid, not tear the decale and press the transfer on/in to the paint. I think this is one of the more challenging aspects of paint work. And don't forget to figure out the clear coat/decal compatability. Andy.

If they're vinyl stickers as most seem to be first step is mark the area on the frame where the decal will go, you can use pieces of masking tape to mark where the top and bottom should be. Then wipe the frame with a weak soap/water solution to clean it, then immediately before applying the decal wet the frame (not the decal) well with the same solution...get it good and wet, this will allow you to move the decals around a bit till they're perfectly aligned. Peel the backing off the sticky side of the decal and apply. When they're where you want them use a soft cloth to squeegee any water from underneath. If your decals have vinyl on the top wait for an hour or two before carefully peeling it off, start at a corner and gently work it off making sure that the decal doesn't lift off the frame and voila, you're done. You should then wait at least a week before clearcoating to make sure any remaining water trapped under the decal has dried completely.

I had my De Rosa powdercoated and left it "blank" for 7 years. I found some great replacement decals on eBay that have been holding up great for 3 years now. They came with detailed instructions; in this case, they were to be put on wet with soapy water. I filled a spray bottle to keep things wet while I finalized placement.

I didn't use any alignment tools, so I'll offer this one tip: undo your derailleur cables when putting the downtube decal on. They don't run parallel to the tube and will mess up your perception of what is straight.

http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=254335

When you press the decal down, start at the center and work slowly outward, be sure - take every painstaking care - not to trap any air bubbles. If you do discover an air bubble later, use a sharp pin to prick it and then smooth it down, rather than trying to unpeel the decal back to the bubble.

20-20 hindsite here

Acetone, fingernail polish, the stuff you use to remove them...
Before application, clean the frame with 90% alcohol, let it dry

If there's any question about getting it lined up a touch of the stuff used to remove it would allow proper placement for several minutes.
Soapy water is dirty water, err, heavy water, lot's of gunk to crop up later.

thanks lots of good suggestions here. will let you know how it goes...