I am very glad you are all following and I will continue posting.
Today, I did some experimentation using the vinyl cutter to create the graphics for the stores. My first attempt was to make some reverse paint masks out of Tamiya Masking Sheet stock. The type face I chose had some elements that were too narrow to cut easily and I was using 13 points type size. The trouble with making lettering masks out of normal type faces is the centers of circles, A’s, P’s, R’s, O’s etc. These centers need to be replaced when the stencil is applied to windows from the inside. I’m adding the graphics now before the windows are installed. It would be very difficult to this after installation.
Regardless, I did get a reasonable test. So I made another template cut and attempted to apply it to one of the real windows on the scribed sheet I did last week. The mask was temperamental, and wasn’t working well. In removing and attempting to reapply I damaged the styrene.
I just gave this a quick spray of Tamiya Dull Red to see it the mask worked. It did, but should have had two coats.
I suspected that this wasn’t going to get easier with my chosen small type face. I scrapped the reverse mask idea and went with positively cut lettering applied to the outside of the styrene window. This worked out well since the centers of letters are removed and discarded. I scribed a new window upon which to apply the letters. You pull the letters off the cut vinyl sheet with some Tamiya masking tape which keeps everthing in registration, and then move it to the surface. You brunish it down and then pull the Tamiya tape hoping that all the letters stay in place.
This came out nicely and I’m keeping it. It’s hard for me to apply them straigth and the words are slightly out of line. No big deal.
I cut additional lettering out of the metallic gold vinyl I have for the name of the travel agency.
This came out nicely. The “World” word was cockeyed and I couldn’t get it right. I just cut another “Word” and replaced the errant one.
More of this will happen tomorrow now that I have a better idea of what I’m doing.