Vanguards Lotus Cortina

@jack-dodds Hi Jack not sure Vanguards uses decals nowadays for this detailing. Usually these are done by pad printing.   

@chris-sweetman Chris;  If you don't mind, would you explain pad printing to me please?

@jack-dodds Hi Jack

This video shows pad printing in action:

And this video provided information on how to remove pad printing:

Hope these help

Chris

@chris-sweetman Very informative Chris!

Thanks very much Chris!  I have several Durham Classics that I would love to remove decals from; this may also be the answer to that issue as water didn't work at all. 

By any chance does anyone have any experience removing Durham Classics decals?  They appear to be clear coated over.

re: video#2   Strewth! I don't know how he manages to do that using acetone (whether in pure form or in the more dilute form found in nail varnish remover.) In my experience acetone can very quickly chew its way right through all the paint layers, right down to bare metal. Even if it is applied lightly and cleaned off quickly the underlying paint surface may go cloudy or matt or come off in small patches.

Obviously it may depend on the type of paint a particular model manufacturer uses for the base colour, and what kind of paint is used for the pad-printed graphics. But personally (having deliberately stripped some very hard-to-remove paint using acetone) I wouldn't want to try this trick on anything but a very cheap model.

Posted by: @graeme-ogg

re: video#2   Strewth! I don't know how he manages to do that using acetone (whether in pure form or in the more dilute form found in nail varnish remover.) In my experience acetone can very quickly chew its way right through all the paint layers, right down to bare metal. Even if it is applied lightly and cleaned off quickly the underlying paint surface may go cloudy or matt or come off in small patches.

Obviously it may depend on the type of paint a particular model manufacturer uses for the base colour, and what kind of paint is used for the pad-printed graphics. But personally (having deliberately stripped some very hard-to-remove paint using acetone) I wouldn't want to try this trick on anything but a very cheap model.

Yes, I was thinking the same thing Graeme.  But...the fellow seems to have a lot of experience and he apparently is using the acetone on quite inexpensive little models, which should have cheaper paint applied.  That much said though, I suppose the odds of his cheaper models being clear coated over the graphics is less likely; whereas my Lotus Cortina by Minichamps seems to me to be clear coated over the numbers.  It probably is a wiser move to experiment on a cheapie first though....or go initially with nail polish remover.

I guess like me you've looked online and seen a surprising number of people recommending acetone - although quite a number of them do admit there is a risk of either going right through the paint or leaving the base coat a little the worse for wear.

I found this video of a guy doing it with rubbing compound and a soft buffing pad on his drill, which seems to work well and leaves the base colour undamaged and just needing a polish. At the end of the video he shows a model with a clear finishing coat and he says he wouldn't use his technique on that, which I found surprising. I would have thought he could have used the same trick to gently buff his way through the top coat, then the decal/pad printing, then polish up the base coat or apply a clear lacquer. Maybe he has found that the clear top is more resistant to complete removal.

Quick Tip: How to remove Tampos without using chemicals. - YouTube

And by the way, since you were asking what pad printing (or tampo printing) was all about, here are some fun demos of the process. Amazing how cleanly the pads pick up the different coloured inks and deposit them cleanly on difficult shapes.

Pad printing Multi color print - YouTube

PAD PRINTING multi color print - YouTube 

10 colors ball pad printer sphere pad printing machineTAMPON - YouTube

@graeme-ogg Well, after considering the discussed risks, I started out "light" and went with simple nail polish remover...albeit the label referred to it as Ultra Strength.  It worked instantly in removing the decals without damaging the paint.  Using Q-Tips, I started in the center of the decal and worked outward; rubbed the area very gently and fortunately that was adequate.  So now I have a "race prepared" looking Lotus Cortina MK.II that looks somewhat stock at a glance, is in the same white/green spear as the Minichamps MK.I  and displays really well beside it.  I will try this application on a couple of  Durham Classics as well; hopefully I will get the same results.  Thanks for you comments and assistance with this Graeme!

@chris-sweetman 

I wish the video about removing pad printing would have started with a warning about doing this in a well ventilated area.

Posted by: @ed-davis

@chris-sweetman 

I wish the video about removing pad printing would have started with a warning about doing this in a well ventilated area.

LOL.