Decals for 2mm Scale Signal Arms
These decals are designed to fit the arms of the Ratio 2mm scale signal kits; they may also fit other brands of signals, but this is not guaranteed. Decals are provided for both sides of the signal arms, and there are sufficient on each sheet for several kits – see below for exact quantities. These decals are supplied on white-backed waterslide decal paper.
Application Tips
Waterslide decals tend not to adhere very well to bare plastic, so some preparatory work is recommended: use a degreasing fluid (such as sold for preparation for painting), lightly roughen the surface using a fibreglass scratch brush or fine abrasive paper, or paint the arms white first – white minimises the apparent thickness of the arms when complete, and gloss is best for adhesion of the decals.
For those decals that also include the spectacle plates, the edges of that part of the arms will need to be touched up with black paint once the decals have been applied. Otherwise it's best to paint the spectacle plates black before applying the decals, so that the application of the decal gives a crisp edge to the border between the plate and the rest of the arm.
Once the decals have been applied, and painting is complete, it is recommended that an overall coat of varnish is applied (matt is probably most appropriate), to seal and protect the decals and unify the appearance of the whole arm, optionally followed by a dab of gloss varnish on each spectacle lens (where these are included in the decals) to give them a "glassy" appearance.
Lower Quadrant (GWR) Signals
These decals are desiged to fit Ratio kits 260 and 262. Since the arms of these kits have pierced spectacle plates (to be filled with coloured varnish film, as shown to the right), these decals do not include the spectacle plates, only the coloured part of the arms. Additional cutting guide marks are also provided to allow them to be reduced to a scale 4ft from the standard 5ft arm length, as frequently used by the GWR for bracket signals. (Note that the arms provided in the kits will also have to be reduced in length by 2mm.) Each sheet contains decals for 36 home and 9 distant arms, and occupies 1/3 of a sheet of A5 paper.
Upper Quadrant (LMS) Signals
These decals are desiged to fit Ratio kit 270. They include the spectacle plate area, although the pivot part of the rear decal is omitted, to prevent problems gluing the arms to the posts. If you intend piercing the spectacle plates of the arms provided in the kit, to make the lenses transparent, then the spectacle plate area of the decals can simply be cut off before application.
Decals are also included for the diamond "T" plates provided in the kit. If these decals are used, it is best to remove the moulded "T" shape (e.g. by filing flat) rather than try to get the decals to wrap around the raised shape.
Each sheet contains decals for 32 home and 8 distant arms, and 28 "T" plates, and occupies 1/3 of a sheet of A5 paper.