Ever Wonder What Is The Correct Old School Look For Your Letters?
Original decal letters all waiting for you!
Ya gotta love eBay. We do here at Woody Boater big time. The stuff that pops up is sometimes like being an archeologist. Yes I googled that word… Anyway. We found this cool item. A full- ish enough box of original decal numbers and letters for your hull reg numbers. If you desire such art for your shop, or want to replicate your numbers to perfection, Here ya go.. CLICK HERE.
Here is the original box
A nice box full of letters and numbers
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Just because they’re old doesn’t mean worth $200
Shut up Anonymous! You obviously don’t know COOL when you see it.
Matt has hit rock bottom?
Do we need to have another Bored Meeting?
If they’re original do I have to scrape off my gold-lief ones? Darn, there goes the new varnish job.
Yes – Stickers are the “New” Old School…
Decals! For the little outboard guy out there, these are the ticket. Just say’n…
OH, and one more thing.. ZIPPERS!
Well I had a discussion with the gold leafer that did the name on my new transom a few years back about letter style. She insisted that she only did “period” style lettering, Since my Sea Skiff is a 1967 she showed me “period” style letter she’d use. She was right. She did add the little graphic I wanted in the upper corner. Looks freally cool done in real 24 kt gold leaf. Not many that can do that eny more.
The thought of installing these ugly Chris-Craft stickers on my 200,000.00 Riviera still bothers me today. But the options were limted in order to make it appear correct…
Texx if you put stickers on that beauty so help me I’ll become a judge just to deduct points! And I’ll join every chapter out there so I can do it over and over.
ya needed a decal.. Note that decals and stickers are two entirely different things. The decal leaves a translucent feel to the type and treats the varnish differently. If I was restoring or refinishing a small outboard to be authentic. Stickers or paint might not give that real look. So a decal is an option. Making decals is apparently not as easy as banging out a sticker. OH, and don’t even get me started on period fonts. Pre war would have been ALL handed lettered and the options varied on the alcohol consumption of the letterer, and his personal style. All the fonts that we look at today are variations on some of those fonts since they are on a computer not in lead. What I liked about this particular font, was that it was a compressed font that I can not figure out. So its on its own out there. I am sure its something. But whats cool about this is that even your numbers would be NOS.. Like zipper manufacters . God is in the details.. BTW, doesnt care about spelling..
Matt. Thats the second time you have used the word “Outboarder” in this story. Are we “sticker boaters”?
That’s why I hate the replacement post-war Chris-Craft stickers, and why I refer to them as stickers not decals.
They don’t have that translucent look, like the original water transfer decals that (I think) the Riviera had when delivered with from the factory… and they have this prominent “stepped edge” just like a bumper sticker.
Option 1 was to have the Chris-Craft script hand painted by a professional pinstriper, which was my preference.
Option 2 was to find some reproduction water transfer decals (like old model car decals) similar to what was used back in the day, but once they are varnished over they may change color.
Both options may have resulted in a minor point deduction which I didn’t want…
No registration numbers were installed, that will be done by the next owner.
I have a Duro decal tin that’s twice that size still full. It has letters and numbers that are much different than those. Including goldleaf letters I’ll try and forward some pictures to matt
Nice header of Mike Hagans Triple. Anyone get a shot of it in Tavares when it totaled the Hundai?
Woodygal told me about that story, Met Mike and he is a top notch craftsman. The finish on his Chris is outstanding…
We use water release decals for everything we do .. but we make them… They are made the same way they were back in the day … lacquer based on water transfer paper. Try to keep to styles that would have been available in the day… We use silver black gold & black silver & white and have done some other combinations. Here is a link to a photo of numbers just after installing them… http://centuryclassicpowerboat.com/projects/5416res/DSC_9667.jpg Here is a link to numbers just after putting a coat of varnish over them… They are sealed between layers of varnish. or you can leave them on the surface.. either works… Originals often break due to age …
We have reproduced decals from what actually was on a boat.. digital photos clean up sized and separated the colors for screen printing. Here is a link to a photo of a transom that had decals on for the name… And a copy of the art work that Has been done… to reproduce the name accurately…. Note the arc of the name will be done when installing the name on the transom… http://centuryclassicpowerboat.com/DSC_16225.jpg This is the name of a Ride boat from our lake… We are finishing up the restoration of the boat which was started by someone else… The boat is a 1928 Chris Craft 30′ Runabout…. The largest triple cockpit boat Chris Craft built… One of 2 known. and one of 7 built from 1928-1930. Sedans were also built on this hull only 8 of those were built and none known to survive today. This one is the 1st runabout built. hull #4001 Hull #4000 was a sedan…
I would like to get the box of them just do get the art work scanned so that style can be reproduced…
Thanks for the info on the reproduction decals Frank. It’s good to know there are options out there…