Thin stencil supplier ?

[thomasdf]

Hello

I am looking for stencil letters and numbers, but not on the regular plastic ruler you can source easily, more like on a thin sheet of acrylic / plastic paper, so I can use a felt tip marker or posca paint marker to do my lettering. I am looking for get a result similar to what can be found on RCA BA6A chassis, or similar unit of that era. 8mm letter height would be awesome.

I know it is most likely a silkscreen printing, but on some pieces of gear from that era it really looks like a stencil, and I am not looking for a 1:1 repro.

I guess I can always have some made or make them myself in a fablab with a CNC cutter but I am surprised I cannot find such a thing for sale online.

(Photos of the RCA BA6A where taken from the Soundgas website and I cropped them)

 

[scott2000]

probably letraset or some other dry transfer ..
I had better luck with some other brand... can't recall name..can look later when I get on pooter...
the letraset I had were very old though so maybe that's why.
but they are surprisingly awesome....

Datak was the brand I've had good luck with

 

[JohnRoberts]

Probably silk screen printed (ink squeegeed through a silk screen stencil). Making a screen*** is not rocket science but a lot of works for onsey-twosey projects.

There might be cheap screens available from a custom T-shirt company. If they don't make them they buy them cheap.

JR

***Begin with silk screen frame covered with material. Cover with photo sensitive layer (like KPR)... expose with UV light (like sunlight) through a negative of print pattern, wash out the printed areas.

 

[TimG]

Mere coincidence I just saw this.

 

[NOON]

I've worked with small scale screen printing on metal in the past and there's a reason I don't now, it's a real PITA. The screens are finer pitch than tshirt for better resolution and the inks are different so they bond to paint/ metal/ powder coating. This means you need to get everything from specialists. The set up time and clean up time means it's only worthwhile for 20+ units. Should be easy to get stencils cut from any material these days by anyone with a laser cutter, actually sounds like a reasonable option. You can get paint marker pens that are pretty serious and you'd just have to make sure you clean your stencil well.

 

[kags]

I had a friend who could cut stencils with a device that looked like a printer. Instead of printing on paper or plastic, it cut out the letters. Worked great for making stencils for front panels, but I don't remember the brand or model of the "printer."

 

[kags]

Here's one that's around 400 bucks, but there might be less costly ones, too
https://www.amazon.com/Brother-SDX1...54e8dad9&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl&th=1

 

[thomasdf]

I had a friend who could cut stencils with a device that looked like a printer. Instead of printing on paper or plastic, it cut out the letters. Worked great for making stencils for front panels, but I don't remember the brand or model of the "printer."

A plotter / cutter probably.
Thanks all for chiming in

I won’t go the silkscreen route, I did silkscreening on the past and it’s quite a lot of work. I usually build one offs, stereo pair at max…

I have tons of Lettraset, as a type / font fan, I think they are beautiful, but I was looking for another rendering.
Maybe cutting my own stencils is the best way to go. I’ll do some experimenting when I have the time

 

[kags]

A plotter / cutter probably.
Thanks all for chiming in

I won’t go the silkscreen route, I did silkscreening on the past and it’s quite a lot of work. I usually build one offs, stereo pair at max…

I have tons of Lettraset, as a type / font fan, I think they are beautiful, but I was looking for another rendering.
Maybe cutting my own stencils is the best way to go. I’ll do some experimenting when I have the time

I think some print shops have stencil cutters, too. Maybe you could get some cut to try out?

 

[Tubetec]

Mylar stencils appeared on my radar of late ,
A self adhesive tape, laser cut with the front panel decals ,
applied , surface prepped and painted ,

 

[gyraf]

Have someone like jlcpcb make you stainless-steel stencils like they do for smd solder paste application?

/Jakob E.

 

[ohrange]

Find someone with a Risograph printer. The Riso is a kind of fully automatic silkscreen scan-develop-drum-print machine.
You can easily trick the Riso to just make the screen an "misuse" it for other techniques.

This is how it works:
Screen printing with RISO masters

Florian

 

[johnsonic]

Google "dry transfer lettering" can work pretty well if you're careful. Wouldn't be a choice for high-rub areas unless you put a sealant over it.

 

[thomasdf]

Find someone with a Risograph printer. The Riso is a kind of fully automatic silkscreen scan-develop-drum-print machine.
You can easily trick the Riso to just make the screen an "misuse" it for other techniques.

This is how it works:
Screen printing with RISO masters

Florian

Very interesting !

 

[thomasdf]

Have someone like jlcpcb make you stainless-steel stencils like they do for smd solder paste application?

/Jakob E.

I have browsed their website but find no trace of such a service. I’ll contact them and ask, might be a good durable solution if it can be done.