Installation instructions

Here are two methods of installing your new decals. The standard installation includes covering the decal with several clear coats after placement on the headstock and sanding/buffing the finish. You will not be able to see any edges on the decal, it will appear under the clear coat. The alternative method is more vintage style, leaving the decal on top of the headstock without a topcoat. The decal edge will remain visible. The decal is very delicate and can tear easily, so handle with care with either method. Soak in warm water not cold.

The decal has been sprayed with a protective coating that is compatible with most lacquers and polyurethanes, but I strongly recommend using a lacquer finish for best results. These instructions are based on using a spray lacquer. Do not use a brush on formula, as it will take too long to dry and can eat into the decal.

1) Make sure your headstock is smooth! I do not recommend putting the decal on raw wood (although some people claim it works fine). It is best to apply a few light coats of lacquer onto the headstock first, and then wet sand until smooth.

2) Cut around the decal lettering for a rounded organic shape – no hard corners. Here's a couple of examples of the cutout shape:

Place decal in warm water for 10 to 30 seconds. Check the decal by carefully rubbing it between your thumb and index finger to feel when the decal is ready to slide off the backing.

3) Position the leading edge of the decal on the headstock where you want it to be placed and gently slide the paper backing out from under the decal. You will be able to adjust the position by sliding the decal for a short time (while there is still plenty of water). As the decal cools it will become more brittle and may tear, so the less movement the better!

4) Once you’ve got it where you want it, take a warm moist paper towel and very gently push out any air bubble and water underneath the decal (the hard part is keeping it in place while doing this). The smooth side of the backing paper you just removed the decal from also works well for this instead of a paper towel. Next push down around the edges of the decal to make sure there are no raised edges. Finally dab it dry by pressing down with a dry paper towel. The decal needs to have a good bond with the headstock surface or it may come loose later. Do not rub the decal! Let dry overnight.

5) Now it is time for a top coat. Spray a very light “misting” coat of clear lacquer over the decal and headstock. Let this coat dry about 30 minutes. Then spray another misting coat and let dry 30 minutes. Spray another misting coat and let dry 30 minutes. Spray on one more mist coat and let the lacquer dry overnight. These four (4) very light coats will do two things; they will soften the decal and surrounding finish and allow the new coats to bond better. They also will act as a barrier coat for the next somewhat wetter coats. Lacquer re-melts the previous layers when a new layer is applied. The idea is to build up enough light mist coats so that the later heavier “wet” coats melt and clarify the prior light coats, but slow down and dry out before it has time to harm the decal.

6) Next, you need to apply some heavier coats to even out the wood surface and decal thickness. After drying overnight spray with a medium coat of lacquer. If nothing moves you should be ok. After an hour spray one more medium wet coat and let dry again over night. The next day spray two to three wet coats with each coat separated by an hour's drying time.

Make sure you have enough coats on the headstock so that you don't sand through to the decal. Extra coats of clear don't really matter as you will be sanding them down anyway (see graphic below) and need to be thick enough for later sanding!

The process is pretty straight forward. You will need to buy a rubber sanding block available at most hardware stores.

You will also need several grades of wet/dry sand paper ranging from #600 to #1500. Start with the coarsest grade of paper to knock down the highest ridges and orange peel. Then progressively work your way down to the finest grade. Be sure to constantly dip your block in a bowl of water and wipe off the lacquer or poly which builds up on the paper. It will tend to ball up and can cut scratches into the surface if you let it build up. The water also helps the block glide on the surface of the headstock. The surface will turn white as you sand it down. Don't worry about it, as later buffing will polish it up super clear. Your goal is to sand it down until the entire headstock is level. The decal will have a ridge until you do this because the clear coat builds up evenly and will never level out without sanding:

Headstock Leveling

The final and best part is polishing the surface! Once you have it very smooth with the #1500 paper there should be no deep scratches or surface irregularities. Using a fine cut automotive rubbing compound such as 3M Perfect-It II. Follow the directions on the bottle and work it until glossy and smooth. For an even smoother finish you can finish it off with a fine scratch remover such as Meguiar's Scratch X.

You can also apply the decal to a finished headstock without top coating it with lacquer for a more vintage look. The decal should stick quite well to a finished headstock. However, the critical factor in this type of installation is the soak time of the decal. If the decal remains in the water too long the backing glue will become diluted and the decal will not adhere well. Soak for too short a time and the glue will not be completely dissolved and then not adhere well. It is best to check the decal several times to find the point when it slides around on the backing paper with just a tad of resistance, at which time it is ready to install.

I recommend spraying a few more coats of clear lacquer on the decal before cutting it out and installing it to give it a bit more protection and to smooth out the surface. Please be aware that you will always be able to see the outline of the decal on the headstock with a vintage style installation and the decal surface will rarely ever match the headstock surface when reflecting light.

Here are instructions for two methods of securing the decal with a bit of additional glue, sent to me from customers. These methods will insure a more permanent decal installation. Both use water soluble pva wood glue such as Titebond Original Wood Glue or Elmer's Carpenter's Wood Glue.

Method 1: Soak the decal in about 200ml (7 oz.) of distilled water with half a teaspoon of carpenters glue. Wet the neck surface first with the water glue mix where the decal will be applied. Use your fingers to apply the decal. It is mobile for about ten seconds. Use a cotton pad from an old t-shirt, soaked in water to smooth it out with no air bubbles or flaws. This also removes the excess water/glue mixture from the headstock.

Method 2: Add 2 drops of wood glue to 1 cup of water before you soak the decal and then place a very small amount of slightly diluted glue (so it spreads thinly and evenly) smeared on the headstock where the decal will be. Then use a wet paper towel or cloth to remove the excess glue and flatten out the decal once in place.