Mike Petro | 18 Jul 2013 9:13 a.m. PST |
As I understand, Dip flag in diluted white glue solution. Wrap around flagpole as desired. Let dry. Paint edges. DON'T spray matte or gloss finish, as It will eat the paper. Missing anything for my first flag folding(pun)?! Any help appreciated. |
idontbelieveit | 18 Jul 2013 9:28 a.m. PST |
Dip flag? What? You want to put a very thing layer of diluted white glue on the blank side. Don't get any glue on the pattern side at all. After you've wrapped it you probably want to shape it by folding it across a couple of brush handles to give alternate waves. Otherwise it looks good. |
M C MonkeyDew | 18 Jul 2013 9:29 a.m. PST |
Hmmm. I just paint the back of the flag with Elmer's (white glue), and then fold it around the pole. That allows careful handling of the flag surface while you "set" it the way you want it. Are these home printed or professional flags? |
John the OFM | 18 Jul 2013 9:30 a.m. PST |
No. Do not dip flag. FIRST, wrap the flag around the pole while dry. Line it up and put a crease in it, using fingernail to crimp it around the pole. Put flag face down on a piece of plastic. Blisters are fine. Paint the back of the flag with 1:1 dilution of white glue. Then wrap already creased flag around pole. Bend wet flag to get appropriate flapping. Where did you get that part about varnish "eating" the paper? Chemically impossible. |
Mike Petro | 18 Jul 2013 9:35 a.m. PST |
Here on TMP, a thread about it eating the ink image. Got it about the glue, and thanks for the "crimping" technique OFM. |
Mike Petro | 18 Jul 2013 9:38 a.m. PST |
MC, they are professional..GMB. Funny thing, I googled for a tutorial before posting. Could not find anything. And thanks for the tips everybody and fast response
..here goes nothing. |
Frederick | 18 Jul 2013 9:59 a.m. PST |
All good advice – it really is something of an art |
M C MonkeyDew | 18 Jul 2013 10:13 a.m. PST |
Yes. Do your least favorite one first : ) Patience is key as with almost any aspect of this hobby. |
leidang | 18 Jul 2013 11:06 a.m. PST |
To me painting edges is very important. Most people don't and to me their flags always just look like a piece of printed paper wrapped around a toothpick. If you can;t match the color well go for gold or silver. I don't use dip but I do usually lightly ink my flags to give them a little depth. I've sprayed dullcote over just about every kind of preprinted flag and even ones printed on my inkjet printer and have never had a problem with the image running. |
timurilank | 18 Jul 2013 11:55 a.m. PST |
Follow John's advice. I always paint my flags as the ones I need are never produced or I am impatient. Add the following tip. Curling the flag to produce waves, I would use a thin paint brush to wrap a corner and roll the flag half way. Roll the flag in the opposite direction from the staff to the "halfway" mark and the flag looks "active". Before the glue sets, "relax" the flag to fit between heads or bayonets or a second rank so it looks natural. |
Col Durnford | 18 Jul 2013 1:16 p.m. PST |
I ink the flag edges both before and after they are mounted. |
CeruLucifus | 18 Jul 2013 10:29 p.m. PST |
Don't use permanent marker as a shortcut when painting the edges. If you have to repair the flag later and use superglue, it makes the marker ink run. I can't speak for pre-printed flags, but the ones I've made myself, I painted a layer of thinned glue on them as a sealer / stiffener before cutting them out. And once wrapped around the pole and dried, if I didn't think it looked active enough, I just softened it by painting on a little more thinned white glue. Then I would re-bend, by wrapping around a paintbrush handle etc. Repeat as needed until perfect. |
Yesthatphil | 19 Jul 2013 2:48 a.m. PST |
I don't use paper flags as they look
well
as if they are made of paper. But one of my wargaming chums does and he varnishes them when complete: it protects them and makes them look a lot less like paper – he has been doing this for years and they certainly seem to last longer than unvarnished ones (so I'd ignore the 'eat the paper' worries). |
Fighting 15s | 19 Jul 2013 3:26 a.m. PST |
FIRST, wrap the flag around the pole while dry. Line it up and put a crease in it, using fingernail to crimp it around the pole. No, don't do that, because you'll crack the inks on some makes of flag. Apply PVA first and then fold the softened paper round the pole. |
idontbelieveit | 20 Jul 2013 7:24 a.m. PST |
I forgot battle flag has a tutorial: link |