Instrument panels and their decals

You can use a punch to cut the instruments from the decal and install them individually.  Your idea of drilling out the instruments is also a good one, but I think I would thin down the panel from the back instead of drilling them, and then punch out the thin plastic to clear the holes.  Or be lazy like many of us and get an Eduard PE panel.

You can usually get a pretty good result by just placing the decal over the raised detail, making sure the decal lines up with the instruments on the plastic and hit it with some micro-sol. Should settle down nicely depending on the quality of the decal. Adding a drop of clear to simulate glass also adds a nice touch. Here is a IP I did for my Tamiya P-47 recently. It can be a pain to line everything up and make sure it doesn't move when applying the micro-sol but just takes some patience.

rooster513

You can usually get a pretty good result by just placing the decal over the raised detail, making sure the decal lines up with the instruments on the plastic and hit it with some micro-sol. Should settle down nicely depending on the quality of the decal. Adding a drop of clear to simulate glass also adds a nice touch. 

 

I use your option 1.  Carefully drill holes in the panel, make a new piece for behind it, and place the decal on that rear piece.  Works great.  If the decal is shiny enough, that does it.  Otherwise put a drop of gloss clear, or some of that window making stuff, in each gauge hole.

You know, sanding it down would be one simple option.  An option that I would do is to order a PE interior color set.  Keeping things simple sometimes makes sense.  Just my humble opinion.

Toshi

THanks for the replies. I think I'll drill out the holes, make a back piece and place the decal on it. I found a few pics and watching many of the videos of the Red Bull P-38 and Corsair on YOuTube, it looks like the -38 has a white interior, so a pre colored PE isn't going to work. I've normally just painted the instruments but they look awful.