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decal question. How to - 12/13/2012 9:42 PM

aashu

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The decal sheet I have for Sherman does not look like a sticker set. Am I missing something ? I tried to pull decal off from paper but it seems like not a regular sticky sticker.. any pointers ?

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RE: decal question. How to - 12/13/2012 9:49 PM

TheBennyB

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The decals are water transfer. I get a little cup of water, tweezers, q-tip, and a paper towel. Cut out the decal and place in water for 10-20 seconds then grab it gently with the tweezers. You can
now gently slide the decal off the paper backing slightly and begin to apply. after you apply it you have a second or two to move it around. Then I pat any remaining water away, let dry and apply
a coat of decal sealer. Everyone has their own way, and to tell you the truth I've never really had great luck with decals. I usually just make stencils and airbrush everything these days unless it's really small.

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RE: decal question. How to - 12/13/2012 10:01 PM

aashu

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You saved me from destroying them

Thanks

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RE: decal question. How to - 12/13/2012 10:17 PM

TheBennyB

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No sweat, see in your pic your a heli guy? Got a buddy who's got quite an arsenal of align heli's (250, 450, 500, 550) amoung countess micro CP heli's. He's been trying for years
to get me in the hobby and has somewhat suceeded with getting me the Eflite blade nano. It's pretty sweet, have a scale body on mine.

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RE: decal question. How to - 12/13/2012 10:37 PM

Panther F

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Make sure you are placing the decals on an area that has a coat of gloss coat or clear as they will not set and will silver on you.

~ Jeff

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RE: decal question. How to - 12/14/2012 6:19 AM

thecommander

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I strongly suggest decal solutions like Micro Sol and Micro Set. Your decals will look much better. If the model surface is not smooth, as with many flats and OD paints get when applied by airbrush, apply a coat of semi gloss or clear in the small area where the dacal will go first. If not they often don't make an occusive seal with the surface and fall off when dry. Dry tranfers such as Archer are very hard ot get to stick to most flat paints. Tamiya spray paints go one "wetter" and give a smoother surface. Water slide decals are very forgiving.

Helpful Hint: Use warm or room temperature water for decals. Let them soak until the are loose. Cut out just the decals you will need. Cut the backing paper fully. NEVER pull or tear out a decal. All you will do is put hair-line cracks in the decal that you will not see until you try to apply them. They are more fragile than you think. Q-tips are best for removing water from decals. or applying decal solutions.

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RE: decal question. How to - 12/14/2012 7:14 AM

Ronan87

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Also go easy with the q-tip. The water transfer decals are very thin and fragil!

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RE: decal question. How to - 12/14/2012 12:44 PM

Panther F

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Q-Tips... interesting to learn each others techniques. I would think those would apply too much of a single pressure point and tear the decals.

I always use a softening agent like Microscales Micro Set, just brush the area needed and lay down the decal, positioning it. If you're using some decals that are notorious for not sticking or silvering, then a few drops of Elmers white glue in the warm water (always use warm water) mixed thoroughly will help. Just don't let the decal separate from the sheet in the water! Sliding it around on the sheet just before laying it down also helps transferring as much of the sticky stuff to the backside of the decal.

I use a high fiber count cotton rag that is moistened with water to apply pressure to the decal, flattening it to the surface. The gloss surface allows the decal to "stick", then later a Dullcote needs to be applied. Some even use the gloss coat again over the decal area to seal it, but I think enough small coats of the final Dullcote will do.

Tweezers, sharp scissors... many tools at your disposal will help.

~ Jeff

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RE: decal question. How to - 12/14/2012 1:52 PM

ausf

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Most modelers I know use Future (yes, the floor wax) as the undercoat for decals. Airbrushed straight from the bottle @10-14 PSI gives a great finish and a solid foundation that won't react to the setting solutions. Another coat after and it's basically part of the tank. Since it's self leveling, you could also lay it around the edge with a brush, it create an absolute seemless transition. You can weather, wash and dullcoat after. You can also add Tamiya's flat base to matte the Future itself if you wanted.

It's not only a hardy finish for a tank that bangs around (think of what it stands up to on a floor), it's cheap when compared to other gloss coats. I've been using the same bottle for about 10 years now. I use it for models, repairing scratches on CDs, dipping canopies and even sealing certain clays before molding.

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RE: decal question. How to - 12/14/2012 2:25 PM

Panther F

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Yes, Future is another alternative to sealing decals, but I would not recommend it to someone just starting out OR just the occasional modeler. The 1/35th guys knock these models out at an incredible rate and with them costing under $70 they seal a lot of models.

But you need to have an airbrush, a paint booth and to the occasional 1/16th builder, a rattle can works right every time. I've seen great results with both, but it's just another step up the ladder of modeling.

~ Jeff

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