Wrinkles under decals.
 

When I built my plane, I used a heat gun and got rid of all the wrinkles in the Oracoat that sig uses. I mean, they ALL were gone, looked GREAT. Then I applied the decals using the windex method. Now a few days later, after the plane has been hanging up on the wall, I have HUGE bubbles under the decals! What would happen if I used the heat gun on them now?

RE: Wrinkles under decals.
 

From your question I think you mean that there are air bubbles under the decals (between the decal and the covering)? If this is the case try making a pin hole in the decal and with a warm iron try pressing the decal down working towards the pin hole to release the trapped air.

If the bubble is under the covering try the fine pin hole through both decal and film. Heat very carefully with the heat gun and with a glove (to protect your hand) work the bubble towards the pin hole.

With either situation work slowly and methodolically and use the minimum heat. Too much heat and the decal will shrink and lift.

Good Luck,

Colin

RE: Wrinkles under decals.
 

Get hold of some SolvaSet at the LHS. Brush it on (looks like water) and let it do its thing. I'm not sure how it works, but I did a decal over a whole Stearman tail and there's not a bubble or wrinkle in the whole thing and that's over a Century 21 fabric covering.

When you put it on, don't rush it or get scared when it starts looking weird. Its just taking the decal and relieving the stress on it I think. It also doesn't dissolve the paint on the decal, so you can work it a LITTLE bit when you put it on.

RE: Wrinkles under decals.
 

[quote]ORIGINAL: MAJSteve

Get hold of some SolvaSet at the LHS.

It is the best way to get your decals to conform to any surface. A covering iron will ruin a decal. Another thing you should do next time, before you apply the decal, put a pin ***** in the covering and through the decal if necessary to give the trapped air a place to go.

Good luck,
AL

RE: Wrinkles under decals.
 

lets back up a little bit.

I got all the wrinkles out of my plane, it was almost perfectly covered, no wrinkles or anything.

Then I put the decals on.... this is when the coating wrinkled, not between the decal and the coating, but the coating causing the decal to bubble with the coating.

RE: Wrinkles under decals.
 

Hmmm. You got the covering on ok, and then when you put on decals the covering wrinkled? I can see the air being trapped between the covering and the decal, but not the covering wrinkling but not the decal.