Peeling decals on my beloved P51 :(

You can try to save the decals by using Solvaset or Microsol  to settle the decals down. Wait a day or two to make certain the solution has evaporated then apply a clear coat like Future to seal the decals and lock them down even more. If you want to kill the gloss then shoot some clear semi gloss.

Decals don't adhere to flat paint well. That's why it's important to spray a coat of gloss clear coat or even Future. Once the decals are set and dried, you can spray a coat of flat clear coat on top of it.

Thanks for the replies. Ive never sealed decals on any of my other builds and not one has lifting problems. this is P51 anyway, you can see Im going to have a headache getting these types of replacements. Anyone know where I could get some just in case the fix goes south and breaks them up?

www.youtube.com/watch

I never considered the soak time of the decal. I have some builds that are having decal lift problems, but they are flat paint with no clear/dullcoat covering.

Type of paint used - bottle or rattle can is not the cause. Sounds like a case of not sealing the decals with a coat of clear coat 3 years ago.

It might be a case of over-soaking the decals when they were applied, causing loss of the glue.

You could try a very thin solution of white glue & water and see if it pulls them down again.