It's called "silvering" and the undercoat wasn't glossy enough to allow the decal to sit down without air bubble.

The best way to fix avoid that is to use a gloss paint. Or apply a gloss clear coat over the paint. It's not a problem that setting solution will solve.

You can fix this. It means removing the decal, which will be destroyed, applying a clear gloss finish and then apply a new decal.

I should have a set of those USMC decals extra if you need them to redo the hood. Since I'm Army, I rarely use the jarhead option if I can make it an army vehicle.

You mentioned Pledge. If the decal was set over Pledge, and then overcoated with more of it, a Q-tip dipped in Windex or ammonia can scrub it off. 

I don't know what other decals are on the hood, and don't want to mess with those, but redoing an area of the hood with Pledge/ decal/ Pledge should blend it all in ok.

Rob Gronovius

I should have a set of those USMC decals extra if you need them to redo the hood. Since I'm Army, I rarely use the jarhead option if I can make it an army vehicle.

 

Likewise... I’m pretty sure I have the same excess decals if Rob can’t find his.

Really nice, even with the slight silvering.

Befor applying a top coat, you want to always check for silvering, which you can, sometimes, "cure" with some careful use of sharp blades and decal solvent.

Tiny note here--All pioneer tools on USMC gear are religiously painted.  Otherwise they start corroding as soon as you get to a beach (or in the damp hold of an Amphib ship). 

Also, USMC, by the time of the A2, was in Woodlans camo, including helmet covers.

You did an excellent job on the TOW lanucher and the ammo tubes.

If you want to break up the color monotony a bit, paint the jerry can a bit darker olive thatn the rest.  The strap, like the seats needs to be a medium green.  The TOW sigh was always, in my experience, under a cover, which would be from a pale sage green to a dark schwartsgrun.  In keeping with your light weathiering, hitting the road-contact surfaces of the tires with Nato Black would really pop them out.

Or not, this is your kit, and it looks fine as is.

CapnMac82

 

Also, USMC, by the time of the A2, was in Woodlans camo, including helmet covers.

 

 

Nice work!!! 

If you haven't stripped the decals yet I've had some luck with slicing though the decal in a few places and then adding some Future over it and letting it seep down into and behind it sealing the gaps which will cure the silvering. It doesn't always work but it won't make anything any worse. 

Tks to all for the tips !

Rob and Stick - I may take you up on the offer.  If i mess with them, and fail, I'll PM.  

GM an Captn - i used pledge underneath.  Then micro sol & set then sealed with clear flat.  I may try to cut and add pledge - guessing i still can even though i sealed it?  Thanks much for the tips on painting. I might try some of those ideas to practice - tires and jerry can.  I really wanted to camo the unit, but ive only done it once beofre and not very good.  But then again, i know i wont get better if i dont do more!  Probably should get some scrap to practice on.  

stikpusher

Photos show some Marines still using the old ripstop ERDL cammies in Grenada and Lebanon. I’m pretty sure that the A2 was in service then and there. That was an interesting transition time as the new Kevlar PASGT vests could be seen with Steel Pots.

LoL.  Entirely correct, as always.  My intention was to keep it simple, and not get into the foilbles of Regimental Supply issues.  Or the "uh-wut" of Organizationally-owned gear which is standard for the Navy Department. 

Now, when that kit came out, I was pretty implressed that they added all the bits to make the USMC specific version.  Everything but an 8-point cover, that is.  Sigh.  That drive is so obviously an Army Spc4--only thing missing are a set of BCG glasses

BCG... Oh yeah, that's a good one! Capn, we can always count on you!

Have a nice day

Paweł

CapnMac82

  

 

Now, when that kit came out, I was pretty implressed that they added all the bits to make the USMC specific version.  Everything but an 8-point cover, that is.  Sigh.  That drive is so obviously an Army Spc4--only thing missing are a set of BCG glasses

 

Not every Spec-4 wore those things... ;) Funny quirk to the BC glasses was if you got tinted lenses in them, they looked like Ray Ban Wayfarers. Much more stylish. 

Have you checked out the driver figure on the Tamiya Gama Goats? I swear that they based it off my friend who was in the 82nd in one of the Artillery battalions and drove those things there. 

stikpusher

Have you checked out the driver figure on the Tamiya Gama Goats? I swear that they based it off my friend who was in the 82nd in one of the Artillery battalions and drove those things there.

I have not looked that closely at the spue shots; neither do I know enough 82nd types (other than my late cousin).

However, it would not surprise me if he was in a photo the sculptor used.  I've seen some people compare Tamiya sculpts to some very real people, and it can be uncanny.

Wait, a SPC4 w/o BCG?  Sounds like camoflage

stikpusher

 

 

CapnMac82

  

 

Now, when that kit came out, I was pretty implressed that they added all the bits to make the USMC specific version.  Everything but an 8-point cover, that is.  Sigh.  That drive is so obviously an Army Spc4--only thing missing are a set of BCG glasses

 

 

 

 

Not every Spec-4 wore those things... ;) Funny quirk to the BC glasses was if you got tinted lenses in them, they looked like Ray Ban Wayfarers. Much more stylish. 

Have you checked out the driver figure on the Tamiya Gama Goats? I swear that they based it off my friend who was in the 82nd in one of the Artillery battalions and drove those things there. 

 

I still have my first pair of BCGs that I put tinted lenses in when I went to the desert on my second trip. The original black ones, not the newer brown ones. I do have dozens of pairs of brown ones I never wore.

Rob Gronovius

The original black ones, not the newer brown ones. I do have dozens of pairs of brown ones I never wore

I think we all had a pair (or seventeen), or we squinted a lot.

CapnMac82

 

 

stikpusher

Photos show some Marines still using the old ripstop ERDL cammies in Grenada and Lebanon. I’m pretty sure that the A2 was in service then and there. That was an interesting transition time as the new Kevlar PASGT vests could be seen with Steel Pots.

 

 

LoL.  Entirely correct, as always.  My intention was to keep it simple, and not get into the foilbles of Regimental Supply issues.  Or the "uh-wut" of Organizationally-owned gear which is standard for the Navy Department. 

Now, when that kit came out, I was pretty implressed that they added all the bits to make the USMC specific version.  Everything but an 8-point cover, that is.  Sigh.  That drive is so obviously an Army Spc4--only thing missing are a set of BCG glasses

 

The TOW jeep drivers had the standard 11H life of those units. Hot and wet, hot and dusty, or cold and wet in the field. Just like the Scouts in their gun jeeps. They were in “light” infantry units, and so when the commanders liked to do the road marches to show they were grunts too, humping a ground mount system happened on occasion. Just like a mortar squad it ain’t easy. Nor quite practical. But maintaining a M151 is much simpler than maintaining a 113 or 901. The 193rd Brigade in Panama during the 80s even kept their 106mm recoilless rifles, instead of TOWs for being better suited to the mission and terrain/vegetation there.

Here is a great photo of a TOW live fire exercise with some Marines

Hello!

And then there's the thing with designations... The Recoilless Rifle variant of the M151A1 was called M151A1C with a diffrent rear wall (bigger cutout) and stiffer rear suspension. The weapons carrier variant of the M151A2 was called M825 (isn't it strange?).

http://m151.btck.co.uk/M825

I hope it helps somebody (for example to google for more images). Good luck with your modelling projects and have a nice day

Paweł