to the forum! The best thing to do is coat your model with Future first if you painted with flats. This will give a smooth surface for your decals. Before you apply the decal, apply some Microset first. This acts as a wetting agent to help avoid getting air trapped beneath the decal. Then use Microsol on top to help settle it down.
If you painted with gloss paints, the procedure is the same. You might have to blot the decal a bit with a damp cloth. Failing all this, you can use Future to adhere the decals as you decribed. Personally, I use a mixture of Solvaset and white glue sometimes as well. Hope this helps!
Bert