Decals

They are not really that hard. The key is to apply them to a glossy surface. The glossier the better. The reason for this is to avoid "silvering." This is when the decal appears to look silver and cloudy. It is caused by light refracting off tiny air bubbles trapped betwen the decal and the flat surface underneath. Flat paint is actually very rough, which does not reflect light, that is what gives it the dull finish. To do this, paint your model, then you can either glosscote the whole model, or just paint some on where the decals go. Once dry, soak the decal in water for about 30 seconds, then let it sit. Check the decal, once it slides on the paper, it is ready. Wet the model where the decal will go. Slide the decal onto the model and brush it down with a wide, wet paintbrush to remove any bubbles. You may have to use some Solve-a-Set to help the decal adhere over rough areas such as panel lines or bolts. Pat the decal with a soft cloth to remove excess water. Let the decals dry overnight. The next day, spray the model with dulcote to blend the decal in and dull it all back out. You should now have a decal that disappears into the model and looks painted on.

Good luck.

once again heavy to the rescue

thanks have to get some gloss coat

plus im blind i didnt even see the decal thread right below this one



thx

sgtkopp

Just brush on Future Floor Polish to the area that the decal is going. Let that dry. Then after the decal is soaked and seperated from the paper. dunk it in Future before applying it. Be careful though, because you only have a limited time to apply it before it sets.

I did this on my last solid black aircraft and there is no silvering to the decals whatsoever.

Those two are right, the key for me is patience. Some decals are thicker than others (Academy vs. Hasegawa) I cover the entire kit with one or two coats of future keep in mind to use a tack cloth before each coat so that no little dust particles get trapped on the finish. I brush on a little (I emphasise Little) Micro Sol, place the decal where it's supposed to go and with a Q-tip with more micro-sol on one side, dry on the other, I GENTLY work out the air bubbles with the dry end, flipping the Q-tip every so often to soften the decal. If you are careless with the Micro Sol it will wrinkle your decal, so apply a little, let it sit for a few seconds, then work it out. You'll see the decal fall into panel lines, rivets, and get a good "painted on" look.