Clear cote or not

Well, the answer lies within you.

So, you will get a different answer from just about every builder out there. It boils down to what you want and can live with. The Novus system is the end procedure to give it that POW shine. If you like the shine of the blue as is and it is a gloss coat you can apply decals right over that. But, you should apply a clear coat to seal in the decals so they don't dry and fall off over time, and they will.

Me, I prefer to paint main color, then gloss coat for decals, then seal gloss coat over decals and finish up with Novus to work out any runs or orange peel and get that car show shine. Then I know the decals are stuck forever.

However, a more realistic approach would be to paint and Novus that up nice and shiny. Then wash with mild soap and water to remove the wax. Apply the decals and carfully wax one last time. That would "look" the most realistic, but the decals would eventually fail to stay on. I guess it depends on how long you intend to keep the kit.

BK

You can get the edges of decals to sit down right by using a decal setting solution like Solvaset for instance. Just be careful, get your decals in good position first, apply the sovent and leave it alone. The decals get super soft and mushy till dry but snuggle into everything and dry with less silvering. Once good and dry then decide if you need the clear coat or not.

Clear coat over white decals can yellow fwiw. And I'm not too sure how " show quality" Ford Gt finishes are anyway in real. The GT 40 wasn't particularly, most were grungy from racing.. People today go nuts for the custom show car appearance in models of cars that never looked that way in real and they do it with clear coat which can become totally fake looking to something like a classic era car for instance. Now I don't personally know the greatness of the Ford GT finish but you should know your subject you are modeling. It may be totally appropriate to bury it in 6 coats of clear or it may not be... Then again enters artistic license lol.

The last old model I had was a Navy Hasegawa F-4B that I built back in the late 80s and never clear coated the plane after decals but I used Solvaset to melt the decals down and they looked freshly applied just before I sold it a couple of years back.

On the other hand, I have noticed on a couple of older builds where Sol and Set or no solution was used and decals not clear coated afterwards eventually began to peel and lift after 15ish years. I believe the Solvaset nuclear power grips and keeps the decal down as if painted on for good.

I have built a couple of Blue Angel Hornets and used MM gloss enamel, and polished with Novus #2 to get a glass smooth shine. Then the dacals went on and used Solvaset to get the painted on look on the markings and left it as is. However, if no Solvaset is used then I would seal in the decals just to be safe of lifting in the future.

Part of the reason you don't touch decals with Solvaset on them is it partially melts the decal film and paint together. You not only could wreck the decal in proding it once the solution is on there ( probably will actually) but potentially wreck the paint under it as well. Solvaset of the solvents out there though, is the high octane variety lol. There are milder solutions that may  ( or may not) work. But all is well once dry. I like Solvaset personally.

By the way you can use a water and alcohol solution too.

Solvaset is not a setting solution, it is a decal solvent.  Setting solutions are merely wetting agents to let the decals adhere to a surface better.  I believe most are acetic acid based.  Decal solvents are stronger, and do soften the decal, allowing it to conform to surface better.  I generally do use setting solutions, and only go to solvent when I have to get the decal to cover a bump or settle into a depression.

Micro Scale sells both.  The blue bottle is Micro Set.  They also sell a red bottle labled Micro Sol.  I have found setting solutions benign for most decals except the homemade ones I print on the paper from Micro Mark.  Those decals do soften in Micro Set if they are in the solution for very long.  I try to be quick with them.  However, I find I can use them with decal solvent, and they act just like any other decal- tender, so you must be careful.  I keep a bottle of both on my bench, each for its purpose.

Don Stauffer

Solvaset is not a setting solution, it is a decal solvent.  

 

 

Since you want to use large decals I would decal and use decal set like Tamiya Mark Fit. Then after it Is completely dried I would use the Tamiya clear over it. Maybe two or three coats. The Tamiya clear is safe on decals and goes on thin and smooth like their other spray paints. Make sure the blue has dried a week or so and you should be safe. Then use some polishing sanding films or/and the Novus. I also get paranoid of ruining a paint finish each successive coat of paint/clear I put on. 

plasticjunkie

 

 

Don Stauffer

Solvaset is not a setting solution, it is a decal solvent.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hmm.  The term Solvaset must have become the brand name for a setting solution.  That is my take.  Do they still sell their solvent?  Their solvaset was a really hot solvent.

I still have some of the original product left and outside of a new label and company making it, see no difference in performance. This old bottle is from the early 1980s

and still works great. 

Okay, solvaset now sells both setting and solvent solutions.

As far as the original question, if you are satisfied with the gloss from the original paint, I would not clearcoat.  Today, many new factory cars are clearcoated, as are many show cars, rods and customs.  But older productions and older race cars look funny with too much clearcoat.

Modern decals do not normally need to be sealed when applied over gloss paint.  Just do not leave the car out in the rain, or soak it in water for several days :-)

Don Stauffer

Okay, solvaset now sells both setting and solvent solutions.

Eh?