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Newbie here needs some advice....

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  • Member since
    October 2009
  • From: Marianas Islands
Newbie here needs some advice....
Posted by juststartin' on Friday, October 2, 2009 6:36 AM

Hi to you all and this is my first post here. I have been reading this forum and I honestly learned a lot. A lot in a sense that sometimes I'm confused already. I have done some models but mostly the basic way of doing it. Anyway I have some few questions that I hope you can help me with.

1.) I've read on some forums that before you apply decal, you can optionally use gloss varnish so the decal would stick better. What is a gloss varnish anyway? What does it do? Is Vallejo Gloss Varnish a good product to use?

2.) I've bought Micro-Set & Sol and am wondering how do you use it porperly. This is my first time using it so any tips would be greatly appreciated. Also, would Micro-Sol damage the paint?

3.) For example everything is set, your model is done, what do you do to protect the paint and decal?

BTW, am doing a Tamiya 1/24 Sport Car (2005 Raybrig NSX)

http://www.tamiya.com/english/products/24286raybrig2005/index.htm

Any tips, advice will be greatly appreciated and thanks for your time in reading and hopefully answering my questions.

 

 

  • Member since
    August 2005
  • From: Sydney, Australia
Posted by Phil_H on Friday, October 2, 2009 9:15 AM

Hi, and welcome to the forum.

Generally a clear gloss coat prior to decalling is only really required where the paint finish is flat. When you apply decals to a flat finished surface, microscopic air bubbles are trapped between the decal and the surface, resulting in an undesired effect known as "silvering".

When you use  decal setting solutions, the surface must be glossy before the decals are applied. A "flat" surface is actually "rough" and covered in microscopic pits. When you apply a setting solution to a decal, it will wrinkle and shrivel, but as it dries, will level out and snuggle down onto the surface and any moulded details lying underneath the decal. When the surface is flat (as opposed to gloss) the preciously mentioned rough surface may cause drag on the decal and may prevent it from flarrening out completely before it dries, resulting in yor decals being wrinkled.

Vallejo clear gloss varnish (though I haven't used it) is suitable for the purpose described above.

If you are nuilding a car model, I would expect that you have painted (or will paint) it using gloss paints. If this is the case, you can skip the process of applying a clear coat before applying the decals, as the surface will already be sufficiently glossy.

After your paint has cured and your decals are applied, you can apply a clear gloss coat to "seal" the decals.

  • Member since
    October 2009
  • From: Marianas Islands
Posted by juststartin' on Friday, October 2, 2009 7:21 PM
 Phil_H wrote:

Hi, and welcome to the forum.

Generally a clear gloss coat prior to decalling is only really required where the paint finish is flat. When you apply decals to a flat finished surface, microscopic air bubbles are trapped between the decal and the surface, resulting in an undesired effect known as "silvering".

When you use  decal setting solutions, the surface must be glossy before the decals are applied. A "flat" surface is actually "rough" and covered in microscopic pits. When you apply a setting solution to a decal, it will wrinkle and shrivel, but as it dries, will level out and snuggle down onto the surface and any moulded details lying underneath the decal. When the surface is flat (as opposed to gloss) the preciously mentioned rough surface may cause drag on the decal and may prevent it from flarrening out completely before it dries, resulting in yor decals being wrinkled.

Vallejo clear gloss varnish (though I haven't used it) is suitable for the purpose described above.

If you are nuilding a car model, I would expect that you have painted (or will paint) it using gloss paints. If this is the case, you can skip the process of applying a clear coat before applying the decals, as the surface will already be sufficiently glossy.

After your paint has cured and your decals are applied, you can apply a clear gloss coat to "seal" the decals.

 

Phil_H, thanks for your input and one more thing, is clear gloss coat same as clear gloss varnish or are they two different things? Sorry for my ignorance just want to make it clear. Thanks.

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