newbie question on procedure for decaling

Hi Laurie

Thanks for the clarification. I am waiting on some white Model air paint coming to lighten up the grey I want ot use on the top of my Me-410 - once that is painted,  I can finish up assembly and get to decaling. It is a practice model for me, and it will have many mistakes, but that is OK. As far as weather here in the mitten state, It snowed here in Michigan yesterday and is cold and blustery again. This is going to make a short radio control seasona nd perhaps a longer building season!

Joe

Some expert in America thought that Future would sell more where as the expert in Britain thought Klear would sell more. All they did was confuse crazy people producing models. Klear & Future the same.

By the way adivce given to me do not slosh on the Future. Only taste the very tip of the brush otherwise you will get runs all over the place. Two very very thin coats does the trick.

With the micro sol do not apply until the decal is firmly positioned otherwise deep trouble as it will separate if you try to move it.

I do not but if you have a lot of work to complete on your model after decals give a single coat of Future or even Klear  will protect.

Just a bit of regional news. Jersey (Channel Isles) is glorious at 25 degrees in very early spring. The Jersey Royal Potatoes are being dug & are superb. How is it there in the USA ?

Laurie

HI Hackeye and Laurie

Thank yo both for your input. I do have a question for your post Laurie,

You mention that you start by putting down Klear - do you mean Future?

Hhi Vance

Thanks for the useful info - I think I will try both the varnish and Future on some practice pieces and see what works well

Thanks again

Joe when you have virtually finished your model apply the decals. Leave as long as possible as it is so easy to damage them.

I apply 2 coats of Klear at most points for instance before putting on masking tape or Blue Tack during painting. This protects the paint finish you have already applied.

The main reason for applying two coats of Klear (to the whole model to prevent lines where you start & finish)  before applying decals is to hide the shiny clear part which is around the outside of the decals. This shiny part disappears into the background of the Klear coat.

I then apply wet with water the part of the model to receive the decal. When positioned dab dry carefully with tissue. Then apply Micro Sol which softens the decal. This looks awful as the decal goes very krinkly. Do not touch under any circumstances as the decal will disintigrate. Leave it to dry.

If it drys but is still in places not fully bedded & flattened to the surface of the model give it another light coat of Micro Sol. As it dries at this point I give a gentle, very gentle flatning with a tissue. Give further coats if necessary. The last model a roundel decal was situated partly over a protusion from the wing but it stretched itself & dried perfectly & looked as though it had been painted on which is perfection.

To get rid of the gloss Klear I give the model a coat of satin varnish Vallejo which even though satin looks more matt. I only need one coat (airbrushed) & it gives a superb finish. It also seals your decals safely.

Best of luck.

Laurie

Decals prefer a glass like surface to bond to. So, one usually uses applies a gloss finish (yes you can use Future many of us do) before decaling.

Decal solvents and setting solutions aid the decal in its process of bonding and contouring to the surface it is applied. One helps with the bonding while the other acts as a softener to help it take the shape of the underlying surface. I prefer just using Solvaset which I dilute with water in various % for application to differing decals. Some are tough and others are delicate hence the dilutions.

Decal fix is probably, others will correct me, something applied over a decal before dipping in water to prevent it from shattering? And or sealing?

Once you have your decals applied and cured, you can finish it with a opaque clear such as a matt or flat finish to dull it down.

Josy11

1) Model air ( Vallejo) have what they refer to as "varnish" in gloss, satin, and matt - Should I use the gloss varnish , apply decals, then use matt to get my flat back ( airplanes for now )?   ........yes

2) Could I use instead, something like Future for the gloss, decal, then use matt varnish?   ........yes

3) I have the micro sol and micro set bottles, and I am a bit confused if I need both, and if they are compatible with either of the gloss coats I ask about above?   ........One is used to give your decals a gentle helper in adhering to the surface (-set, I think), the other is more aggressive with the decal, for use on compound curves, or where you are running over a non-uniform surface. May be safer to use the -set first just to check the compatibility with your decals, but I usually go right for the -sol.

4) Finally, there is what I think the equivalent to micro sol and micro set in model air line called decal medium and decal fix - should I use these instead?   ........Can't say that I've ever used any of their products, but it's generally safest to use products from the same manufacturer. That being said, I've never had problems with Micro-set or -sol over Future.

Thanks for your help - still learning and working on my first project - a Revel Me-410   ........Nice kit with a little work, I built one ages ago & have another in the stash. post pics when you can!