remove decal without damaging decal, how

With microset on it, I think you are "stuck".  I know of no way to reposition this.

the microset instruction says brush it on decal to remove it

Cadet Chuck

With microset on it, I think you are "stuck".  I know of no way to reposition this.

 

It can't be done once the decal dries, unless is was put on poorly to begin with. 

Had a Hasagawa decal stick as soon as it hit plastic. Couldn't budge it and it needed to be budged. I had even put down microset before applying it and no movement. Needless to say I used a few words to expel some air from my lungs and started trying to find a way to remove it. Microset didn't work for that either like the instructions say it will. I ended up having to sand it off and repair the paint. Hope you can find a better way than that.

You could try a trick I used to use to remove waterslide registration labels from my car windscreen. Here in Australia, car registration labels used to be provided as waterslide decals. Annual removal and replacement usually consisted of much scraping with a razor blade. I found that laying a wet tissue (folded) over the label enabled me to, after a time, lift the corner and peel it off in one piece. In this case, I'd expect that you might be able to float the decal off the surface with water and a small paintbrush once the glue has been sufficiently softened. Some decals (cough, Hasegawa, cough) however, have a tendency to fold up on themselves given sufficient water and prodding with a paiintbrush when being positioned.

However assuming that it is possible to unstick a badly positioned decal, the very act of unsticking it implies that you're dissolving the glue to effect the removal. It would be unlikely to stick in the correct position if/when re-applied.

Having said that, there are ways and means: 

1: a decal setting agent like Gunze's Mr Mark Setter, which contains a small amount of adhesive to help decals snuggle down.

2: A very dilute solution of white (PVA) glue might be helpful in re-sticking the decal.

Tickmagnet

Had a Hasagawa decal stick as soon as it hit plastic. Couldn't budge it and it needed to be budged. I had even put down microset before applying it and no movement

I just had this happen with some Eduard decals. I ruined two decals trying to unstick them for positioning. Not sure what is going on with some manufacturers. Maybe a new adhesive is being used. One thing for sure... I won't be using Microset until after the decal is positioned. I did that with the replacement decal set and I had much better success. In its place I used water and a tiny bit of dish soap.

Bakster

.......I used water and a tiny bit of dish soap.

That's been my SOP too. After I'm convinced the decal is where I want it, I move on from there with Microset, Microsol, or Solvaset as needed.

There is often confusion between Microset and Microsol. As I understand it, Microset is supposed to be an aid to help keep the decal movable to position it (much like the water and drop of detergent Hamster mentioned above). Microsol aids is setting a decal down over an irregular surface. Solvaset is like Microsol on steriods.

I thought it might be prudent to make sure you truly used Microset and not Microsol, because if you did use Microsol, your decal is not coming up in one piece.

GMorrison

It can't be done once the decal dries, unless is was put on poorly to begin with. 

 

I agree.... IF you haven‘t sprayed a clear coat to seal it in. If you had, there’s nothing you can do at this point.

If the case you haven’t sealed it with a clear coat, and if you even managed to loosen the dried decal and repositioned it, you‘ll no longer have the residual adhesive glue to set it permanently. Microset is a solution to help set it down more. I’ve never heard of using Microset to loosen or remove dried decals.

Greg

I thought it might be prudent to make sure you truly used Microset and not Microsol, because if you did use Microsol, your decal is not coming up in one piece.

As Dr Smith would say it, INDEED.

I did use Microset. Their-in lies the mystery. What you wrote about Microset is/was my understanding of the product and how to use it. But, holy cats...with this set of decals they glued instantly. Not just one of them, but all of them in like manor. The larger the decal the bigger the problem. The smaller ones I could work free a little easier but they stuck down fast too.

Hamster.

thanks all. i did not use microsol. I cannot get it relocated. so i gave up and put the final  clear coat this morning. 

united2019

thanks all. i did not use microsol. I cannot get it relocated. so i gave up and put the final  clear coat this morning. 

 

Correct me if I’m wrong... it sounds to me you had already put one coat of clearcoat on when you first tried to loosen the decal? And now you’re putting a final coat of clear on the kit.

no coat on the decal when I try to relocate it.  after a few attemps and this thread, still no success, so I put final coat on it. 

BlackSheepTwoOneFour

 

 

united2019

thanks all. i did not use microsol. I cannot get it relocated. so i gave up and put the final  clear coat this morning. 

 

 

 

 

Correct me if I’m wrong... it sounds to me you had already put one coat of clearcoat on when you first tried to loosen the decal? And now you’re putting a final coat of clear on the kit.