Film removal during application/post application

Hello!

Some say that you have to carefully cut all of the film off before applying the decal - I always thought that kinda defeats the purpose, especially in case of inscriptions with small letters...

But if you don't cut the film off, you have to use decal solution to melt it away. Products like Solvaset, MicroSol or Mr Mark Softer do the job here, although not in case of every decal manufacturer - it's good to do an experiment first.

And as precaution against silvering, decals should always be applied to a nice smooth, glossy surface.

Decals that are already silvered - that's always tough. If they aren't overcoated with clear, you can always try to use a decal solution, provided that it works with that specific decal. Sometimes it also works to slash the decal (make cuts through the film without destroying the pattern, the cuts should be invisible), and use some king of very thin clear coat to fill the tiny air bubbles cought under the carrier film this way taking care of the silvering. Sometimes this works, but there's no guarantee! Future sometimes works here. It's always easier to put the decals on correctly, than trying to correct it afterwards, so if you notice silvering, you should stop the decaling and work on your process.

Hope it helps - good luck with your builds and have a nice day

Paweł

Silvering is due to putting down the decal on a surface that is not glossy enough. You cannot apply them to matt paint.  The resulting silvering cannot be repaired.  Remove and use new decals.  If you are applying decals to a matt finish you must apply a gloss clear to the areas that will have decals.  On some models with lots of decals it is easier to just apply gloss clear to whole model.  Then, after decal work is done, apply a dull clearcoat.

Solvasaet or Mr. Mark Softer can help.  You need to make pin *** holes in the decals then apply the decal solvent.  But go slowly and test on a non-critical decal, as the two solvents are strong and can literally melt decals.

A friend uses the solvents to apply decals to FLAT painted surfaces with excellent results, though I don’t recommend it.

Don sometimes it’s just the freaking decal film that sucks. I remember building an Eduard Dora that I polished the paint and shot it with clear gloss looking like a mirror and still got some slivering.

Use a brand new #11 blade and lightly score the affected film areas then brush on Solvaset. Problem solved.

Once the decal is dried, the silvering can't really be fixed. Removal and replacement is the bestr option.

GMorrison

Once the decal is dried, the silvering can't really be fixed. Removal and replacement is the bestr option.

 

Sorry GM but the #11 blade and Solvaset method  has worked for me many times. 

plasticjunkie

 

 

GMorrison

Once the decal is dried, the silvering can't really be fixed. Removal and replacement is the bestr option.

 

 

 

 

 

Sorry GM but the #11 blade and Solvaset method  has worked for me many times. 

 

plasticjunkie

 

 

GMorrison

Once the decal is dried, the silvering can't really be fixed. Removal and replacement is the bestr option.

 

 

 

 

 

Sorry GM but the #11 blade and Solvaset method  has worked for me many times. 

 

Same here, but it depends on the decal.  If the film is thick and the decals are of the cheaper offset litho print type, it won't work.  I do remember using Testors Liquid Cement on the MPC X-Wing's decals back in the 1970s, and it actually got the decals to suck down into the panel lines.

G

If the decals are thick like some Academy ones I brush on Future and immeditely apply the decal over the wet Future. Then I wait a couple of minutes for the Future to grab the decal and then apply another coat of Future. To get rid or hide the step effect of the thicker film I then brush on several coats of Future from the decal center out. I do this multiple times and let it cure for a couple of days. I then sand the area with an extra fine grit pad till I get a hazy film. Then another light coat of Future is brushed on. The final coat of clear flat goes on and the step is gone. I tried this on my 1/25 Academy Panther that had VERY thick decals and it worked out beautifully. I forget where I read about this technique.

On large decals such as these (1/48, B-29), I cut out each letter. There is just so much carrier film between each letter that it is best to remove it to prevent silvering. Some decal brands tend to silver, and then some don't. I've had really good luck with KitsWorld decals.

These are Kitsworld decals. The carrier film is invisible and is as clear as can be. 

I use mark fit from tamiya and ive not had a problem with it. I put just a drop on the model then the decal and then on top of it. Q tip the decal down to remove any air under it.