Home made setting solution

Hi Baron;

      Yeah, That's what I thought. In many formulations even tissue tightening for Japanese Lanterns and Tissue on Frame Aircraft. That's the major ingredient. In a pinch I used to use Diluted Lemon Juice( Store-Bought) No Pulp that way!

Yeah, acetic acid-white vinegar-is an old-school setting solution.  Many commercial solutions have acetic acid as their active ingredient.

Hi Don;

 Smell the setting solution. There is either Vinegar or a chemical that smells like it in there!

Faux fisherman

I have been using 2 parts water / 1 part vinegar to apply decals and it works very well even on Academy decals !

I've used that same formula (probably gleaned from some ancient IPMS publication) several times when my go-to Solvaset has been in short supply. Worked quite well even on compound curves and detail, as long as they weren't overly-'dramatic.'

I have been using 2 parts water / 1 part vinegar to apply decals and it works very well even on Academy decals !

Set has that characteristic acetic acid smell.

I used vinegar many decades ago before I knew about setting solutions.  In my opinion, it works just about as well as MicroSet, but not as effeective as Tamiya.  It doesn't have the softening effect of MicroSol or Tamiya Strong when adaptation to detail is critical, but not bad on a smooth surface.

A handy tip, Don, thanks.  I'd heard this stuff was a mildly acid solution, but I wouldn't have thought of making my own, and you're a brave man to try it on a model!