Washing model post decaling?

hey i just had this idea pop in2 my head after washing the dishes..... how bout using the foam part of a sponge (the type with foam backing and a scourer) with water, and soap if needed. i figure that the foam will gently scrup the area,and cause a bit of friction, but it might also do something to the paint?, and using a decal softner shld prevent the decal from coming off... will give it a go on my next kit...it just doesnt feel right to have the residue all over the model (the DTM CLK was covered in it!) and be putting a gloss coat over it....maybe even a rubbing compund? i recently used megiuars scratch x and had great results, but this was on a washed + clear coated body, but it did remove blemishes and safe to be painted over(as far as my interpretaion of 'clear coat safe' goes)
as for the booth, ive placed the fan on the base of the spray booth, 1, coz its easier to build and 2, i thought it would help in cathing more over spray, and as someone mentioned on another forum, theres no point in fightinmg gravity (check out this thread, theres a pic of a booth in there that looks very interesting, and looks like it could work http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=408158). ill have pics posted by the weekend
i just saw ur 2nd build and its looks great, very neat looking!!!glad to hear about the digicam, get ur self a photobucket acc so u can share ur pics! easily, its free, and theres otheres 2(heres mine http://photobucket.com/albums/y143/tw080/) theyre great. u can just go crazy taking pics with em (like at the motor show mmmmmmmmmm.......). for taking pics of kits i highly reccomend a tripod. i picked up this mini one from jb hifi for $10. its 12cm tall, and has 3 bendable legs, so u can position it any way u like. i really like it, and its portable so u can take it on holidays and such and take awesome night pics(its to do with the shutter speeds, it stays open for longer to capture all the light, so it needs to be held VERY still or it comes out blurry, same with close up pics...

hey tho,ur suggestion made me thing of maybe using a chux towl?and would u happen to know if future yellows over time?

anyways, thats enuf ranting and raving for tonight, ill cya (readya? ) all later!
and as always, thanks for the help!

ps the name is from playing halo and othe fps's, on xbox(mainly, my friends have xbox parties with 4 tvs, 4 xboxs, sometimes even a ps2 goin, but we dont get to do it often enuf coz they usually go till way past sunrise and it takes our eyes months to recover hehehh .... its da bomb!!!) and pc. my real names tom and its just kinda stuck. if any one want to be tominated over kai, my nick is tominator080

Simon - the One Go should cover any color or shine differences caused by the decal residue. I just use a clean towel or paper towel (like the ones automechanics use, no lint) and dampen them and gently swab off any residue then coat the model in Future (One Go) and it looks good!

Good luck to ya!

Thanks for the reply Tominator (why this name?). Good to see that I'm not the only one to traul the old topics! The Lanc worked out well in the end but I didn't really satisfactorily clean off the residue even with the white vinegar trick suggested. In the end a coat of One Go followed by a coat of Humbrol Matt Varnish brought everything "down" to an even finish and the residue from the Mr Mark Softener isn't really visible. The wife is hoping to buy a digital camera b4 the w/end (which I am dutifully supporting!) so hopefully I wil find it much easier to post pics and the Lanc will be posted then asap! Glad to hear the booth is progressing well. I am so lucky to have a dedicated modelling workshop (will post this too) but am still thinking of copying your design as and when its finished. How did the plenium post go - I would have thought both of your suggestions would work out well. Enjoy your modelling till next time - see ya.

hey simon, howzitgoin mate? ;)
i recently had the same prob, and was worried about decals coming off when being washed, after all, the glue used for them is activatred by water....
i was going to use a alcohol based medi swab (like the towlettes they give u at kfc) but was worried about it attacking the paint
as u used mark softner, the decals would ave bonded very well with the plastic (i use micro sol/set) so i figured that they wouldf not come off so easily under water, unless they were soaked in it or something like that....
i let the decals cure for some time ( the kit was put on hold coz i moved house, so it had alot of time to cure)
i then got a wide soft brush, and gently scrubbed the entire kit with styraight dish soap (dawn i think) then rinsed it off under running water, while still rubbing it with the brush. thankfully, none of the decals came off, and it worked out fine, luckily....
looking back, this was pretty risky, and i wouldnt do it again. next time i think i will use a moistedned (with water) cloth and gently rub off the residue.
seeing as rinsing it under water didnt work for u, what have u done? i know this toppic is a bit old, but i thought id just add my 2cents ;)
anyways, hope this helps ya, and let me know how u go!!

btw, my booth is coming along nicley, its almost done... i will post some pics when im done...

I tested this very subject three days ago on an extra model that I had laying around. I used some window cleaner thinned 1 to 1 with water. I tested it first by using it liberally on the residue spots AND the touching the decals themselves. Then I tried it with using it minimally and both ways seemed to work. I wanted to see if the cleaner would pull the decals off. So far after 72 hours it hasn't but I would highly reccomend not touching the decals with it.

Thanyou both. In my ignorant state I washed gently under running water. This did not disrupt the decals but neither did it remove the residue! I will try again with a cotton bud and weak white vinegar solution as suggested. Thanks again.

I'd test a cotton bud in a somewhat inconspicuous place. Don't scrub too hard, and it should come up.

Dan

Hey Simon,

I'm surprised that nobody has answered you yet too. In any event, I'm not sure about Mr. Mark Softener, because I've used Micro Set (smells like vinegar) and Micro Sol (the softening agent).

What I've done is wipe up the Micro Sol residue with a cotton swab dipped in Micro Set after the decals have had a couple of days to cure.

Maybe you could try something similar with a very weak white vingar and water mixture. Use 10 to 1 water to vinegar and lightly wipe.

Caution!!! practice on a scrap piece of plastic finished and decaled like your model. It's worth is to see if there's any negative reaction before you try it on a model.

Regards, and good luck!

Hey guys I didn't think this was such a silly question. I mean do you use impregnated wipes, or cotton buds just on the soiled areas or can I just rinse under the tap? Work has come to a stop. Please help... please.