Avoid using Solvaset on very thin decals cause it's very aggressive. Once you brush it on don't touch or move the decal!

The decal will wrinkle up so don't be alarmed, leave it alone and let it do its magic overnight. The decal will look painted on.

Justinryan215

I used Tamiya acrylic thinner x-20a with great success to get the decals to settle down on the lancaster, also using future brushed on the panel as a setting solution worker a treat to reduce silvering!

Thanks Justin and PJ.   Yeah - I'll have to try something new.  MicroSol seems to be effective on some, but not all decals.  So I'll give Solvaset or Tamiya's x-20a a try if I can find either one of them (shouldn't be a problem as we have two LHS's in the Rochester area that carry alot of Tamiya product - not sure if I've ever seen Solvaset - but then I haven't asked for it either).

Anything I need to watch out for when using either of these ?   Can they be over-aggressive ? or attack acrylic finishes more than MicroSol ?  (I use acrylic paints exclusively for anything except white.)

Thanks for the tips.

Chris

Bossman

Check, Doug, and Fred,  Nice progress all - interesting builds.

Steve,  Hope that idea works out for ya.

Finished up the decals on the Hurri in one sitting last night.  There weren't very many.  I kinda forgot how big some of these decals were in 1/48 scale.  Alot more film to flop around and get messed up.

I have to take care of a few silvered areas around the grey code letters.  But overall, they went on pretty good.  Micro-Sol didn't quite have a strong enouh effect on these Xtradecals.  Some of them are lifted or bubbled between the ribbed areas of the rear fuselage.  I'll try poking them with a pin and brushing on a bit of future.  That usually sucks 'em down and eliminates the silvering a bit.

Roundels went down over some heavy surface detail with several heavy applications of Micro-Sol.  When you get this close - you can tell she's brush painted.  In a few areas, I let the decals dry for a while, then sliced along the panel lines and hit 'em with a second coat of Sol to get them to melt in a bit.

I've got a bit of whitening around the edges of some decals.  This happens when I use MicroSol on a Futured surface sometimes.  I'll just repaint over the whitened areas. 

Only little pieces left !

Chris

 

I used Tamiya acrylic thinner x-20a with great success to get the decals to settle down on the lancaster, also using future brushed on the panel as a setting solution worker a treat to reduce silvering!

Paint on the Jaguar. Something different Dark Sea Grey 

Chris

Next time you have thick or stubborn decals try Solvaset. This stuff is VERY strong and will snuggle down anything. Usually 1or 2 applications are sufficient.

Thanks PJ !

plasticjunkie

Did you wait at least one day before using the solution over Future?

Yep - two in fact.  But see my notes to Gamera above - at least I think that's what caused it.

Thanks Doug and Check.  Doug - I will patiently await more pictures.  What I see looks great so far.

Chris

Gamera

My apologies

None required my friend.

I applied Sol to all of the decals - but only got noticable whitening near the big topside roundels.   These were the ones I hit hard - several times - because of the lumpiness of the raised detail underneath them. I think that's probably what caused the whitening in this case.

Chris

Looking good, Doug!

Fredthefoot`s Models

engine done , well that was fun not , what was i thinking lol

 

Excellent results, Fred!

Greg

 CMK, update photos whilst on vacation. Now that's dedication.

 

Or--maybe just forgetting they were there!  

Gamera

CMK02: Great job there on the canopies! Another reason there I don't do many bombers since I hate masking those greenhouse canopies. Enjoy your vacation!!!

Steve: Looks good, you've got things under control. My thoughts and prayers that everything goes well. 

Chris: Nice work! If masking is my most hated part of aircraft modeling decaling is my favorite. One question though, won't the white areas around the decals go away as the everything totally dries out? 

 

Thanks, Gamera.  

Vacation's almost done; heading back now.

damouav

CM - Did you use a liquid masking fluid on your canopies? They are very sharp indeed!

 

Yes.  I outlined the windows with plain 'ol masking tape, then filled in with MicroMask.  Thanks for commenting.

Very attractive Hurricane, Chris.  Looks great.

Nice work, Steve.  Hope everything goes well for you in Dallas.

Fredthefoot`s Models

lol have too be scratch mate , mrs would string me up she`s not the easyest to get a pot paint past let alone resin and kits lol

 

Well, thats the real challenge isn't it. Not building the kits, but sneaking it all in past the Mrs.

I have the new Airfix 72nd Ju 87B-1 and i want to do open gun bays on that which i will have to sratchbuild. So might get some inspiration from yours.

Fredthefoot`s Models

thanks Bossman lol i must be mad lots bad words when doing it . thanks gamera glad thats done . Next job: cut one the wings gun panels up and play with that can see more bad words coming lol

 

O, scracthed gun bays as wel, that will be fun. I am just grateful for resin.

Chris... Looking Good!, Cmk, Great job on canopys! Canopies can be the pits...

Well, I'm going to try Flickr again and see if its working yet, Here we go,,,

A little more progress on my Hurricane...

Well Just D**n... Still doing the same thing... Aint going through this today... I'll be back when it works again.

Doug

Bossman

 

I've got a bit of whitening around the edges of some decals.  This happens when I use MicroSol on a Futured surface sometimes.  I'll just repaint over the whitened areas. 

Only little pieces left !

Chris

 

Great looking Hurricane. Did you wait at least one day before using the solution over Future? I usually wait a couple of days to avoid that very same reaction.

If decals are causing trouble I'd suggest a trip to You Tube. Search "Expert Model Craft" and you should get an hour long video - really a series of ten minute videos on various modeling techniques, done by Geoff Illsley. The gent is a veteran modeler and judge at major shows in Europe. Between roughly 32:00 - 41:00 of the tape is a section on decals. Note, he recommends the use of distilled water unless you're lucky enough to live where the water isn't made "hard" by mineral traces. He specifically addresses decal film and how he eventually gets the decal to meld into the model itself after Mico Set is applied. Do note he applies them on a very gloss surface and seals them with Tamiya Clear after everything is done. The gent is a little old school, (strongly against preshading however) but everything done shows great attention to detail and often includes steps not taken by many modelers. (I bought Windsor Newton spirit based matte varnish that he praises to the sky for a final "eggshell" finish when done with an airbrush and thinned. If sprayed straight, I've been told, the finish is very smooth and very flat. I've long used Dullcoate from a spray can - it does make the surface flat, but leaves it a little rough which is good for applying filters, but not ideal for a final finish.) His section on clear parts - right after decals - impressed me and I'll be trying his techniques on the present model. I'm also going to try uber-uber-guru Paul Budzik's technique for masking canopies. (His less preferred style that is - Budzik is nutcake about scale issues and insists if you want a good canopy you have to sand it down, polish it to a super shine, and use the paint itself as the canopy frame. Yikes. Budzik has talent and desire for perfection that I admire greatly but will never match. If you haven't seen one of his video, check one out on You Tube - the one on primers will get your attention methinks.) I'll report in later on the success or lack thereof of a growing list of things I've never tried that will all go into the Beaufighter.

Eric

Bossman

Fred, What ! Do you have some incredible shrinking machine or something ? Build a Hurricane in 1/24th scale - Set the machine at 1/3rd - pop it in - wait five minutes and . . . beeeeep ! Out come's Fred's new 1/72 Hurricane.

Those are my thoughts, put into words much better than I could do myself.

That's pretty neat, Fred.

Fred: Lotta work but it looks really good! 

Chris: Ahhh, thanks for explaining. I've had the whitening happen before on MM acrylic gloss but if I wait till everything is good and dry it vanishes. My apologies.  

Gamera

Chris: Nice work! If masking is my most hated part of aircraft modeling decaling is my favorite. One question though, won't the white areas around the decals go away as the everything totally dries out? 

Thanks Gamera,

The whitening tends to tone down a little after a few hours - but no - It usually doesn't totally go away.  I usually wind up applying a thin paint coat to make it invisible.  I do the same thing with silvering that I just can't eliminate otherwise.  Painting over the silvering just covers it up.

And thanks Damien, Bish and Greg.

Fred,         What !        Do you have some incredible shrinking machine or something ?   Build a Hurricane in 1/24th scale - Set the machine at 1/3rd - pop it in - wait five minutes and . . . beeeeep !   Out come's Fred's new 1/72 Hurricane.

That's nice scratched detail in 1/72 man.

Chris

engine done , well that was fun not , what was i thinking lol

OHH crap!! Sorry I missed the health issue part Steve. Hope all goes well. Wishing you the best buddy!!

plasticjunkie

Guys, depending on th application, I use two methods... Soft spongy foam or bathroom tissue. The soft foam comforms well but if I have the gears in place then I use bathroom tissue to wrap the gears and an eye dropper to wet the tissue to make it fit and hold.

Thanks for the ideas, Ernie.

CMK, update photos whilst on vacation. Now that's dedication.

Chris, looking good. 

Steve, I too wish you the best. My thoughts are with you and have been since you mentioned your health issues.

We'll have the lights on for 'ya when you get back.