What can i do with my decaling?

[Ant]

i am finally at the end of the road as to what im doing wrong when it comes to gloss coating and decaling.

i have tried every way i can and used just about every product, but in the end i still have drama.

i have tried Future, can never seem to get it to spray on properly.

i have tried the following gloss- Tamiya, testors. and polyscale.

so it has got to the point where im almost scared when i get to the decaling of my models.

i either end up with gloss thats not smooth, or gloss that is still sticky after a week. with the future i just cant get a flat shiny finish, it always seems to be like pebbles.

i spray at about 10-15 psi, i have tried all psi's! i have tried thinned and not thinned.

i know that as with most modellers we all have something we can never seem to get right. so can some one give me a way to decal that is idiot proof please.

all suggestions welcome, including " your an idiot" LOL.

[kenlilly106]

Let's start at the beginning:

• Which brand of paint(s) are you using?
  
• Since you're wanting to gloss coat, I assume you're using flat paints?
  
• Is the paint surface smooth? I know this sounds odd, but if the flat paint surface is rough, it takes a whole lot more coats of gloss to even it out than it does a smooth flat coat.
  
• Is it real warm and or dry where you spray? That can cause a pebbly effect by causing the clear coats to partially dry out in the air.
  
• Spraying Future is similar to spraying gloss paints (for me anyways). I spray a few light coats a few minutes apart to build it up, then do a wet coat to smooth things out
  

Ken

[Astaroth]

It doesnt have to be shiny to be smooth enough for the decals to stick properly. Few coats of future, fully dry and cured is good enough surface to apply decals using MicroSet/MicroSol combo.

did you try to brush on future with high quality wide brush?

[David Walker]

....did you try to brush on future with high quality wide brush?

I've found that makes the process considerably easier.

[Ant]

thanks guys, i use mainly MM enamel. my enamel finish is mostly are smooth as i normally do 2 mist coats and then a wet so i get a smooth finish, my hobby room stays pretty constant in temp about 20-23c i am going to try brushing the future just where i decal and see how i go. i will also try just a few mist coats and let it set and then decal it even if it does look pebble. i am sure sometimes its the matt finnish showing through the gloss.

i use Mr Mark softner to set the decal and havnt had to many problems. i get the odd decal that will get a bit of silvering from time to time.

Edited November 14, 2007 by Ant

[Astaroth]

i am going to try brushing the future just where i decal and see how i go.

You dont want to do that. Future darkens the paint by about half-a-shade. If you apply future in just one (two, three) spots - it will be very visible. Dark spots around your decals will stand out. Ask me how I know this Either cover all your model in Future - or forget the Future and try your luck with MicroSet/MicroSol combo alone.

[Matt]

You dont want to do that. Future darkens the paint by about half-a-shade. If you apply future in just one (two, three) spots - it will be very visible. Dark spots around your decals will stand out. Ask me how I know this :D Either cover all your model in Future - or forget the Future and try your luck with MicroSet/MicroSol combo alone.

True, but what you can do is spray or brush on a full coat of Future, and then use a 'puddle' of Future for setting the decal. That way you don't have to be as precise in getting a super smooth coat, and you don't have to worry about the darkening effect.

This works well, the only slight downside is that the puddle of Future will soften the base Future coat the longer it sits. If you take too long getting the decal into place the result can get 'sticky' making it hard to get the decal placed right.

Matt.

[Old Blind Dog]

Yeah, if you're using Future you should try brushing it on with a "miniature mop," ie. a wide flat soft red sable brush. Also with Future you may need to wait a while to let the paint cure before you apply the gloss over it. Some types of paint aren't compatible until they've had a chance to cure for a while.

I prefer Polly Scale Clear Gloss as it is more consistent and predictable than Future and is a lot easier to airbrush.

The surface doesn't have to be glassy smooth for proper decaling; I've found that when using Polly Scale paints a couple thin coats of PS Clear Gloss is perfectly adequate. Using a hand-brush I apply Micro Set on the area to be decaled; use HOT water for dipping and separating the decals and keep the water hot at all times (an electric coffee-cup warmer is a handy thing to have for this purpose); position and blot the decal and then apply a thin bath of Micro Sol if the decal sits over panel lines or oddly shaped surfaces and needs to settle down.

Once the decal is dry, apply two additional thin coats of PS Clear Gloss and then (if needed) apply Clear Flat until you achieve the desired effect.

Practice on some test bed or scrap kits until you get the hang of it; I used to dread the whole decaling process, but now it's one of my very favorite aspects of the hobby!

:D

Old Blind Dog