I'll give you the quick on decals. This is gleaned from instructions and experience. The blush you mentioned is a decal which hasn't stuck correctly. Decals have to go onto a somewhat glossy,
painted surface. Bare plastic and metal don't work. So: Paint must be dry. If you are using a solvent paint there should be no smell. A few days. Modern acrylics are OK in an hour or so. Some decal
solutions can cause havoc with some paints so years ago I got into the habit of sealing the painted finish. Incidentally this works for bare plastic and bare metal. I use Blair Workable Fixative.
Currently, I get it at Wal-Mart in the arts and crafts section. Artists stores also stock it. I shake really thoroughly and lightly spray from about 15 inches away. After a few minutes I look at the
model in a bright light. If the coverage is not even I mist a second coat. The finish will not be really glossy, but it will be smooth and have a slight sheen.
I wait about an hour for decals. I use Microscale's two solutions. If you are using Walthers or Champ decals use Champ's solution. (Actually I dilute some of Champs solution about 50 percent with
water so I am still doing two part applications.) I cut the decals for a given side of the project, one side per day. If the image is much more the half inch on a side I cut it into smaller sections
since some of these can be fragile. Particularly, Microscale. For water I use cheap bottled water so that I won't have mineral deposits on the model. I have ready; small shallow dish of water, the
two bottles of solutions, a couple of very clean number 1 paint brushes, a tuna can of brush cleaning water, a tweezers and a bit of old torn bed sheet. (No coffee for a couple of hours!) Here we go.
Put the decal in the water until the backing is soaked, a few seconds. Set the decal on the work surface of a couple of minutes. When the decal slides easily wet down the section of the model with
the weaker solution, a puddle is good. take the decal off the backing close to the puddle. Lay the decal on the puddle, it should be floating. Use the second brush to draw the excess solution from
under the decal when it is in place. If it slips flood it with more solution and move it. You need to move reasonably quickly, but don't panic, that's the reason for the weaker solution. Clean and
dry the brush and place a generous blop of the stronger solution on the decal around the edges. Leave it alone! Go on to another decal. As you complete each decal rewet all the other decals with the
stronger solution. When you have finished a side and an end, stop and do something else for a few hours. Look closely at the side. If there are any bubbles or areas which haven't stuck carefully slit
the decal with a brand new razor blade and add more strong solution. If you really screw it up ELO (Polly S Easy Lift Off) may salvage the job, but you may have to strip and repaint.
Assuming things are great wash the model with plain water. Don't soak it, just use a big brush or even take it to the sink and let water run over it. Don't scrub since the decals and the paint are
still soft. Let It dry for another day. Then mist again with the same fixative you used under. This is important, don't do to another sort of clear coat yet. As when you started; in a bright light
the entire surface should have the same sheen. After a couple of hours go ahead with your finish coats, weathering and so forth.
There is always a tendency to want to rush the job, as you may have noticed these instructions take a couple of days. Dry and really dry are different things. I remember reading about a professional
painter in England who would only work when the humidity and air temperature were at specific levels. Some YEARS he would not be able the paint at all. I don't have that patience.
Christian
I'm getting ready to decal my first locomotive (HO). Does any one have any tips for making sure the stripes stay straight and are at the same hieght on both sides.
I look at prototype photos and try to find a frame of reference for both sides. It might be the top of a line of doors, or perhaps a row of rivets. Something that I can use as a guide. The second
thing I do is use plenty of water on the model to allow me time to shift the stripes around as needed. I use a 00 paint brush to adjust the stripe. If it becomes too much trouble, I won't hesitate to
remove a stripe and try again with a fresh one. Finally when it is where I want it, I let the decal dry completely, and then use setting solution to settle the decal into cracks and details. Then let
it dry thouroughly.
Russ
I've got several "boxes" made up of a floor and two sides; the decalling victim is placed in the box, shimmed up to put the decal at the proper level, then I use the "box" side as a guide. For
"production run" cars (many, many open hoppers, I made a guide of a sheet of .010" styrene with a "stop" of .040"x.040" at the top - fits on the car sides, and I use it as a guide.
Rusty
Stripes are best done by eye. Do one side then the other side going by what you did on the first side. When doing the front of a diesel (F7) your looking straight on. Use a pin vise with a sewing
needle stuck in it to move the decal around while wet. You will have time to move it and straighten it by eye. Lettering is done by eye also. The only measuring I do is when I want to exactly center
lettering in the middle. Suggest you practice the eye method with some old decals and old rolling stock or even a piece of painted cardboard. Be patient and be careful you don't split the decal when
moving it because you let it get too dry.
John A. Zelinsky
Since someone mentioned decals "peeling off" within a year, I thought that now might be a good time to go over decalling technique. As I've practiced it over the years, I see three major elements
necessary to make a decalling job turn out well:
* A smooth, hard finish to apply the decal.
* Proper application of solvents.
* A proper finish coat.
A smooth, hard finish is necessary to reduce the number of air bubbles that can get trapped under a decal. Rough surfaces lead to gaps between the decal and the paint, which show through the decal as
a blush spot. Glossy finishes are smooth and hard. Flat finishes are rough.
There are two ways to ensure a smooth, hard finish:
* Use a paint which dries to a hard, smooth, glossy finish, such as Scalecoat.
* Use an overspray, such as Floquil Crystal-Cote to apply the finish to existing paint. It is possible to have sprayed the body color in such a way that it is too rough for this to work- if the paint
is bumpy and grainy, no amount of Crystal-Cote will save it, and you're better off stripping the model and starting over. On any overcoat, remember: repeated thin coats are better than one heavy
one.
Once the surface is dry, apply the decal.
1) Cut out the decal from its backing sheet.
2) Let it float, face-up in a small dish of water. As a general rule, I use distilled water for this, since I've lived in places with very hard water, and places where the local water supply was so
heavily-treated that the chemicals would affect the decal.
3) Let the backing paper float away, then let the decal float for a few more minutes, You want all of the adhesive that held the decal to the backing paper to dissolve. Adhesive residue causes
blushing when the decal is applied.
4) Figure out exactly where on the model you want to place the piece of decal. Apply a dilute decal setting solution (full-strength Micro Scale Micro Set, or Champ Decal set diluted 1:10
solvent:water).
5) Remove the decal from the water, and let any excess wter drip off of it. Check for blobs of adhesive, or dull spots where adhesive might still be clinging to the back of the decal. If there's any
sign of adhesive residue, put the decal back into the water and let it soak a few more minutes.
6) Place the decal on the model. I usually use a dull Xacto blade to nudge the decal into position.
7) Using a tissue, draw away the excess setting solution. Most of the time, this will help draw the decal down onto the side of the model.
8) Let the decal sit a few minutes. Ponder the next piece you want to apply. Make sure that the decal is REALLY where you want it.
9) Apply a decal solvent, such as full-strength Microscale Micro Sol, or Champ Decal-Set diluted 1:3 solvent to water (I suppose that Walthers Solvaset could be used similarly- I can't provide ratios
since I've gotten comfortable with the Champ product). Apply it gently with a brush; I've tried using cotton swabs, but they tend to leave strands on the decal. Avoid actually touching the decal with
the brush, if you can.
10) Let the solvent evaporate, and the decal dry. I usually make a second application and let that dry, too.
11) Examine the decal for air bubbles, which are especially likely on models made of wood, or ones with a simulated wooden texture. Take a "sharp" Xacto blade and make a small slice through the decal
into each air bubble. Repeat from Step 9 until all of the air bubbles are gone. The bubbles may look like actual bulges in the decal, or just white spots beneath the decal.
12) If the decal is just not adhering, or the air bubbles just won't go away after repeatedly performing Steps 9-12, I step up to a stronger solvent, such as Champ Decal-Set diluted 2:1 water to
solvent and repeat Steps 9-12. I avoid using full-strength Decal-Set on anything but small areas of Champ Decals. Full-strength Decal-Set will _eat_ the lettering on decals created using an ALPS
printer, and, used in enough quantity, can cause the ink on Walthers and Herald King sets to run.
While a decal on one part of the car is drying, you can start on another on a different part of the car.
13) Once you're satisfied with how the decal is adhering, let it sit a couple of hours, then come back with a clean tissue and distilled water and wipe up any excess decal solvent or adhesive from
the side of the model.
14) Let the model dry at least overnight, then "fix" the car's finish by spraying a clear coat over it. This finishing layer is the final protective coat for the decal.
Some people go straight to a flat, dull finish here, and others think it's better to overspray the whole model with a gloss finish so that the decals and the rest of the model have a uniform sheen
before they apply the flat coat. I've tried both, and had good luck either way.
My rule of thumb is that I'll go directly to spraying a flat finish if the decal has a glossy finish similar to the underlying paint or clear coat on the car. If there appears to be a significant
difference between the decal's finish and the car's finish, I'll spray a coat of gloss before applying the flat finish. Needless to say, these are very _light_ coats of finish we're talking about
here!
15) Weather to taste.
This technique has worked well for me over the years (120+ cars, and about 30+ locos). I'm sure that there are variations on this technique, and different supplies I could use, but this is what works
for me.
Fritz Milhaupt
Some comment on Fritz's techniques (the numbers refer to his paragraphs)
Floquil offers "glaze" which can be added to their paints when spraying to get the gloss finish. For those without an airbrush, Testor's "Glosscoat" works well
3) I take the decal out of the water still on the paper and let it float off the paper onto the model, less chance of the decal coming apart or "folding up" on me.
6) When placing the decal on the model. I use a paint brush (000 or smaller works well for me) to nudge the decal into position.
7) Using a tissue, draw away the excess setting solution. Just touch a corner of the tissue to the water "bubble", it'll soak right up.
9) Apply a decal solvent, such as full-strength Microscale Micro Sol, or Champ Decal-Set diluted 1:3 solvent to water (I suppose that Walthers Solvaset could be used similarly- I can't provide ratios
since I've gotten comfortable with the Champ product). Apply it gently with a brush; I've tried using cotton swabs, but they tend to leave strands on the decal. Avoid actually touching the decal with
the brush, if you can.
Solvaset full strength should ONLY be used on older Walthers brand decals. Otherwise dilute it 2:1 or 3:1.
(Solcaset, fwiw, is primarily formaldahyde base). I've had best luck with Microsol and have pretty much standardized on it.
11) Examine the decal for air bubbles, which are especially likely on models made of wood, or ones with a simulated wooden texture. Take a sharp Xacto blade and make a small slice through the decal
into each air bubble.
Another nice touch, once the decal is dry, if you're modelling a wooden car, I draw the x-acto knife down each groove in the wood actually cutting the film, then apply a VERY LIGHT application of
setting agent again, so no "paint" spans the "gaps" between the "boards".
Don Dellmann
Shiny decals do not have to be a problem. Almost all decal material has a gloss finish, it's the nature of the beast. You do not have to put up with it on your models if you learn what to do.
Decals adhere best to a gloss finish, however, I have never used a gloss coat on my models. I use a decal setting solution such as Solvaset, Champ decal set, Mr. Mark Softer or any of a number of
others. Solvaset is my general favorite but I use them all depending on whose decals I'm using. This part you will have to work out for yourself. There is no one best way to do anything. The best way
is the way that works best for you.
After the paint has completely cured cut out the decal keeping the amount of extra film to a minimum. Float the decal on lukewarm water to which a drop- one drop only- of household ammonia has been
added. Do not submerge the decal, rather place it backing side down on the water and wait. After a brief time the paper will sink to the bottom leaving the film floating on top. Using a set of
tweesers retrieve the backing and use it to pick up the film. Blot off the excess water by touching the decal assembly to a paper towel. Be careful not to let the film separate from the backing just
yet.
This next part requires some technique building, hence some practice sessions may be a good idea.
Place some decal set on the model at the place where the decal is to go and slide the film off the backing into its desired location. A handy tool for final positioning of the decal film is a piece
of wooden dowel with a needle stuck into one end. Draw off any excess setting solution with a small paintbrush. If you do it right there should be no air trapped under the decal. After the decal set
has evaporated check for trapped air under the decal film. These will be very plainly visible bubbles and shiny areas. Use a needle and/or razor knife to puncture the air pockets and re-apply some
setting solution. After you do it a few times you will get a feel for what to do. It's sort of intuitive. When there is no trapped air under the decal and the setting solution has done its job, a
coat of clear flat finish should be all that is needed to make the decal "disappear".
Demetre Argiro
I put a decal onto the center hub of a round sterring wheel hub. The decal is slightly larger than the center of the steering wheel hub. The hub is such that it has rounded edges that curve back.
What happens is that the decal fits fine over the front part of the hub, but since the decal is only very slightly larger than the center, I can't get the little edges to grab onto the part of the
hub that is rounded. I tried used the Testors decal set stuff, but it really didn't soften it or make it conform to the shape. Any ideas?
You need a solvent not a setting solution, try Microsol, it works well with most decals. For tough jobs you can use Solvaset but you better test it on an unused decal first. Or you can lay some
Future down under the edges and push the decal down on it.
Mike Dougherty
To echo what Mike said you are missing the second part of the procedure. You apply SET, apply your decal. WAIT ONE HOUR. Then you apply the solvent, usually Microsol. The solvent will suck the decal
into all the crevices, assuming your initial surface had a gloss coat to begin with. After all this dries, you can then apply a gloss or flat coat, although on a steering wheel you may not need to do
either.
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Micro-sol and Micro-set are MUCH more potent than the Testors stuff. You'll be amazed. I'm not sure which of the two is used for which part of the process, but follow the directions on the bottles,
ESPECIALLY where it says not to touch the decals when they bubble up. Just trust the stuff to work its magic, and come back later to fix any bubbles or folds left (they'll be tiny). If you touch the
decals when they bubble, they'll distort and maybe tear--DO NOT disturb them, NO MATTER how weird and distorted they seem.
Geoffrey
Could you get a new x-acto blade and trim off the border all around? If not, you might try some Future. Paint the area that the decal over hang will adhere to with Future, and bend the decal edges
over with the Future soaked brush. It might be a good idea to slit the decal border in several spots so it will fold down better.
Ron
I was looking at some of my old kits and I was horrified to discover that the colour of white decals had faded to yellow. I there any way to recover them ?
Sunlight. Put them in a window, how long can vary from a day to weeks. If there is any humidity(like sweating glass) put the decals in a ziplock bag.
Mike Dougherty
Either put them under a strong light or better yet I have had good luck laying them on a sunny window sill for a day. Give it a try, it really works!
Chris
To be safe, I recommend sealing the decal sheet in a transparent sandwich or refrigerator bag before putting it onto the window or window sill.
Charles Metz
After they are properly whitened by the sun, I usually put a coat of liquid decal film over them. The sun and age tend to make them very brittle, and they will come apart in the water without
something to strengthen them.
Jack
That's because the UV light is bleaching out the yellow film. If the white ink is not actually true white to begin with, it probably can't be bleached out. That's one of the problems with some
Japanese decals--the white isn't really white. The UV bleaching process is counteracting a chemical reaction of acid in the paper that stains the clear coat and causes it to yellow. Generally, the
older the decal, the higher the potential that the film has yellowed.
Paul Boyer