Decal problem

What paint did you use?

Decals won't usually adhere very well to a surface that has a flat finish. Same can be said for most applied metal surfaces.

Tom

thelaws wrote:

Heat. First try pressing them down using a rag dampened with the hottest water you can stand, and if that doesn't work try careful and gentle application of heat from a blow dryer set on 'low'.

An absolutely last ditch option is to lightly brush some Testors bottled liquid cement over them...

Using the decal solutions like Micro Sol and Micro Set, the decals adhere very well on flat finished surfaces, and even over rivets. I have 25 year old tank and vehicle models that prove it. None of these models ever had a gloss finish before applying the decals, or any finish after applying the decals, unless you consider weathering as a finish.

There are dozens of various decal maufacturers who use different materials and processes to make decals. There are also many decal softening/setting solutions out there.

Coming up with a winning combination of both is sometimes difficult. And some decals just don't respond to any of the available setting/softening solutions.

IIRC, there was an article in Finescale Modeler few years back that listed which decals responded to which solutions.

Try gently slicing the decals along the panel lines with a fresh #11 blade, then try some setting solutions.

Peteski

I'm having a similar problem with some Hasegawa decals. What is the strongest decal solvent available? What about vinegar or other liquids? Thanks, Dick...

Solvaset is the strongest commercially available. Pete

"thelaws" wrote in news:t8p1h.10311$ snipped-for-privacy@tornado.tampabay.rr.com:

I havent used solvaset yet, but I found Daco "strong" a rather potent product.

Cheers,

Dennis

Is is available in the USA? Peteski

"Peter W." wrote in news:1162274009.816018.7440 @f16g2000cwb.googlegroups.com:

Dunno, to be honest.

I ordered it directly from Daco, from Belgium. Let's see if this link works.

Go to the "Other Daco Products" button in the top left corner/window. Then go to the "decalsetting" button in the window beneath that.

I found out that even the thickest Tamiya decals snuggled down nicely with the medium stuff. so I bought a bottle of medium for "normal" work and "strong"for the yet to encounter decals that are still too stubborn to lay down nicely when I ask them.

HTH and cheers,

Dennis

Thanks..

A correction. I have a copy of the Finescale Modeler article stashed somewhere, but the table told me several things I have found easy to remember.

First, NO decal solvent works on ALL decals. For *every* solvent out there, there is a decal film that is impervious to it.

Second, NO decal is impervious to ALL solvents. For every decal, there is *at least one* solvent that will work on it.

Third, based on the table of decals and solvents tested, you can cover ALL the tested decals (about a dozen brands) with TWO solvents. One is Solvaset and the other is Testors. If a decal is impervious to one of these two, the other will work on it; and vice versa. Some decals will dissolve in either one.

As a former chemical lab tech, this makes perfect sense to me. One of those is rather biased toward alcohol/organic solvents - Solvaset; and Testors is acidic/water-based. Decal films with a lot of organic content will shed the water-based stuff and water-based decal films aren't as likely to dissolve in organic solvents. As a Certified Cheap Bastard=A9, I have a bottle of each - and no more.

-- C=2ER. Krieger Been there; done that

The fly in that ointment are Trumpeter 1/350 aircraft decals, the only thing I got to make them settle down was Testors liquid cement (MEK based stuff), they laughed at everything else.

I've had great luck with Microsol (99.9% success rate) and Solvaset otherwise.

C.R. Krieger wrote:

Ron Smith wrote in news:R7Odna-- WuFpF9rYnZ2dnUVZ snipped-for-privacy@rcn.net:

I did the Pauls Model Art DTM Opel Calibra once. Those decals listened to NOTHING. I ended up virtually glueing them on with diluted wood glue (PVA). Then I found out that a coat of gloss clear would turn them in to jelly and if I didn't touch them until dry they looked like painted on.

But ofcourse I had to touch some! mh..

Dennis

Thanks Dennis! Looks like I can order from them directly. Good info!

Peteski

"Peter W." wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@f16g2000cwb.googlegroups.com:

No problem, glad to be of assistance.

Dennis