I have a few sets of JBOT decals and they are quite thin. Can I apply a coat of Testors Glosscote or Dullcote to the decals before applying them to my model? Or would something like Microscale Liquid Decal Film be better?
Thank You,
Dave
Be careful with the lacquer. The carrier film is thin and the inks are delicate, so JBOT has always recommended acrylics to overcoat their decal sheets. More info here -
Those Testors clearcoats are my goto for coating after decaling. I am amazed that it works, because laquer thinner is such a strong solvent, but it does seem to work fine as long as the decals are completely dry. I guess maybe that stuff dries so fast it does not have time to damage anything. Don’t know why it works but it does.
I even use it as an overcoat for my inkjet-printed decals. For those, I do need to let the ink dry three days before overcoating. Even then I mist on a light coat first, wait a minute or two, and then go back over it for a final coat.
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When I first started printing decals, I had a lot of trouble with the color running. Letting the ink dry for a couple of days solved that.
Do be aware that spraying the decal sheet with film or clearcoat then means that you will need to cut out the decal carefully around the edge of the image.
When I print my own, the lacquer works just fine, as does the Testors Decal Bonder spray, but JBOT is pretty clear in their instructions to avoid lacquer and enamel when dealing their decal sheets. They are goofy to work with in the first place because of their thinness, so I tend to err on the side of caution and simply follow what the manufacturer recommends, particularly with this brand.
A lot of their stuff is OOP and the future of the company is in doubt following the owner’s stroke earlier this year. Any foul-ups and you take a gamble with replacing them. If the guy warns specifically against lacquers and enamels in the published directions, perhaps it’s all the wiser to just follow his advice.
Thanks gentlemen, I’ll use an acrylic clear coat.
Much appreciated!
~Dave
Yep, he’s the guy I learned the three-day wait from 