Homemade Decal Solvent

The latest discussion I could find on this was three years old so I decided rather than replying to it I would start a new topic.

The last couple of days I’ve been doing a major decaling project with decals maybe six years old that are rather thick. I first tried using the Strong Version of Daco Products Decal Setting Solution and it didn’t perform well. I tried Micro Sol but it was no better.

In the threads I could find on this topic the question of is solvent white vinegar or not came up several times. Now when I smell solvent I don’t smell vinegar at all. I DO smell vinegar when I open an old jar of Testors Decal Set, which is used to clean and wet the model surface in preparation for the decal. When I smell both Micro Sol and the Daco product I get a mild Acetone smell.

So I found some old decals and a painted piece of plastic with both bumps and grooves, put a layer of Pledge on it, let it dry, and then affixed two old decals to the plastic. One I treated with pure white vinegar and the other I treated with my wifes finger nail polish remover (composed mainly of Acetone).

The vinegar treated decal did NOTHING! The Acetone treated decal immediately wrinkled up and started to suck down around the bumps and into the grooves. Now after fifteen minutes the wrinkles are gone, it has sucked completely down, and it looks great.

Now I don’t know if finger nail polish remover will work on all decals and it may be too hot for some decals straight out of the bottle, but I’m going to try it on my next decal for the project I’m working on and we’ll see what happens IRL.

Steve

Thank you for the information.

If your Micro Scale stuff doesn’t smell of acetic acid, that’s a problem.

I’ve tried vinegar too, usually diluted. It doesn’t seem to work well.

As for acetone, well, better test it on something painted with whatever you used on your model first!

My humble advice is to get new bottles of Micro Sol and Micro Set before you go too much further.

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A recent post on another forum advocated using Tamiya X-20 as a solvent for decals. I have yet to try it, but I will. I have a Hasegawa project with decals that just won’t settle down with Microsol. First, of course, I’ll try it on a “crash test dummy” with same clear coat and scrap decals.

Mike

We seem to be conflating decal solvent and decal setting solutions in this thread. They are not the same thing.

I know folks who do use vinegar as a setting solution. I have resisted that, as many of the vinegars you buy at grocery stores have various spices in the vinegar, and some of these have solids that participate out of solution as it dries. It can leave a crud behind. So if you want to try vinegar as a setting solution, do a test on some scrap, not on a good model.

Like Don S said, decal setting solution and decal softening solution are two different things. I use setting solution (Microsol product with a blue label) under the decal to prevent silvering, and softening solution (the Microsol product with the red label) on the top to soften the decal so it will conform to the surface. Some decals will not soften using the Microsol?, even after applying heat from a hair dryer. My last resort in that case is using denatured alcohol on the decal with the hair dryer. DO NOT get the alcohol on a painted surface or it will eat it up.

Best to practice on test model before doing it on a nice one.

My two cents.

Maybe I should have explained a bit more. The primary reason for decal setting solution is to decrease the surface tension of the water. If the water does not fully wet the paint, air bubbles will be trapped between the decal and the paint, and the glue will not adhere as well. Some folks ad a tiny drop of detergent to improve wetting, others use both a drop of detergent and setting solutions. Also, use soft water if you can.

Decal solvents, on the other hand, actually soften decals, to help them conform to surface contours and fine detail better. If you are applying decals to a reasonably flat surface with little fine detail, you probably do not need solvent.

Neither setting nor solvent solutions, however, will make decals nestle down into the very small surface roughness of flat paints. That is why we do a glosscoat (or just use gloss paint) under decals on flat painted surface

I haven’t seen a decal not conquered with Solvaset. I’ve had some pretty thick decals and Solvaset comes thru every time.

I use Microsol most of the time, but do keep a bottle of Solvaset handy for decals that won’t comply.

Sometimes it takes a few applications, but I haven’t run across any that didn’t eventually get in line with the Solvaset. It is definately a bit hotter than the Microsol and not as easy for me to find so I keep it in reserve for problem decals.

I was also going to mention Solvaset, Ernie beat me too it so mine is a me too post.

The problem with decal solvents is that they can be hard on the decal and damage it if you use too much, or touch the decal before the solvent has thoroughly evaporated. It is safer to try setting solution first, then go to solvent only if the setting solution does not do the job. I keep both on my bench. When I need the solvent I use it, but I save it for times I really need it.

What solvent do you use? As a bit new to modeling I have Micro Sol and Set. But what do I use for a solvent and what’s is purpose?

I have used Solvaset exclusively for 50 years or so, since after reading about setting solutions in an IPMS publication in the '70s, and going ‘in search of’ at my LHS, and finding literally 1 dusty bottle tucked away on the odds & ends shelf of mystery. Bought it, used it, loved it, never looked back.
In all those years I’ve seen/heard comments about how ‘hot’ it is, that you should never touch it except as an extreme last resort – all of which is blather. Never had a decal destroyed by it, never had it eat away the finish, etc. The ‘trick’ (if trick there be) is to apply just enough to let it cover (or nearly) the decal…give it about 10 seconds to let capillary action draw it underneath the decal…then blot up the excess. No need to leave the decal swimming in a big pool of the stuff, which is about the only way I can figure folks have those dire problems they report.
As plasticjunkie said, it does the job.

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Thanks so much for all the good info!

Thanks for this thread. Happened upon a bottle of Solvaset at my LHS today and nabbed it. I’ve had good luck with MicroSol over the years but occasionally, it just doesn’t quite have the oomph.

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Anyone have experience with Mr. Hobby Mr. Mark Softer? How does that compare? Good product?

Thanks much,
Mark

I have the new bottle of Solvaset too. It works…but it is not as strong as the old Solvaset.

I have a set of Ju-87 (72014) decals by PrintScale and the Solvaset does nothing to them. I don’t know how these decals were made but they won’t even conform to the fusalage.

I’m curious about that stuff too… as well as Tamiya’s decal solutions. Anybody with any firsthand experience using those products to provide some feedback?

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I have used the Tamiya Mark Fit. It works very well with Tamiya decals. Works ok with other brands. Not sure why.

I can relate to that experience as well. I’ve been applying that stuff for over a week on a set of decals that I’m having a problem with and finally, after 7 days…it’s finally starting to conform to the details and suck down to the model.

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