How do you deal with TAMIYA decals?

Tools, Techniques, and Reference Materials Decaling
1

Hi folks

I´m having a real decaling nightmare regarding TAMIYA decals on my Spitfire, the problems are:

Some of them don´t react to supersol.
Others deform after the coat of supersol.
Permanent wrinkles imposible to remove after 7 coats of supersol.
Fogging problems.

I have the ideal glossy surface for decals, the test decal I used worked perfectly with the microset and supersol system and hot water……but when I started to apply decals on the aircraft the problems began.[banghead]

So my question is how do you deal with this [censored][censored] decals???

Thanks in advance.

2

Man, I am so interested in the answer to this one. I have had the same problems with my Tamiya decals. I have even had them wrinkle when putting on the top coat of future. I am at just as much a loss as you. I thought that it was just me. I have been told that aftermarket decals are the way to go, so I picked up a few packages recently to try them out, but haven’t had a chance. I will be watching this thread like a hawk.

3

'Nuff said…

Fade to Black…

4

[(-D][(-D][(-D] That’s a great answer Blackwolf!

Seriously though, 86 the decals, try using dry-transfers instead.

5

HEY,
What if you cant get aftermarket stuff? I am building a Tamiya US M1A1 Abrams and im stuck using the decals that come with it so what can i do? Ive never used tamiya decals so im kinda new to this.

Randy

6

[(-D][(-D][(-D][(-D][(-D][(-D]
blackwolf you really make me laugh today!!!
Those are the exact decals that I’m having troubles right now!!!..excellent idea……
I have found a nice decal sheet from Techmond decals in Squadron, I´ll ordering them soon[tup]

later

7

Hi,

Don’t know if Tamiya decals are different in aircrat, armour, etc., than in their motorcycles and autos as I have never used them. I would think not. I have never had a problem wih their auto decals.
What I do is,-

1- Give the surface a couple of good coats of Klear and leave it a day to fully cure.

2- I use a few drops of Tamiya acrylic thinners in warm water (10-1 ish mix). Let them soak until they start lifting from the paper. Then place them and brush out any air bubbles. Blot them to remoce excess water. Leave them to dry.

3- If I get any bubbles, lifting, etc., I just brush them over with the mix.

4- Some more Klear, which again I let fully cure. Then depending where they are top coat with matt, gloss or laquer.

This works for me.

Paul.

8

HEY,
It seems like the only problems are with planes. Not sure though.

Randy

9

I’ve never built a Tamiya aircraft kit so can’t comment on those decals, however the armor decals have always worked out ok for me. I use enamel paints and lacquers, spray a gloss coat, apply decals, apply glosscoat over the decals with a brush to snug them down and prevent silvering, then apply a dull coat and voila!

10

Actually, to be serious, (who? me? serious?) sometimes it’s a matter of potluck as to what the decals in Tamiya kits will be like. I’m speaking mostly of their aircraft kits but I’ve noticed similar cases among the auto and armor kits which have passed through my hands.

As to what you can do to get Tamiya’s decals to perform properly, I cannot tell you. I’ve never used any of 'em because I’m a firm believer that most kit decals, in general, are good for kindling for the campfire and nothing else. That’s just me, though.

Those who have used kit decals, either out of necessity or preference, are the ones to provide the advice as to how they perform, and there’s been a good bit of sound advice given in this thread already.

So even though I can’t offer advice as to how to handle Tamiya’s decals I can tell you that of all the Tamiya kits I’ve owned (speaking only of recent releases over the last ten to fifteeen years, that is) there have been three distinctly different ‘types’ of decals.

One type was what I refer to as the ‘standard’ type. Feli250, if the decals you were having problems with were the same ones as I used for my… uh… experiment (yeah, that’s what it was…) then most likely they are the ‘standard’ type. They look godawful thick on the sheet and have a funky satin sheen to 'em but are printed rather nicely and look too nice to cut apart.

Another type I’ve noticed are what I call ‘garage’ decals. They also look kinda thick, but not as thick as the ‘standards’, are on a funky paper and, although you can see the decal film, it looks like the decals and paper are as one. They’re not printed quite as nicely as the ‘standards’, either.

The third type are printed by good 'ole Scale-Master. They’re very thin, and are generally well printed, although they can be of wildly varying quality.

Anyhoo, my point is that Tamiya, like most any other model manufacturer, uses a number of different companies to provide decals for their kits. Because of this some techniques and decal setting solutions which work for one type of decal may not work the same way for other types.

Fade to Black…

11

Remember folks, no Tamiya Decals were actually harmed in the making of this post…!!![:p][:p][:p][:p][;)]
Flaps up,Mike

12

Mike… that’s not exactly true… [;)] Man those things stink when they burn…

They stink when you try to put 'em on a model, too…

Fade to Black…

13

Hi feli250. It’s afrustrating problem, I know. First of all, most of the available decal solvents like supersol,aerosol,solvaset are much toostrong for tamiya decals. As you are finding, they will eat 'em up. That’s why I toss them. If you are stuck with them, they are soft enough that they will conform on their own, usually. Try using setting solution alone under the decal and then blot it down with a damp cloth after a few minutes. This has worked for me in the past.

14

Hey Steve,
I totally forgot about the “Stink Factor”…hehehehe[:p][;)]. I love the smell of burning Tamiya decals in the morning…[:p]
Flaps up, Mike

15

Oh dear, I’m just about to put the decals on my Tamiya Spitfire too [sigh]. I’ve never applied any decals before either! [%-)]

Darren

16

If I can at all avoid it, I won’t use either Tamiya or Hasagawa manufactured decals. They always seem to be too thick, too brittle, the wrong color and/or tone, or out of register (or any combination of the aforementioned problems). If I have a Tamigawa kit that contains Scale Master decals, I usually use some or all of them with out worrying too much about problems. Over the years, I’ve found that after market decals are a lot like kit manufacturers, every once in a while each manufacturer brings out a product which is not up to the standards of the rest of their line of products. It just happens.

17

Hi feli250,

I have used Tamiya decals from time to time and have found that they snuggle down pretty well with liberal and repeated application of Microscale’s Micro Sol.

Cheers
Darren

18

Well now it all makes sense. My Tamiya Gloster Meteor, which I lovingly assembled, almost got the freehand airbrushed camo right. I carefully sprayed two coats of future (pledge where I come from) over it, left it for over a day or so to set. Then the decals…the decals,…the ##$*^ decals. Bubbled, wrinkled, tore!

I thought it was me and I have been trying so hard to get a replacement set from Tamiya…now I say, burn baby, burn!

Simon

PS what do I do with my meteor now?

19

I had the same problems when building a Tamiya Zero… the wing decals just shrivelled up like raisins when they started drying, some of the misc lettering decals just wouldnt stick… I usually go to squadron,com now when I get ready to buy a tamiya kit and see if there are marking sets I can order online… same for a few of the accurate miniatures I have built… for some reason the decals that came with them were either just too thick or the wrong sizes…

20

hmmmmm…funny, i’ve never had a minutes trouble out of tamiya’s decals. i use microsol, dob some around where the decals sits, i dip my decals in tap water for about 5 seconds, then i leave it on the side of the dish, never let them “soak” in water too long as this will make them lose they’re adhesive properties, and they will be more apt to tear. when the decals has been on for a few, i dob some microset on it, and let it sit for another while, then, i keep adding microset until she’s snugged down nicely into panel lines and raised areas. later.

BTW, all of these are tamiya kits, using OOB decals.