Does anybody else have trouble with them? I am in final stages of their OV 1 D Mohawk in 1:48, good kit but the decals are soooo darn fragile, they are falling appart. I ended up having to mix black and light gray lines on the wing because the decals just break appart and had to completly skip some as they just fall appart [:)]
Are they known for fragile decals or is it an anomaly just for this kit??
I’ve built numbers of their WW1 kits, and have learned always to check their decals first. I invariably end up coating everything with Micro Scale decal film to be safe. They seem prone to flaking and crumbling.
Know Czech & Polish kit decals are very fragile; have built near all of their WWII “Italians” so don’t have to deal with them again thankfully!
Only recommendation I can make to stablize decal printing is overspray with a fixative ala that used for inkjet printing decals. Ages ago I’d used Krylon matt finish but read the USA Enviromental Protection Agency since then mandated formula changes making this product less desirable to use.
During late 1960s Airfix issued some kits with defective decals, i.e. had no carrier film, was mentioned in a Scale Modeler Magazine article at the time, promptly disintegrated hitting the water. I just can’t tell y’all how red-faced angry I got over that, still can see the FIAT G.50 wing Tri-Facio decals disintegrate right before my eyes…[:@]
Ugn… Krylon… they’re nothing but garbage. Krylon spray paints have been banished from my paint stash. Ask me how I know…
I’d used their clear matt coating product, never used their paints. It worked OK the times I’d applied it on decal sheet backings but oh so careful spraying it on. This was 12 years ago, am not making decals anymore so other sealing products am sure are better.
Whenever I’m going to use older decals, I first spray them with a few light coats of Testors Decal Bonder letting them sit overnight between coats. The only problem that arises is that it turns the sheet into one complete decal and each decal then has to be cut out individually as close as possible to the sepatate ones. I’ve had great success with this process.
Test the sheet first by taking a separate decal that you will not need for the model off the sheet and trying it on scrap plastic. If it survives the test then proceed with the model. If it doesn’t, proceed with the bonder first.
Hope that this helps. Good luck.
Jim [cptn]
I just finished a Rodan 1/32 SE 5 and previously built their Albatross. I got the decals applied on the Albatross only to have them start cracking and falling apart several months after the build.
I tried every decal solution and restoration technique in the book, added bonders and clearcoats to revive the Roden decals, nothing will make their decals work. On the SE 5, just rubbing my finger across them on the decal sheet caused them to flake apart.
For the SE5, I was able to get a duplicate set of decals that are Cartograph from Wingnut Wings. This made a huge difference. The Albatross also got what was left of the Roden decals stripped off and replaced with Cartagraph.
I included a pic of the SE5 below.
Scott
Krylon did something to their mix lately. I have been using their artist matt spray for 30 years and never had a problem. This last can seems to craze both decal films and laquers. I may have to switch to Grambacher or Patricia, but those need to special ordered. Krylon has always been available locally.
I use Micro Scale decal film. you can apply it with a fine brush thus eliminating the total carrier film over everything. Works great.
John
Keep in mind there is a decal forum too, so if you don’t get enough help in this forum, try the decal one too.