I just purchased a sealed 1998 boxing of the Airfix 1/48 EE Lightning F1/F1A/F2/F3. After twenty-one years, the decal sheet still looks good, with no yellowing, but the protective wax paper was stuck to about half of the sheet. I’ve managed to remove most of it, but some wax and bits of paper still remain. Has anyone successfully removed the stubborn stuff, and how did you do it?
Pick a part of the sheet which you don’t plan to use, and that has wax paper stuck to it.
Cut out, dip in water and see what happens.
Try warming it with a hair dryer, then gently peeling away the wax paper. There’s a good chance it may leave some residue behind…which water or alcohol on a swab my take care of.
Just a couple of thoughts you might want to try…
Try laying some kitchen paper or a dry washcloth or shop towel down on the backside of the decal paper and use an iron on it. Hopefully the heat will soften the wax, try it on a small test area first.
WD40 is a go to for removing dried on labels and old masking tape. It’s an oil and it shouldn’t loosen the decals from the backing paper while it might be enough to loosen the wax tissue paper. Let it soak a bit and use a cotton bud to remove the tissue paper.
Or maybe some GooGone applied with a cotton bud.
I don’t think that sheet that comes with decals is waxed paper at all. I think it is called “glassine”, usually used for protecting photographic negatives. I have no idea how to “unstick” it, as I have never seen this happen before. Just be gentle with it. Good luck, let us know how this turns out.
Yeah, glassine, not wax. Most likely what has happenned is the moisture has bonded the decal to the glassine. I would wait until it is time to use the decal and then cut it from the backing normally and see if the sheet separates as it saturates. But there is a good chance if moisture is the culprit that the decal will not separate from the backing paper.
I had that kit before I gave it to Fermis so it could be built right. (he did).
IIRC there’s maybe four different aircraft on the sheet. It wouldn’t be hard to find an area where the glassine is stuck down but isn’t part of the program, to use as a test.
Thanks! Yes, it’s glassine paper. The spots where I thought there was still wax sticking to the decal sheet (because of a difference in sheen at those spots) are actually areas where the clear decal film was pulled off when I separated the stuck glassine. (The whole decal sheet will need a coat of Testors decal bonding spray once it’s cleaned up, i.e., after I get the remaining bits of glassine off.) At least now I know it’s not the glassine sticking to the decal sheet but rather the sheet’s clear film sticking to the glassine. So I may try some watered-down Solvaset on a bit of stuck glassine and see if that liquifies the clear film underneath - enough to release the stuck glassine. It’s a plan, anyways.
I was able to remove the last bits of glassine paper that were stuck to the decal sheet. Here’s what works. Mix 1 part Solvaset with 2 parts water. Apply it to the glassine with a Q-Tip, let it sit for 15 seconds, then gently rub the glassine with the Q-Tip. Some bits will come off on the first try. Others will require two or more tries. Wipe off excess solution between tries, so the areas aren’t damaged.
Good tip. Got a big collection of ‘antique’ models that I accumulated and finally getting around to building now that I am retired. This might be useful. Thxs
You’re welcome … and have fun! I too enjoy building vintage kits.