so i applied some decals on some small seaplanes for my battle cruiser. I’m guessing I should have done some research before hand - I did not use any solvents, etc as I got them on okay. But, they don’t look very realistic - kinda shiney. In looking at the forum now, I see that maybe I should have brushed a glossy clear coat then applied the decals then finish it all off with a flat clear coat??? I can’t find anywhere to get a good handle on the preferred methodology. Any tips?
also, is there anything I can do to make the ones I did apply look better? They look a little shiney and like there laying on top of the plastic… Tks
Decals need to be applied to a gloss finish. Many airbrush the whole model, but you can just add spots of gloss to the decal area if you prefer. Useing a decal setting soloution such as micro set or soveset will also help.
So I’m guessing there’s nothing to do now to make they look better or lay flat? choices - leave them or pull them off and redo?
Also, i have on hand model master acrylic clear flat and gloss. Is it okay to use these over enamel? Never sprayed either before and this will be my 1st time.
Besides glossing for decals and laying a flat, is there any other reason this is done? Tks
Ye, i don’t kow of any way to fix the issue. You could try some setting soloutions, they mau help, but i doubt they would solve it complety. Flat paint is just to bumpy for the decals to settle properly.
Yes, useing acrylic over enamels is fine.
If you are adding washes and other weathering effects, especially oil/enamel washes on enamel paint, you need to apply a protective coat to the enamel, so its normal to add an acrylic clear coat.
The only way to fix silvered decals is to remove them. Try masking tape to remove them. It may take a number of stick-and-pulls for each decal. Then gloss and use new decals.
I have taken to scanning decals in each kit, so that if I ruin a kit decal for any reason, I may be able to recreate it with inkjet decal paper.
Don - I can’t completely agree with your statement to remove the decals - sometimes the silvering can be eased by slashing the decals with a sharp hobby knife and then applying future, setting solution or a mixture of both - which exactly depends on particular decal chemistry and needs to be decided by way of an experiment. Future fills the “voids” under the decal and helps prevent the silvering, also acts like glue and the setting solution makes the decals softer. The slashing allows the fluids to get under the decal through the cuts.
Mrchantmarine - showing the photos of your problem could help me get you some better advice. True silvering is when the carrier film of the decal has a distinctively different colour than the background paint. But sometimes the colour matches and the decal is just more glossy than the base. In this case it’s usually enough to apply a good coat of clear varnish to the whole model (glass masked!) to even things out.
As for applying patches of clear gloss to the model, I’d advise against it - this can create visible patches on the model, that can be hard to get undone. This is especially true when using future as gloss on flat humbrols - the “futured” patches stay darker even under many coats of clear.
Hope it helps - good luck with your builds and have a nice day
It looks like silvering. Try to put future on the whole top wing and see if it seeps under the decals. If it doesn’t, try to cut the decal up with a scalpel and gently reapply the future, so that it gets under. After future dries, the silvering should be gone. Put a flat varnish on top of that and you should be OK.
But silvering (as opposed to large areas that do not contact the surface) are microscopic areas not in contact with the base layer. It is impractical if not impossible to treat each area. And, it is hard for even softened decals to have a bend radius small enough to maintain contact with the microscopic bumps in flat paint. The gloss coat provides a smooth, level surface so that the decal can touch the paint over the entire surface.
As for the glossed areas showing in the final finish, I only rarely need to do a second coat of dull overcoat. Usually a single coat of dullcoat makes the glossed areas appear as flat as the original finish.
Now, for the original post, there could be two problems. First, it may be decal silvering, which is what most of the discussion in this thread has been discussing. But as I more carefully read the original post, the problem could be merely that the decals had a shiny surface that did not match the flat paint of the rest of the model. In that case, a flat coat over the decals would fix it. However, in my experience, if it is true silvering, removal and new decals are the only real fix.
So I tried a little micro set set over the decals and it looks the same if not worse - a little shiny. In trying to see examples of silvering, I did some googling. It looks to me that silvering is when the decal looks as if it’s on top of and not part of the model/surface - maybe some shiny edging too. Right???
also looked for future. Can’t find it anywhere. Where to look??? Is it still made and called future? Is it a wax or polish?
i think I’m gonna try to flat clear over 1 decal just to see the result and if it’s not better, remove and redo.
You probably have read where the builders glosscoat in the decal areas .What I do for this is glosscoat the whole plane then semi or dull coat clear it afterwards making sure the clear parts are masked well . Catchya Later T.B.
Hey tb- took a couple off and gloss and redid. Also tried micro set. Not sure if that made a difference. Anyhow a learning experience. If I dull coat the whole thing Am I suppose to cut the mm dull acrylic with water before I spray?? Tks Wm
