I am finding my decals are either too shiny or is silvering a little. I don’t put any clear coats on my models but clearly I think I have to put some sort of seal on it to get rid of this problem. I paint with acrylics and wash with artist oils. I would appreciate some advice as to how many of you contend with this problem and what you use.
Thanks, Anthony
The problem is not to put a seal on top of your decals. Your problem comes from your putting the decals on a matte surface. Unless the surface is glossy, you will have silvering 99% of the time.
You MUST place a coat of gloss varnish (Testors gloss coat) or Future floor wax (actually an arcrylic gloss). I use Future. Once dry, you put your water slide decals on. Dab away the water when in place and then brush on some Micro Sol decal solvent. Your decal will crinkle up but don’t touch it. It’ll dry, snuggling into every detail and crevice of your model. Then coat the model with flat coat.
It’s funny how many armor modellers don’t spend the time to do decals right. If we were auto or airplane guys, we’d be laughed out of town – they MUST have good decalling skills. We treadheads should joint them.
I have never used future. I have heard so many pro’s and con’s for it I have decided to run the other way…lol. Should I put a dull coat over the model once the decals are finished? If yes what do you use?
Simply throw on a little Future in the area of where the decals will be placed. It’s an easy to use product…purchase and apply(yep, it’s just that easy.[;)]) Then after the decals are in place, I like to give the model a coat of Krylon Acrylic Clear Matte Finish(comes in a rattle can.) It seals in the washes and gives the model a nice finished apperance.
Remember, an armor kit only has a few decals. Especially compared to aircraft kist. I just take a brush and apply Future to the area where the decal will go. With aircraft, there are so many, it’s better to just coat the whole thing. Hope this helps.
Regards,
Jeff
Edit: I was beaten to the punch…
That helped a bunch thanks!
Some people swear by FUTURE by I use Glosscoat…whatever works for you…if you “sandwich” your dcal right between a nice, smooth surface and a rough dull-coat on top of it, it should look as though it has been painted on and won’t sit “proud” on top of the paint…
I’ve only just started modelling. I’ve just completed my second ever piece, a 1/48 Sherman Firefly.
My first piece was a Tiger and although the tank turned out very well (for a beginner) the decals weren’t that great. They were on straight but the transparent surround showed up quite badly.
On my Sherman I brushed a tiny piece of clear gloss varnish to where the the decals would go, let it set a little (this varnish is quick drying 1 hour stuff) then plopped the decal on top, dabbed off the excess water, let that dry a little then sealed it in with another brush over the top of the decal with the same varnish. On completion of the model it got it’s usual spray of matt varnish all over to seal it and this time…perfect decals!
Ben [:)]
Awesome advice! Thanks everybody!
Because I work with enamel paints, my process is 1) base paint 2) Future coat 3) Decals with Solvaset 4) 2nd Future coat 5) Weather 6) Seal with Testors Lusterless Flat. I used to struggle a lot with silvering decals and adopting this process eliminated it and I haven’t had problems for years as a result.
The key to the application of the Future IMHO is to do it by air brush as a mist coat. It sprays right out of the bottle with no thinning required and cleans up using Windex. If you apply it by brush it can potentially create a “patch” effect of slightly different surface heights relative to the rest of the model, especially if the “patch” is larger than the decal. Find what works for you and run with it! [;)]
Amarino 24,
Make sure you let the gloss coat dry (at least 24 hours) before applying decals and micro sol (or Solvaset). Let the decals dry as well before flat coating them. This way you don’t get anything reacting with anything else. Good luck and looking forward to seeing your posts.
Cheers
Dave
I will be sure to post my next build so you can see the results!
I almost NEVER use a gloss coat. The only exception is when I have to decal with really old, thick decals.
Here’s a tutorial section where I show how I do decals. If you use Solvaset setting solution and a soft facial tissue, you can put them down over paint without using gloss.
/forums/3/1007327/ShowPost.aspx#1007327
Using gloss underneath IS a good way to prevent silvering, but then you have to add a flat coat over that, and I hate using sealant coats and will try to use as little of them as possible.
Doog thanks for the tip. I don’t like to use sealants or clear coats either. I have been working without them and I am pretty happy with the results so far. I was wondering though what you do after you lay down the decals as described and they still seem to have a sheen or shiny look to them? I also use Micro Sol and Micro Set. Is there any differnece with using Solvaset?
Thanks for the help!
Anthony
Why don’t you save yourself a few bucks and simply use white vinegar. It works just as well as the name-brand stuff like Micro-Sol in my opinion.
Anthony, of course, after youlay down decals, you DO have to flat coat them if they’re glossy–no way to get around that, although many decals thankfully don’t gloss-up anymore.
Microsol is not, in my estimation and experience, as effective as Solvaset. Solvaset is some mean stuff.
I use Model Master acrylic flat for my flattening needs. [:)]
Doog thank you so much for the help! With yours and others advice my models are starting to look better and better! Just one more question for you. Do you brush on the flat coat over the decals or do you airbrush it? Sorry for all the simple questions…lol
Anthony
No prob, Anthony! I generally AB it. Makes for a thinner coat, ya know? [:)]
I think I got the whole picture now how to correct this problem . Thanks Doog!
Anthony