decal application help.

[davyj0427]

So I got my hands on a sheet of decals for the Fed fleet box, and I am having some difficulty applying them. The problem is when ever soak them and lift them out of the dish of water the immediately curl up and it is all but impossible to straighten them out when they are on the model. I guess I am fairly new to decals. I have placed them on FOW tanks and such and never had a problem, but that is the only experience that I have with them. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks in advance.
Gerhard
aka Davyj0427

 

[Iain McGhee]

Slide them onto the model off the paper, don't leave them in the water for so long that the decals float off the paper. You can use a Q-tip or paintbrush to smooth it out or to wet it on the model if you need to adjust it's position.

 

[billclo]

Start with a glossy surface if possible.

I have been using a product called Micro Sol Liquid Decal film on the decals before I cut them out. Apply, let dry for awhile, cut out the decal and apply. It seems to toughen up the decals and they rip less often. I never used to be able to get the big decals on the Federation saucers (NCC number and name) to not rip when I put matte spray on them at the end of the decaling process. Once I started using it, nary a problem.

When I am ready to apply the decal to the mini, I cut it out, and put on a piece of smooth plastic. I then use a paintbrush to apply several brushes worth of water to the decal, rather than putting it in a dish of water. This makes it much easier to work with, with hardly any curling up issues. Use the paintbrush that you will be using with the Micro Set to push the decal off the paper.

I apply some Micro Set on the mini's surface before applying the decals, apply the decal and let sit a couple minutes, then Q-tip down the decal. This does 2 things: it presses the decal into the surface, and it sucks up the Micro Set and eliminates the browning effect that letting the Micro Set dry on the miniature gives you. I ruined several minis before I figured out that letting the product dry on the mini was a bad idea.

Let dry 24 hours, and then put some Micro Sol Liquid Decal solution on top of the decals to protect them. Let dry a few hours, and then you can matte spray them if you want.

Hope this helps.

 

[scoutdad]

Bill and Iain got the high points.

The first step is to gloss coat the mini.
A gloss oat provides a smoother surface for the decal to adhere to. While not a big issue on the front end, this does provide a smoother decal in teh end and since the surface is smoother - less air is able to get underneath the decaql to start the oxidation process. These helps prevent silvering of the finsihed decal.

Next, trim the decal paper as close to the image as possible and use water to release the film from the backing.
There are several ways to do this:
You can soak the decal in water (just don't soak so long it releases from the paper).
You can fold a paper towel into a 3 x 3 inch sqaure and soak it with water and then place the trimmed decal on the towel (image side up) and allow the water to soak into the backing and release the film.
You can follow Bill method... apply water to decal...

Either way, wet the portion of the mini where you intend to place the decal, with the decal still on the backing paper, place it near the final loacation, and then using a wet (with water) paint brush, slide the decal into place.
The dampened paint brush can be used to smooth the decal and to help it reach its final place.
Blot the excess water (very carefuuly) with a Q-tip, tissue, etc. and allow to dry thoroughly before handling.
[If applying multiple decals to the same mini, this may require an extended timeframe to accomplish properly.

Once all decals are in place, apply another coat of sealer. I use matte sealer, but I know several who prefer gloss. It's you mini - so you decide.

As Bill mentioned, there are several solvents / decal aides that can be used... the best known are Micro-Sol and Micro-Set.
These are nice, they really help the final appearance, but they are not required.
I have decaled many of my Starline 2400 series ships w/o using anything other than time, patience, and water.

 

[davyj0427]

Thank you for all your replies. I can see i was doing it incorrectly. I will incorporate your suggestions and let you know how it went. Thank you again.
Gerhard
Aka davyj0427